🚀 go-pugleaf

    For those of us that are not digital engineers by training (like
programmers, mathematicians, and other affiliated but non-hardware
professions), is there a way to learn lsi design?  Often when working
on a good solution to a programming problem, its obvious that reasonably
clean solutions are possible in hardware, but only very ugly solutions
in software.  This can occur in situations where there is a good
combinatorial solution to a problem, particularly if real-time response
is required in a system (like encryption, move generation in games, etc).

   Is there a way for the "lay" person to make use of lsi cad
techniques?  Obviously, the quality of the design would not match that
of one produced by an engineer..but often its the creation of a first
functional prototype that is important.  Once you know something is
possible, its easier to contemplate the cost/time of creating a good
final chip design.  Also, if the algorithm being implemented is in
some sense optimal, final chip design would tend to consist of improved
use of chip technology and not change of the function implemented.

   Comments from the experienced people out there?  Software and reference
pointers are appreciated too.



       Reid M. Pinchback
       Undergraduate, CS/C&O
       U. of Waterloo