FPGA with Improved Routability and Robustness in 130nm CMOS with Open-Source CAD Targetability

Abstract: This paper outlines an FPGA VLSI design methodology that was used to realize a fully functioning FPGA chip in 130nm CMOS with improved routability and memory robustness. The architectural design space exploration and synthesis capability were enabled by the Verilog-to-Routing CAD tool. The capabilities of this tool were extended to enable bitstream generation and deployment. To validate the architecture and bitstream implementation, a Chisel (Constructing Hardware in the Embedded Scala Language) model of the FPGA was created to rapidly verify the microarchitectural details of the device prior to schematic design. A custom carrier board and configuration tool were used to verify correct operational characteristics of the FPGA over various resource utilizations and clock frequencies.