Teaching full-custom design skills using ChipWise

ChipWise is a VLSI design environment, developed at the University of Kent, which integrates symbolic design tools obtained from industry with design tools for hand craft layout. Since 1989, ChipWise has been used at a number of UK higher-educational institutions for teaching VLSI design skills, and became part of the UK Higher Education ECAD Initiative in 1990. The paper describes the design tools and their use in student design projects at the University of Kent.