Digital Nano-CMOS VLSI Design Courses in Electrical and Computer Engineering through Open-Source/Free Tools

Digital VLSI design courses are a standard component in most electrical and computer engineering curricula. Electronic Design Automation (EDA) or Computer Aided Design (CAD) tools and frameworks are an integral and indispensable part of such courses. In this paper we present our findings during the preparation and setup of such a course, centered around nanoscale CMOS, standard cell based design. Practical issues, such as the choice of licensing model, hardware and software platform selection, point tool identification and deployment as well as the availability of readily useable standard cell libraries are discussed. In addition, a design flow that incorporates the tools in a comprehensive framework is presented. A sample syllabus and a suggested teaching methodology are also given.