RGBW Controller ASIC, Part 2 – Design for silicon, clock and reset considerations

In the previous article, I shared the initial steps toward creating an amateurial ASIC design. I had a concept for a colour generator, which I first prototyped directly on an FPGA. I also introduced some of the platforms and companies that make ASIC fabrication more accessible by allowing multiple users to share a single production … Continue reading RGBW Controller ASIC, Part 2 – Design for silicon, clock and reset considerations

RGBW Controller ASIC, part 1 – An FPGA design forged into an ASIC

I initially had an idea to implement an RGBW LED color controller in hardware, but I only had access to an FPGA along with free tools (though not necessarily open-source). Later, while participating in the ETHZ Summer School in Zurich, I discovered how it's possible, even for individual contributors, to affordably create an IC. At … Continue reading RGBW Controller ASIC, part 1 – An FPGA design forged into an ASIC