From Schematic to Silicon: Mixed‑Signal IC Design in Open‑Source Flows

by Prof. Harald Pretl (JKU)

Monday 4 May 2026, 15:00 → 16:00 Europe/Zurich

40/S2-C01 - Salle Marie Sklodowska-Curie (CERN)

Abstract

Open‑source electronic design automation (EDA) has advanced rapidly in the last few years. Spurred by the availability of open‑source process design kits (PDKs) from SkyWater, GlobalFoundries, and IHP, interest in using free and open tools for chip design has surged.

Initiatives such as TinyTapeout, the IEEE Chipathon, and Code‑a‑Chip have broadened access, but robust end‑to‑end flows—especially for analog and mixed‑signal design—are not yet complete.

 

In this talk, we present recent analog and mixed‑signal case studies that combine open‑source EDA tools with open PDKs, and we assess where the ecosystem stands today. We highlight what works, where current flows fall short, and we identify key gaps and concrete opportunities for further development.

 

About the speaker

Prof. Dr. Harald Pretl is a Full Professor and Head of the Institute for Integrated Circuits and Quantum Computing at Johannes Kepler University (JKU) Linz. His research focuses on analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits, RF systems, and ultra-low-power designs for applications ranging from wireless communications to biomedical and IoT devices. He has extensive industrial experience, having held senior engineering and leadership roles at Intel, Infineon, and Apple, where he contributed to the development of advanced RF transceivers and cellular technologies.

Prof. Pretl is also an active contributor to the open-source IC design ecosystem, promoting accessible design flows and tools for research and development. He is the initiator of the widely used IIC-OSIC-TOOLS environment, which helps lower the barrier to entry and facilitates the adoption of open-source ASIC design by providing a streamlined and accessible toolchain.

 

 

CERN26_SchematicToSiliconOpen_Pretl_v1.2.pdf