The IEEE UofT ASIC Team is a specialized project team within the IEEE University of Toronto Student Branch, dedicated to providing hands-on integrated circuit design experience to undergraduate students.

ASICs?

Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) are the cornerstone of modern electronics. These (mostly) tiny devices are foundational to our digital society. The process of fabricating Integrated Circuits (ICs) is known as taping out, or tapeout for historical reasons.

Overview

The ASIC Team works to provide IC design experience and opportunities to Undergraduate students at the University of Toronto. The students touch and skim through the different aspects of IC design throughout their Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) curriculum, but are seldom given the opportunity to practically apply these skills to design and fabricate their own IC.

The ASIC Team utilizes the amazing TinyTapeout and Free and Open Source Silicon (FOSSi) community to facilitate these opportunities. We use Open Source Software (OSS) for digital, mixed-signal, and analog IC design.

Who are we?

We are a Project Team of the IEEE University of Toronto Student Branch focused on producing technical projects in the field of ICs. The team is primarily composed of third and fourth year students studying ECE.

What do we do?

Learning

Most students don’t come in with experience using Open Source tooling for IC design. We focus on providing the required background to get familiar with the toolchain. This manifests in weekly learning sessions which expose students to relevant examples and “labs” that give them practical experience using tools like LibreLane.

Designing

Every associate on our team is passionate about creating their own integrated circuits. Throughout the year, members participate in learning sessions to get familiar with open source IC toolchains. Using this knowledge, each member prototypes their own proposed design in our ASIC Kompetition. The winning designs are chosen through internal voting, and the entire team comes together to tapeout these chips through TinyTapeout.

Building a Community

The purpose of the ASIC team is to build a passionate community of IC designers at the University of Toronto. We run events like the IC job mixer, introducing students to the ASIC design flow and different career paths in this field. We also host workshops and paper reviews open to the broader student body, covering topics like asynchronous circuits and AI-assisted EDA.

Our Mission

  1. Creating practical IC Design Opportunities for Students
  2. Contributing back to the Open Source Silicon Community
  3. Creating Resources for interested parties in IC design

About Our Team

We have a team of 18 engineering undergrads joining as associates, with 2 directors leading the initiative. Our events have tremendous impact, with community events reaching 60+ students in attendance, and over 100 students applied to join the team. We are thrilled that the passion for ICs and electronics continues to grow stronger at UofT.

Previous Projects

This is now the second year of the ASIC team. The first year was a trial run to build the grassroots. The product of our first year was a DPLL project, which is slated to be taped out on the TT-Sky-25b shuttle.

Technical Stack

Due to the limited availability and high cost of proprietary IC design software, the team has adopted an open source tech stack, utilizing resources and tools from the amazing FOSSi community:

  • Process Node: SKY130
  • Toolchain Flow: LibreLane
  • Tooling: Open Circuit Design
  • Tapeout Provider: TinyTapeout

Our Team Structure

Leadership

  • 2 Directors: Lead the overall team strategy and coordination
  • 18 Associates: Active team members participating in design and development

Team Roles & Responsibilities

Design Engineers

  • Responsible for architectural design and implementation of ASICs
  • Work on schematic design, simulation, and verification
  • Participate in our ASIC Kompetition with individual design proposals

Learning & Development

  • Weekly learning sessions on open source IC toolchains
  • Hands-on labs using tools like LibreLane
  • Technical workshops on topics like asynchronous circuits and AI-assisted EDA

Community Outreach

  • Organize IC job mixers and career events
  • Host workshops open to the broader student body
  • Build connections within the IC design community

About IEEE University of Toronto

The IEEE University of Toronto (IEEE UofT) is a student branch of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), dedicated to fostering technological innovation and excellence among students at the University of Toronto.

IEEE UofT Mission

  • Provide a platform for students to engage in technical and professional development
  • Foster innovation through collaborative projects and hands-on experience
  • Connect students with industry professionals and cutting-edge technology
  • Build a community of future electrical and computer engineers

Key Activities

  • Workshops & Seminars: Technical sessions on cutting-edge topics
  • Competitions: Engineering challenges and design contests
  • Networking Events: Industry professional meetups and career fairs
  • Project Teams: Specialized groups focusing on specific technical areas

How We Fit Within IEEE UofT

The ASIC Team operates as a specialized project team under the IEEE UofT umbrella, benefiting from:

  • Resources & Funding: Access to IEEE UofT’s resources and funding opportunities
  • Industry Connections: Networking with professionals through IEEE UofT events
  • Workshop Opportunities: Participation in broader IEEE UofT technical sessions
  • Community Building: Integration with the larger IEEE UofT community

Our Impact

  • 60+ students reached through community events
  • 100+ applications received for team membership
  • Growing passion for ICs and electronics at UofT
  • Active participation in the open source silicon community

Get Involved

Interested in joining our team or learning more about IEEE UofT?

  • Team Applications: We welcome passionate students interested in IC design
  • IEEE UofT Membership: Join the broader IEEE UofT community
  • Events: Attend our workshops and community events

For more information about IEEE UofT and its various initiatives, visit ieee.utoronto.ca.

Contact Us