0:00 intro 3:30 my intro 4:12 what this talk will cover 7:20 my background 10:00 getting started with something and being bad at it 11:55 history and context 19:57 what went wrong with MPW1 22:58 Q&A part 1 32:00 tool overview 41:00 siliwiz - analog layout in the browser 44:00 Q&A part 2 51:17 example projects 55:00 Q&A part 3 57:00 Tiny Tapeout 1:05:00 Hackaday supercon, 30 people taped out in 3 hours 1:14:00 IHP fab tour 1:16:00 Connect with me - slides 1:18:00 Final Q&A
Public Domain tools are good for learning, but not for large scale production. Because the Highest cost is not the cost of tools, or even the cost of tape out. The highest cost is the cost of engineering time for development. It is like running a auto repair shop with amateur tools. Imagine instead of titanium screw drivers, you use aluminum screw drivers. Instead of using a compressor you use a hand pump.
This is very true. This is the gap that Revolution EDA is trying to fill. The aim is to create a professional grade schematic to GDS flow. The basic flow will be free with add-ons either free or paid depending on the developers' wishes.
I think in practice this is only true at very large companies. At small design houses the cost of the tools dominate. I remember a conversation with a founder who was choosing between meeting payroll or buying a ir sim license from one of the vendors.
