Course details

Digital chips design basics

ZCH Acad. year 2025/2026 Summer semester 5 credits

Current academic year

Introduction to the design process of digital chips in CMOS technology. Introduction of key elements at transistor level, their behaviour and rules of use in VLSI circuit design. The use of elements to build combinational and sequential digital circuits, typical structures, delay, timing, power consumption issues. Design process, setting design constraints, optimization, implementation and design verification. Signoff analysis. Design tools.

Guarantor

Růžička Richard, doc. Ing., Ph.D., MBA (DCSY)

Language of instruction

Czech

Completion

Classified Credit

Time span

  • 26 hrs lectures
  • 12 hrs laboratories
  • 18 hrs projects

Department

Faculty of Information Technology (FIT)

Learning objectives

  • To get an overview of the whole process of designing VLSI digital circuits in CMOS technology, to get to know the individual steps of the process and their continuity, to get an idea of their complexity and pitfalls.
  • To learn the tools to support the design of VLSI digital circuits in CMOS technology.
  • To practice the key steps of the design process with simple examples.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

Knowledge of the basics of electronics, behaviour of basic elements (resistor, capacitor, coil, diode, transistor), circuit laws. Boolean algebra and its implementation in digital circuits. Basic logic gates (invertor, NAND, NOR, XOR), flip-flop circuits (T, D, J-K, R-S).

Fundamental literature

  • Weste, N., Harris, D.: CMOS VLSI Design: A Circuits and Systems Perspective. 4th Edition, 2010. ISBN 978-0321547743.

Syllabus of lectures

 

Progress assessment

  • Each lecture 1-6 will be followed by a short electronic test for up to 3 points to test key knowledge from the lectures.
  • A mid-semester summative written test for up to 30 points on the knowledge needed to solve practical problems in the laboratory and in the project.
  • In the second half of the semester, a total of 4 lab exercises for up to 3 points each, the exercises always build on the various parts of the design process discussed in lecture.
  • A project on a chosen topic for up to 40 points.
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