Accessibility of applications specific integrated circuits

Applications specific integrated circuits (ASICs) open new design opportunities in Sandia component applications. ASICs can be used to overcome many of the constraints that reduce system functionality in Sandia systems. Key constraints in our environment are power consumption, volume, weight, speed, and radiation-hardness. In addition, use of ASICs may reduce the costs of system design, acquisition, and life-cycle maintenance. Design tools for integrated circuits are rapidly simplifying the design of integrated circuits. Just as high level computer languages enabled applications-oriented computer users to take control of their own code development after assembly coding had limited the practicality of user design, in ICC design tools and approaches are enabling the applications-oriented user to design an ASIC with modest training and in a short time period. In order to demonstrate the state of the design systems, we have selected a representative application and, without any formal training or experience in IC design, have designed and fabricated an ASIC. This report details the steps that were followed and the time they took. It is important to emphasize that this project was the first chip designed start-to-finish on the Mentor design stations in Organization 2110; therefore most of the problems encountered were typical of a first pass through a new system. Most of the problems were quickly wrung out by the CAD tools staff; future users of the system should not expect to have the problems recur.