VLSI & Testing Course — Core Topics

Learn Digital design, CMOS, Verilog, ASIC/FPGA flow, physical design, power & testability — from basics to interview-ready.

VLSI Topics Testing
Why this course?
  • Practical — Verilog examples & mini projects
  • Compact — Core topics explained simply
  • Interview-ready — Questions & roadmap included
Start Learning VLSI
Beginner → Professional track
Course Length

16–20 weeks (self-paced / instructor-led options)

Who is it for?

ECE/EE/CS students, freshers, engineers seeking VLSI roles.

Outcome

Build RTL designs, simulate Verilog, understand ASIC/FPGA flows and physical design basics.

Core Topics — Brief & Simple Explanations

Click a topic to expand the short explanation. Start from the top if you're new.

Logic gates (AND, OR, NOT, NAND, NOR, XOR) are the basic building blocks.
Boolean algebra gives rules to simplify logic. Karnaugh maps (K-maps) help reduce expressions.
Combinational circuits (e.g., adders, MUX) depend only on inputs. Sequential circuits (flip-flops, counters) store state.

CMOS uses complementary PMOS and NMOS transistors. A CMOS inverter flips input to output with very low static power. CMOS is dominant because of low-power and high density.

MOSFET is the transistor used in CMOS. Know cutoff, linear, saturation regions and threshold voltage (Vth). These determine switching and analog behaviour.

Fabrication steps: oxidation → photolithography → etching → doping → metal deposition → packaging. These steps create transistor patterns on silicon wafers.

Flow: spec → RTL (Verilog/VHDL) → verification → synthesis → floorplanning → placement & routing → timing & DRC/LVS → tape-out. Each step converts design closer to silicon.

Verilog is used for RTL design and testbenches. Learn module syntax, always blocks, assign, blocking (=) vs non-blocking (<=), and writing testbenches to simulate behavior.

FPGA = programmable logic (LUTs, FFs, routing). Use for prototyping, hardware acceleration, and real-time systems. Synthesis maps RTL to FPGA primitives.

ASICs are custom chips for a specific task. Types: full-custom, semi-custom, standard-cell. ASIC gives best performance & area but costs more to design/fabricate.

Key terms: setup time, hold time, clock skew, and slack. Static timing analysis checks whether design meets clock speed.

Physical tasks: floorplanning, placement, clock tree synthesis, routing, and layout checks (DRC/LVS). This turns gates & nets into physical silicon layout.

Reduce power with clock gating, power gating, multi-Vth; reduce area with logic restructuring and cell sizing. Balance performance vs power vs area.

Techniques: dynamic power reduction (lower switching), leakage reduction, DVFS (voltage & frequency scaling), and power islands. Important for mobile & edge chips.

Make chips testable: scan chains, ATPG (automatic test pattern generation), and BIST (built-in self-test). DFT reduces manufacturing defects left undetected.

SRAM: fast cache-like memory; DRAM: denser but needs refresh; ROM: read-only storage. Memory design involves bitcell, sense amps, and timing constraints.

Analog blocks include op-amps, ADC/DAC for conversion, and PLLs for clock generation. Analog design uses continuous-time transistor models and careful layout.

Practical Curriculum & Roadmap

  1. Start: Digital basics → CMOS → MOS operation
  2. Learn Verilog: combinational & sequential examples
  3. FPGA prototyping: synthesize & run on board
  4. ASIC flow: synthesis → P&R → timing → DRC/LVS
  5. Physical design fundamentals & basic sign-off checks
  6. DFT basics, power optimization & memory modules
  7. Mini-project: Design a small processor / peripheral or custom accelerator
Interview Prep

Shortlist: Verilog coding, timing, CMOS inverter, transistor regions, DFT basics, and basic physical design terms.

Project Ideas
  • RTL UART + Testbench
  • Simple RISC datapath (mini-processor)
  • SRAM bitcell & sense amp simulation

Ready to Start?

Join the practical VLSI course at Suresh Tech Institute. Hands-on labs, Verilog practice, and job guidance.

Contact / Enroll

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