ECE 428 VLSI Computer-Aided Design

Introduces basic techniques and algorithms for computer-aided design and optimization of VLSI circuits. The first part discusses VLSI design process flow for custom, ASIC and FPGA design styles and gives an overview of VLSI fabrication with emphasis on interconnections. The necessary background in graph theory and mathematical optimization is introduced. In the second part, application of different analytical and heuristic techniques to physical design (partitioning, placement, floorplanning and routing) of VLSI circuits is studied. We shall emphasize VLSI design issues encountered in deep submicron technology. Throughout the course students will be exposed to research methodology and to a set of academic and commercial CAD tools for physical design. Also offered for graduate-level credit as ECE 528 and may be taken only once for credit.