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Our Approach to Silicon Development

We bridge the gap between application requirements and manufactured silicon through proven FPGA prototyping and production integration expertise.

The Silicon Journey

Based on real experience manufacturing our own chip

graph LR
    A[Stage 1:<br/>Architecture Design<br/>~6 months] --> B[Stage 2:<br/>Physical Design<br/>~4 months]
    B --> C[Stage 3:<br/>Manufacturing & Testing<br/>~4 months coordination<br/>18-24 months actual]

    style A stroke:#4CAF50
    style B stroke:#2196F3
    style C stroke:#FF9800
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Stage 1: Architecture Design (~6 months)

From requirements to working FPGA prototype with RISC-V CPU integration, custom IP development, and comprehensive validation.

  • System Specification

    Define performance targets, power budgets, interface requirements, and peripheral ecosystem

  • HDL Implementation

    Design in Verilog/VHDL with RISC-V CPU integration and custom IP cores

  • Simulation & Testing

    Functional verification, timing analysis, and resource optimization

  • FPGA Prototyping

    Working hardware demonstration on AMD Xilinx platforms

Tools & Technologies: Vivado, Synplify, Design Compiler, Precision FPGA Synthesis, Questa One Sim

Key Deliverables: System architecture specification, synthesizable HDL code, validated FPGA prototype, test suite and documentation

Stage 2: Physical Design (~4 months)

ASIC-ready design with PDK compliance, timing closure, and tape-out preparation.

  • Floorplanning & Placement

    Strategic placement of functional units, memory blocks, and I/O pads

  • Tapeout Verification

    DRC/LVS checks, timing closure, and manufacturing rule compliance

  • PDK & Standard Cells

    Process Design Kit verification and standard cell library integration

  • Manufacturing Prep

    GDSII generation, documentation package, foundry submission files

Tools & Technologies: PrimeTime, Innovus Implementation System, foundry-specific PDKs

Key Deliverables: Floorplan layout, verified GDSII files, timing reports, manufacturing documentation

Stage 3: Manufacturing & Testing (~4 months coordination | 18-24 months actual)

Foundry coordination, manufacturing oversight, and post-silicon validation.

  • Foundry Coordination

    IC manufacturing management with wafer selection and die packaging

  • Silicon Production

    Wafer fabrication, die cutting, packaging, and assembly

  • Post-Silicon Testing

    Electrical validation, functional testing, and defect analysis

  • Debug & Recovery

    Issue identification and mitigation strategies for manufacturing defects

Manufacturing Partners:

Region Partners
German/EU Fraunhofer IIS, RoodMicrotec, Racyics, TES Electronic Solutions, iC-Haus, Infineon
Global Foundries TSMC, Samsung, GlobalFoundries
Open-Source Google/efabless shuttle programs

Reality Check: 18-24 months from submission to working chips (we know because we've done it before)

Key Deliverables: Manufactured chips, test reports, characterization data, production-ready design

Service Offerings

  • RISC-V FPGA Platform Development

    €100-200K | 4-6 months

    Working FPGA reference platform with RISC-V CPU, peripherals, and demo applications

  • Custom IP Core Development

    €80-150K | 3-5 months

    Hardware-accelerated IP cores (FFT, CRC, ML acceleration) integrated and verified

  • FPGA-to-ASIC Preparation

    €150-300K | 4-6 months

    ASIC-ready design with feasibility study, partner introduction, and tape-out prep

  • Requirements Engineering

    €40-80K | 6-10 weeks

    Feasibility report with business case, architecture options, and implementation roadmap

  • Production Integration

    €200-400K | 8-12 months

    Production-ready hardware with CE, EMC, and safety certifications (IEC 61508 SIL2)

Partnership Model

We work with (not against) the ecosystem

graph TB
    IP[IP Providers<br/>Andes, Synopsys, WD]
    DH[Design Houses<br/>ASIC Specialists]
    F[Foundries<br/>Production]
    M[Motius<br/>System Integration]
    C[End Customers<br/>Automotive, Industrial]

    IP -->|RISC-V IP| M
    M -->|Reference Platforms| IP
    M -->|FPGA Prototypes| DH
    DH -->|Tape-out Support| M
    M -->|ASIC-Ready Design| F
    F -->|Manufacturing| M
    C -->|Requirements| M
    M -->|Complete Solutions| C

    style M stroke:#4CAF50,stroke-width:3px
    style IP stroke:#2196F3
    style DH stroke:#FF9800
    style F stroke:#9C27B0
    style C stroke:#F44336
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Why Work With Us

  • We've Manufactured Our Own Chip

    Real tape-out experience, debugged manufacturing defects, understand true timelines

  • Multi-Vendor RISC-V Experience

    Proven with Andes, Synopsys ARC-V, Western Digital cores across multiple platforms

  • Production-Ready Systems

    2M+ units shipped, CE/EMC certified, IEC 61508 SIL2 functional safety experience

  • Full-Stack Capability

    From application requirements → FPGA → ASIC → production hardware → certifications

Who We Work With

Customer Type How We Help
Automotive & Industrial Companies Evaluate if custom silicon makes business sense, FPGA prototyping to de-risk decisions, production integration with certifications
IP Providers & SoC Designers Reference platform development, customer demonstration support, application expertise

Sweet spot: Mid-size manufacturers (€50M-500M revenue), 5,000-50,000 units/year

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