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Synopsys
Discover the World of Chips and Electronic Design
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Episode 1: Introduction
by synopsys 2,675 views
This video series is geared towards a non-technical audience that is interested in learning more about the amazing computer chip industry and how chips are designed and manufactured. Technical jargon is not used, and this is not an advertisement of Synopsys products.
In these 19 videos you can expect to develop a basic understanding of how chips are made and learn how engineers design them. You will also gain an understanding and appreciation for the incredible electronic design industry.
Please post your comments and questions below. Thank you for watching. -
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Episode 2: Some History
by synopsys 3,129 views
In this video Karen Bartleson goes through some interesting facts about the history of computers, chips, and electronics overall.
Karen also explains Moore's law and the background behind it. -
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Episode 3: Acronyms and Terms
by synopsys 1,378 views
Ever wonder what all those high tech acronyms that engineers use really mean? Karen explains the most commonly used acronyms in electronic design including EDA, CAD, VHDL, Verilog, RTL, FPGA, IP, IC, and more.
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Episode 4: Electronics Everywhere
by synopsys 1,016 views
In this video Karen covers why the electronic design industry is so cool and what products have chips in them.
You will also learn how big the chip and electronic design industries are in terms of dollars as well as the global market and challenges they face. -
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Episode 5: The Switch and Other Parts
by synopsys 780 views
This video explains the beginning stages of making a computer chip including its 3 basic elements.
Karen also simplifies what a chip is by explaining how it is merely a switch made out of silicon.
In the upcoming videos Karen will show how a chip is made in 14 easy steps. -
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Episode 6: How a Chip is Made -- Steps 1 - 3
by synopsys 1,547 views
This video covers steps 1-3 of how a chip is made including:
• Grow a giant crystal of sand (silicon)
• Slice it up into round wafers and polish them
• Coat a wafer with a photographic chemical that hardens when exposed to light -
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Episode 7: How a Chip is Made -- Steps 4 - 7
by synopsys 1,306 views
This video covers steps 4-7 of how a chip is made including:
• Make a stencil for a pattern to embed in the silicon
• Shrink the stencil and shine a light through it
• Dip the wafer in acid, leaving a raised pattern
• Repeat steps 3-6 many times, producing layers of patterns etched into the wafer
Be on the lookout for a cool term in this video. -
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Episode 8 Part 1 -- Steps 8 -10
by synopsys 935 views
This video covers steps 8-10 of how a chip is made including:
• Cut up the wafer into many square chips
• Glue the chip into a protective package
• Connect the chip to the pins of the package with tiny gold wires
Karen will also show how chips connect to the outside world. -
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Episode 8 Part 2 -- Steps 11 -- 14
by synopsys 800 views
This video covers steps 11-14 of how a chip is made including:
• Put the chip on a testing machine and run a test
• Throw away the chips that fail the test!
• Assemble different kinds of chips onto a board
• Install the board into a phone, computer... -
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Episode 9: Types and Functions of Chips
by synopsys 1,035 views
In this video Karen goes over the 3 main kinds of chips: analog, digital and FPGAs
She also describes how to tell what a chips does as well as explains what a logic gate is and gives an example of how they work. -
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Episode 10: EDA and the Chip Design Flow
by synopsys 565 views
This video describes what the task of a design engineer is, and Karen explains how electronic design helps them.
Karen also gives an overview of the steps for designing a chip.
The next video will define the 7 basic steps of the design process. -
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Episode 11: Chip Design Flow -- Step 1
by synopsys 2,349 views
In this video Karen presents 7 simple steps of a design flow process are and describes step 1: "specify your chip".
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Episode 12: Chip Design Flow -- Steps 2 - 3
by synopsys 1,330 views
In this video Karen goes over steps 2-3 of a design flow:
• Generate the gates
• Make the chip testable -
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Episode 13: Chip Design Flow -- Step 4
by synopsys 1,202 views
In this video Karen describes step 4 of a design flow: ensure the gates will work
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Episode 14: Chip Design Flow -- Steps 5 - 6
by synopsys 899 views
In this video Karen goes over steps 5-6 of a design flow:
• "Blueprint" your chip
• Double-check your blueprint -
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Episode 15: Chip Design Flow -- Step 7
by synopsys 690 views
This video begins step 7, the last step in a design flow: turn your design into silicon, a physical chip.
Karen explains how large the data files for a chip design can be, and this will boggle your mind. -
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Episode 16: Chip Design Flow -- Step 7 (more)
by synopsys 692 views
This video continues the previous step 7 of a design flow. Karen describes the problem that arose when chips become so small that light was too big to fit through the stencils and the cost-effective solution that electronic design came up with.
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Episode 17: Chip Design Flow -- Step 7 (even more)
by synopsys 618 views
Step 7 of a design flow is concluded in this video. Karen explains what it means when an engineer "signs off" on a design and how the manufacturer takes over from there.
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Episode 18: Where EDA is Going
by synopsys 692 views
In the last video of this series, Karen describes where she thinks electronic design is headed, including how designs will only become faster and better. She also explains how there are still challenges that need to be solved and how crucial electronic design is to the chip industry.
See below for a list the list of resources that Karen provides in the video:
• "EDA, Where Electronics Begins" by Clive Maxfield and Kuhoo Goyal. order online at www.edac.org
• Electronic Design Automation by Mark D. Birnbaum. Order online at amazon.com
• "Silicon Run" video. Order online at www.siliconrun.com
• "EDA, Where Electronics Begins". Video and DVD at www.edac.org
• Intel Museum: www.intel.com
• www.Synopsys.com
• Synopsys Blogs blogs.synopsys.com
• Conversation Central http://blogs.synopsys.com/conversationcentral/
• LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/company/synopsys
• Twitter www.twitter.com/synopsys
• Facebook www.facebook.com/synopsys
• YouTube www.YouTube.com/synopsys
