ECE 445 - Intro to VLSI Design (Fall 2012)

Policies

All assignments are due at the start of class on the specified due date. Each assignment should have your name, the course number, the date, and the assignment designation (e.g., HW1, P2, etc.). Video students: Your assignments are due by 5 pm PST the day after the specified due date. No extensions without prior arrangements. Attendance is mandatory. Students who miss five or more class periods will receive a letter grade of F.

Text

CMOS VLSI Design, 4th ed., Weste and Harris, Addison-Wesley, 2011. ISBN10: 0-321-54774-8

Reading

  • Aug 20 - Read chapter 1 (skip 1.7)
  • Aug 24 - Read chapter 2
  • Aug 29 - Read sections 3.1-3
  • Sep 3 - Read chapter 4 through section 4.3
  • Sep 11 - Read the rest of chapter 4
  • Sep 20 - Read through section 9.2, skipping subsections marked "optional"
  • Sep 26 - Read through section 5.3
  • Oct 15 - Read the rest of chapter 5
  • Oct 19 - Read through section 6.3
  • Oct 24 - Read the rest of chapter 6
  • Oct 29 - Read sections 10.1-2
  • Nov 1 - Read section 10.3
  • Nov 9 - Read section 10.6
  • Nov 11 - Read sections 12.1-2
  • Nov 26 - Read section 12.3
  • Nov 30 - Read section 12.4

Homework and Quizzes (20%)

Homework problems will typically be graded on a 3 point scale: 1-2 points if partially (or poorly) completed; 3 points if the problem is completed and appears correct. All homework will be collected in class at the start of the class. Late homework will not be accepted without prior permission. Students may work together and should check their answers against the posted solutions. There will also be unannounced quizzes periodically, perhaps even daily! It is your responsibility to make sure you are prepared for every class.

  1. Aug 27. Ex. 1.6, 9(b), 13-15.
  2. Aug 31 Ex. 2.1, 3-5, 7-8.
  3. Sep 7. Ex. 3.1, 4, 6, 7.
  4. Sep 10. Ex. 4.2, 6, 8, 10
  5. Sep 24. Ex. 4.11, 14, 26. Turn in a hardcopy of your transistor schematic of your inverter.
  6. Oct 1. Ex. 9.6, 8-10, 12 Turn in a hardcopy of the transient simulation of your inverter.
  7. Oct 8. Ex. 5.1, 4, 6.
  8. Oct 26. Ex. 6.1-4
  9. Nov 5. Ex. 10.2, 4, 6

Projects (20%)

1.      Oct 8. Project 1 (20)

2.      Nov 2. Project 2 (50)

3.      Dec 5. Project 3 (80)

Exams (60%)

Please bring your own paper, a calculator, and pencil to each exam.

There will be three semester exams and a final, equally weighted and closed book/closed notes. (Formulas will be provided.)

1.      Sep 12. Topics

2.      Oct 10. Topics

3.      Nov 7. Topics

4.      Dec 11, Tues, 7:30-9:30am (!!!) Topics

Lecture Material

Reference Material

Textbook web page

VLSI Information