OpenROAD Partners with UCSC Extension on VLSI Design Courses

The OpenROAD Project, Precision Innovations Inc., and UCSC Extension have collaborated to integrate open-source Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools into UCSC’s extension programs. This partnership aims to equip students and industry professionals with skills in semiconductor design and related technologies.

The initiative leverages open predictive technology models and public PDKs alongside OpenROAD’s RTL-GDSII flow to provide clear visibility into PPA tradeoffs before detailed design phases. The ASAP7 open-source 7nm FinFET PDK supports comprehensive design workflows including synthesis, placement, routing, and simulation.

UCSC Extension incorporated OpenROAD-based courses covering:

• Physical design of digital and analog/mixed-signal ICs
• Static timing analysis for flow and signoff validation
• Embedded memory design using OpenRAM and similar tools

Guest lectures from industry experts ran from September 26 to November 9, 2022. The partnership significantly reduces educational costs and addresses the semiconductor industry’s talent gap by making open-source EDA tools accessible to students and designers.