[J-core] Google Skywater PDK to manufacture J-32 CPUs?

[D. Jeff Dionne]

On Sep 3, 2020, at 15:32, John Paul Adrian Glaubitz <glaubitz at physik.fu-berlin.de> wrote:

Hello,

Yes, we've considered it.  We've had a few discussions with the project leader, but there are a few problems:

1. The PDK still isn't quite where it needs to be.  We need RAM, PLL and some IO cells which are not quite there,

2. They are not actually providing free silicon when design files are provided.  They allow a project to put their design into not a pad ring, but a RISC-V test and management harness that also provides IO.

1 will come with time, and 2 we're not interested in.

We will talk with SkyWater directly at some point, but all our own cells (the company that is responsible for J-Core) are 180nm and 152nm, so we'd have to port them.

Something like this will happen at some point...
J.

> Hi!
> 
> Has there been any consideration within the J-Core project to pick up Google's offer
> to manufacture open source silicon for free?
> 
> Google has its own Process Design Kit (PDK) that can be used to create design files
> for the manufacturing of open source silicon [1].
> 
> My understanding is that Google will manufacture the silicon for free when the design
> files are provided.
> 
> Adrian
> 
>> [1] https://github.com/google/skywater-pdk
> 
> -- 
> .''`.  John Paul Adrian Glaubitz
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