Microelectronics Design

1.      Implementation of digital circuits (full-custom, semi-custom, PLA, CPLD, FPGA, etc.). Implementation alternatives of different hardware devices,

2.      Cooperative design and manufacture from full-custom to FPGA. The tasks of the designer,

3.      Hardware-software co-design,

4.      Design flow, production flow,

5.      Synchronous and asynchronous digital circuits. General issues of low power design,

6.      Virtual Component (VC) and intellectual property (IP) based design,

7.      Static and dynamic CMOS and BiCMOS circuit implementations,

8.      Circuit simulation, models, model parameters,

9.      Logic simulation, definition of models and parameters from circuit simulation,

10.  Functional and structural tests,

11.  Failure-models, structural test generation, failure simulation. Digital test automation. Design for testability, scan-path,

12.  Design systems (CAD, Mentor, Cadence), top-down, bottom-up design style.

13.  Masks and technologies necessary for integrated circuit manufacture. Layout design rules,

14.  Cell placement and routing algorithms,

15.  Design with HDL. Steps of synthesis. Verilog commands and their effect on synthesis. Synthesis and timing. Timing analysis, wire-load model, preliminary placement,

16.  Structure and operation of microprocessors, microcontrollers and signal processors. Neumann and Harvard processors. Static and dynamic memories.

17.  Technology-dependent design steps of FPGA devices (format converters, logic partitioning, placement and routing modules),

18.  Structure, operation, dissipation and costs of GPP, FPGA, SoC, SiP, microcontroller devices,

19.  Program and data memory. I/O operations, interrupt, DMA handling, adaption and operation of input devices and displays in programmable devices,

20.  Simulation, testing, calibration, cost-efficiency.

The course has a laboratory practice (2 hours/week)

1.      Introduction of the design of a complete ASIC specification as a use-case. The role of the designer as the contact person between the procurer and the manufacturer should be highlighted,

2.      Use-case of a digital system design. E.g. washing machine controller ASIC described in Verilog using top-down methodology and hierarchy,

3.      Design for testability. Introduction of ad-hoc methods on concrete circuits. Extension of an ASIC with scan-path circuit, demonstrated with simulations.

4.      Usage of programmable devices in circuit realization,

5.      Demonstration of alternatives after circuit synthesis (ASIC vs. FPGA),

6.      Demonstration of the synthesis of a moderately complex ASIC Verilog description.

7.  Demonstration of floorplanning from description to full chip layout.