Chipyard: A framework for designing some exciting chips, both in research labs and in classrooms

Professor Borivoje Nikolic

Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

University of California, Berkeley

Abstract

There is an enormous interest in developing customized, domain-specific systems-on-a-chip. Continued improvement in computing efficiency requires functional specialization of hardware designs. But designing complex chips is difficult. This talk presents the Chipyard framework, an integrated SoC design, simulation, and implementation environment for specialized compute systems. Chipyard includes configurable, composable, open-source, generator-based IP blocks that can be used across multiple stages of the hardware development flow while maintaining design intent and integration consistency. We discuss some sample designs, the use of the framework in classes, and opportunities for extension and improvement.

Bio

Borivoje Nikolić is a Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at the University of California at Berkeley, where he holds the National Semiconductor Distinguished Professorship in Engineering. He co-directs the Specialized Computing Ecosystems (SLICE) lab and the Berkeley Wireless Research Center (BWRC). He holds a Ph.D. degree from UC Davis.