Open-Source VLSI CAD Tools: A Comparative Study

The design of electronic circuits can be achieved at many different refinement levels from the most detailed layout to the most abstract architectures. Given the complexity of Very Large Scaled Integrated Circuits (VLSI) which is far beyond human ability, computers are increasingly used to aid in the design and optimization processes. It is no longer efficient to use manual design techniques, in which each layer is hand etched or composed by laying tape on film due to the time consuming process and lack of accuracy. Therefore, Computer Aided Design (CAD) tools are heavily involved in the design process. In today’s market, there are plenty of VLSI CAD tools; however, most of them are expensive and require high performance platforms. Selecting an appropriate CAD tool for academic use is considered as one of the key challenges in teaching VLSI design courses. In this paper, number of open-source and freeware CAD tools are presented and evaluated. Based on the objectives of the user, this paper furnishes guidelines that help in selecting the most appropriate open-source and freeware VLSI CAD tool for teaching a VLSI design course.