# Making Analog Chip Designs Without Analog Designers

- Show: [EE Times Current](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current)
- Published: 2025-03-07
- Length: 48m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2025-03-07-making-analog-chip-designs-without-analog-designers
- Listen: https://podcast.show/aspencore/episode/143024751/

## Summary

Dr. Jennifer Hasler of Georgia Tech discusses her work on Field Programmable Analog Arrays (FPAAs) and new Python-based analog synthesis tools designed to make analog chip design accessible to non-analog experts. She explains how floating-gate technology enables programmable analog circuits and argues for the importance of analog design in low-power edge AI applications. The episode also features commentary from Dr. Giulia D’Angelo and Professor Ralph Etienne-Cummings on the challenges of analog adoption and the recent Nobel Prize in Physics.

## Chapters

- [0:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2025-03-07-making-analog-chip-designs-without-analog-designers#t=3) Introduction and Guest Background
- [4:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2025-03-07-making-analog-chip-designs-without-analog-designers#t=245) PhD Work and Floating Gate Synapses
- [6:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2025-03-07-making-analog-chip-designs-without-analog-designers#t=382) Evolution of FPAAs and Analog Routing
- [11:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2025-03-07-making-analog-chip-designs-without-analog-designers#t=665) The Analog Designer Shortage and Tooling
- [14:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2025-03-07-making-analog-chip-designs-without-analog-designers#t=860) High-Level Synthesis and Python Tools
- [17:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2025-03-07-making-analog-chip-designs-without-analog-designers#t=1020) Target Applications: Edge AI and Sensor Processing
- [25:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2025-03-07-making-analog-chip-designs-without-analog-designers#t=1536) Standard Cells and Programmable ASICs
- [30:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2025-03-07-making-analog-chip-designs-without-analog-designers#t=1801) Commercialization and Open Source Commitment
- [36:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2025-03-07-making-analog-chip-designs-without-analog-designers#t=2166) Commentary on Nobel Prize and Analog Adoption

## Topics

- [Analog & power electronics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/analog-and-power-electronics)
- [EDA & CAD tools](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/eda-and-cad-tools)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)
- [Chips, FPGAs & semiconductors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/chips-and-fpgas)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Georgia Tech (company)
- Caltech (company)
- FPGA (product)
- FPAA (product)
- Akika (company)
- Python (tool)
- Neuromorphic Engineering Framework (tool)
- Hopfield Network (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Episode 67: A Conversation with Aart de Geus on EDA and the Future of Silicon Design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-circuit/2024-05-13-episode-67-a-conversation-with-aart-de-geus-on-eda-and-the-future-of-silicon-des) (The Circuit)
- [Silicon Revolution with Matt Venn](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2024-06-30-silicon-revolution-with-matt-venn) (The Amp Hour)
- [66: As Simple as Possible](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2014-09-03-66-as-simple-as-possible) (Embedded.fm)
- [Discussing the Open Source PDK with Tim Ansell](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-07-20-discussing-the-open-source-pdk-with-tim-ansell) (The Amp Hour)
- [Open Source Tapeout with Matthew Venn](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-01-23-open-source-tapeout-with-matthew-venn) (The Amp Hour)

## Citing this page

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