Democratizing IC Design: The IEEE SSCS PICO Program Video

Abstract: Inspired by the possibilities of open-source chip design, the IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society (SSCS) launched its new Platform for IC Design Outreach (PICO) in the summer of 2021. With this program, the SSCS intends to contribute to the new open source movement, forge connections with the fast-growing open source community and help educate next-generation IC designers. This presentation will provide an overview of ongoing SSCS PICO activities and their broader goals and outcomes. These include "Chipathon" competitions with SSCS-sponsored tapeouts in SkyWater's 130-nm CMOS process as well as the newly established "Code-a-Chip" Travel Grant Award Program. In addition, you will learn how to get started with open source design and how to contribute to the broader ecosystem. Please visit the Society's GitHub portal for related material: https://sscs-ose.github.io/.