Last wednesday it was mentioned that there would be some pointers to the caravel architecture provided on the next meeting. I was trying to get the repo caravel_user_project_analog and this brought some questions that might be related to that topic: -It seems that doing make pdk tries to get google-skywater pdk repo. Does this mean that installing the google-skywater pdk is not a preqrequisite? -I can see that magic is a prerequisite , but what about open_pdks, netgen and the other tools needed for analog flow ? -The repo includes a set of folders (like gds,mag,netgen,xschem, verilog, among others), which seem to provide a folder structure for adding my design's schematic,layout and some basic verilog model so that some higher-level verification sims can be run. Is this the correct way of interpreting this, or are there other folders that might be neccesary? or we only need to submit the gds? -Conversely, are there any folders that might be of interest for us, the designers, but not for the "foundry" (or whoever receives our gds), for example extracted simulations, that can be left out from the caravel_user_project_analog folder structure? -I have seen that apparently something called "dockers" simplify some of this setup tasks, is there one single docker to get all tools and sets up the folder structure, so we can just start designing? Thanks

This approach for silicon tapeout is really interesting because it is open source, so the designer must provide more than just the GDS and the design specifications. I know the answers to some of those questions, I think. 1. I don't know why it needs to install the PDK. It's obviously a requirement. There must be other make options without it. 2. Open PDKs install configuration files for the other tools, so xschem have the symbols for the process primitive devices, ngspice has easier simulation configuration files, Klayout and Magic have the tech layer file and some scripts for device instantiation. Netgen is for LVS, I guess. Magic only displays the GDS files and extract the design netlist. 3. Other foundries accept just the GDS. If there are no critical DRC errors and the remaining errors are waived, they accept it. But these are open source tools with open source PDK sponsored by SSCS. We should provide any person more than the bare means to fabricate the actual design, but also to understand it. It is not a black box. 4. I have other folders. Github accepts it. It must be a security nightmare for Efabless team regarding their Open Galaxy virtual desktop. 5. OpenLane has a docker for it. It must work.