Hi All. Is it possible to tape out designs, that are not open source, in the gf180 open source pdk? They wont qualify for these free google sponsored shuttle runs but thats not a problem. If the designs can't be made public, I presume I can just submit directly to the fab, but on the gf180 process to which the open source pdk corresponds? Same question would go to SW130. @Tim Edwards

@Diarmuid Collins short answer is Yes. But the main problem would be the legal side related to signing up to the foundry and foundry accepting your design. Plus funding fabrication, etc….

If it is a Google-sponsored Open MPW, then the answer is no, but then there are no more Google-sponsored Open MPWs. For any sponsored shuttle run, it's up to the sponsor. If you pay for your own tile on a chipIgnite run, then yes, it can be proprietary. The same would be theoretically true of GF180MCU except that we are not currently doing any chipIgnite tapeouts with GF.

I see. So currently chipIgnite is only doing tapeouts with SW? Therefore, to tape out on GF180MCU I would need to approach GF directly and sign the necessary NDA's to secure a place on an up-coming MPW. Sound right to ye? Basically I want to use open source tools on an open source pdk to produce a proprietary design. Has this been attempted before? Txs.

Yes, exactly. What you have described above is correct.

That's great. Ill try that so and update this thread with how things go.

Happy to hear your feedback

Just as an update here ... after much research I have decided SW130 is more suited to my needs. Simply because the chipignite programme is so attractive from both an engineering and cost perspective. GF also never replied to my numerous emails, which was quite the contrary with efabless and skywater themselves. So will be hanging out on the sky130 channel from here!