180 GHz chip design with open source tools - an interview with Shafin Hossain.

180 GHz chip design with open source tools - an interview with Shafin Hossain.

Author: Matt Venn November 4, 2025 Duration: 42:25
Design repo: https://github.com/shafinhossain/TO_M...
OpenEMS script: https://github.com/VolkerMuehlhaus/op...

00:00 Intro 
00:41 Shafin intro 
02:33 Ironman Inspiration 
04:11 G band power amplifier on IHP 130 BiCMOS 
15:37 Design Questions 
25:47 Simulation Questions 
29:00 Testing 
31:48 General Questions 
34:13 Tools Questions 
37:36 How to contact Shafin 
38:46 Plans for the future 
40:38 Outro

For anyone curious about how the tiny, powerful chips that run our world are actually created, Zero to ASIC Course offers a clear and engaging path through the complex landscape. Hosted by Matt Venn, this podcast demystifies the journey of designing Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), breaking down the barriers between abstract concepts and physical silicon. Each episode serves as an informal lesson, weaving together foundational physics, current industry news, and practical engineering insights. You'll hear conversations with practitioners and pioneers who are actively shaping open-source silicon, making a field often shrouded in proprietary secrecy feel accessible and collaborative. This isn't just theoretical; it's about the tools, the challenges, and the community effort to bring custom chip design to more people. By listening to this podcast, you gain a nuanced understanding of semiconductor development, from initial design to final fabrication. The discussions naturally explore the intersection of education, technology, and open-source philosophy, providing context for both newcomers and seasoned engineers looking to stay current. Matt guides the exploration with a focus on real-world application, ensuring that every interview and news segment builds towards a comprehensive, practical knowledge base. Tune in to connect the dots between software, hardware, and the innovative future of computing.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 43

Zero to ASIC Course
Podcast Episodes
Interview with Dinesh A - Riscduino [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:32
Interview with Dinesh A - Riscduino00:00 Intro00:45 about Dinesh02:39 Aim of Riscduino04:50 Aim to be pin compatible and with support of compiler and libraries06:10 Join the project - Dinesh is looking for help with anal…
February news update! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:47
MPW1 lives, chip scans, epoxy, Efabless, CLEAR FPGA, Makercast & hackchat
January news update [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:47
January news update!MPW1 silicon & bringup, MPW4 submitted, MPW5 tapeout
December news update [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:52
Carlos' twitter space: https://twitter.com/carlosedp/status/1469355189891125255 Silicon compiler: https://www.siliconcompiler.com/ Amaranth: https://github.com/amaranth-lang/amaranth MPW2 rerun: https://efabless.com/proj…
Interview with Staf from Chips4Makers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:39
In this interview we talk about Staf's recent tapeout, the flexcell standard cell generator and pdk master - a kind of API for pdks.Staf also gives his opinions on the state of the industry and whether we at an inflectio…
November news update [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:16
Lots of open source ASIC news from November. Check the youtube description for all the links.https://youtu.be/goOzeELjjnI
Matt Guthaus - OpenRAM [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:56
In this interview with Matt Guthaus, we talk about: Recap - what is OpenRAMWhy do we need a memory compiler like OpenRAM?3 phases of OpenRAM developmentWhat’s changed since FOSSi dialupMPW2 tapeout of OpenRAMTest modesWh…