Microelectronics System Design Group Facilities

While developing original design flows and in-house software tools (http://async.org.uk/tools.html), the group is one of the most prolific design teams using Europractice software, holding licences for extensive CAD packages from Cadence (e.g. full IC Package), Synopsys (Front-end tools such as DC, PhC, Design Vision, Prime Time and Verification), Mentor Graphics and Handshake Solutions and exploiting links with Intel, Atmel and Sun for chip fabrication. We can perform feasibility studies, prototyping, testing and characterisation of advanced ICs in 65nm CMOS processes and beyond. Several demonstrator ASICs have recently been designed and fabricated through Europractice (arbiters, A2D and T2D converters, synchronisers, cryptoblocks, on-chip time measurement circuits, on-chip communication links - see http://async.org.uk/chip-gallery.html).

The group has hardware and software facilities for FPGA-based design, using Xlinix and Altera kits (incl. Virtex5 65nm) and software such as Xilinx ISE, FPGA Advantage, MG Modelsim, Cadence Xilinx Parser. These facilities have been used for prototyping T2D converters, synchronizer characterisation circuits, CPU with concurrent error detection asynchronous testers. The group has excellent testing and measurement equipment, including Agilent 6GHz Infinium 54855A oscilloscope, Pattern Generator 81133A and Logic Analysis system 16902A/16910A. There is access to high-temperature (in excess of 300C) testing equipment for digital and analogue memory circuit IP cores.