For a while now we’ve followed the slow progression of affordable integrated circuit fabrication, and through the likes of Tiny Tapeout we’ve seen impressive strides made. But they’re not the only player in the space, and [Breaking Taps] has a video showing their microprocessor built using wafer.space.
The microprocessor itself is a little unusual, being a transport triggered architecture design with two busses. The whole thing might better be described as a system-on-chip than a microprocessor, as like a microcontroller it contains both memory and peripherals. He’s used Spade to design the thing, and we get an in-depth look at all the steps involved between design and fabrication. It’s a level or two more difficult than passing the DRC standards for your PCB fabricator. The result is a chip carrier with the chip itself visible under clear epoxy. It’s using an old fabrication technology so the silicon is surprisingly big, but unlike Tiny Tapeout’s cell based fabrication the whole chip is the one circuit. Mounting it on a PCB and using a breadboard, he’s able to demonstrate it running simple programs.
It’s clear that having your own IC fabricated is not for everyone, as even though wafer.space has performed minor miracles it’s still a service for people with a few dollars in hand. But look at it this way, we’re still near the start of this particular curve, and we expect that further affordability breakthroughs will follow.
Continue reading “You Can Make A Microprocessor That’s All Your Own”
