So, You Want To Be a Chip Designer?

Originally, I had planned to mark the 5th Year Anniversary of Chip Design magazine with a tale of the history and bright future of the publication. Fascinating as that might have been, a recent email convinced me to take a different path to mark the occasion. Instead of a history lesson, I decided to talk about the essence of chip design.
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Specifically, I encouraged the community to share their thoughts on what it means to be a real chip designer. The frank responses challenge many of the notions that are typically seen in today’s press. But what better way is there to honor the magazine that continues to serve as the voice of the chip design community than to share their responses? – JB

[Reader #1] Speaking from a non-chip design background, I’d advise getting as much knowledge and experience in software development…because that’s where the jobs will be.

[Reader #2] Is this guy joking? What has software development got to do with chip design? Absolutely nothing. I am a chip designer (specifically memory chip design). Let me lay it down for you in a simple bullet point overview.

Knowledge needed:
> Understanding of digital or analogue circuit design
> Understanding of design methodologies
> Understanding of transistor process technology
> Use of high level design languages such a VHDL or Verilog or analogue Verilog.
> Standard cell / full custom design flows or analogue design flows.

Therefore you need an MSC in Microelectronics. Nothing less will do!

[Responder #3] I agree and suggest either going to a school that both has a strong program in the level of chip/system design that the student is interested in, or has a co-op course or thesis program that allows to the student to experience making a chip/system before they look for a job. Getting practical knowledge by doing systems/chips is the only way to actually get into this line of work.

[Responder #4] Well, I’ve been in and out of the chip design world for many years, mostly in a support role (software, verification, and project management), so I guess I can make some comments:

1. Hiring managers do not respect book learning. Spending money on classes is a waste of time. Only on-the-job training counts.
2. When going for a job, pay attention to which language they are using. System Verilog is the up-and-coming language. VHDL is used for military, aerospace, and European stuff. Plain old Verilog rules everywhere else. Nobody in the real world designs chips using C++.
3. Try not to get stuck in verification. They will tell you some fairy tale about how you do verification for a couple of years and then you get to do design, but it’s not true. You’ll get type-cast as a verification guy and will never get to do design. (I have 5 years of verification.)
4. FPGAs are steadily taking market share away from ASICs. This is good news and it is bad news. The good news is that FPGAs are a lot easier and cheaper than ASICs. The bad news is that FPGA tools are cheaper, and they are not very good.
5. Systems increasingly have embedded processors, usually some kind of 32-bit RISC machine like an ARM or a PowerPC. This means that you will have to have a fairly high level of knowledge of real-time embedded software if you want to be a senior chip designer. The ability to write a device driver for VxWorks is going to be good enough. As regards the issue of how to get that first job, there are two basic approaches:

1. Go to some place like Silicon Valley, Northern Virginia, or Southern California and keep applying for jobs until you get one. This will take a while, considering the fact that we are in a recession.
2. Apply all over the country for ASIC designer jobs and/or FPGA designer jobs. Move to Lexington, KY if that’s where the job is.

Oh, yeah. Every day that you are unemployed, call your Congressman and tell them that there is NOT a shortage of Engineers in this country and that we do NOT need to import any more H1-B slaves.

That last part is kind of important.

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BY John Blyler
Source：Chip Design

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