# Chip Design for Fun (and Waffles) with Julia Desmazes

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2026-04-09
- Length: 59m
- Episode: 721
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-04-09-chip-design-for-fun-and-waffles-with-julia-desmazes
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/721-chip-design-for-fun-and-waffles-with-julia-desmazes/

## Summary

Julia Desmazes, a CPU and RTL designer, discusses her experience building custom ASICs for fun through the Tiny Tape Out program, including a recent 'two weeks until tape out' challenge. She explains the open-source silicon stack, detailing how tools like OpenROAD, PDKs, and Wafer Space have lowered the barrier to entry for individuals to tape out chips. Desmazes covers the technical challenges of designing AI accelerators, specifically systolic arrays, and the critical importance of data movement and floating-point optimization in hardware design.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-04-09-chip-design-for-fun-and-waffles-with-julia-desmazes#t=0) Introduction and Open Source Silicon Revolution
- [2:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-04-09-chip-design-for-fun-and-waffles-with-julia-desmazes#t=133) The Two Weeks Until Tape Out Challenge
- [7:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-04-09-chip-design-for-fun-and-waffles-with-julia-desmazes#t=473) AI Accelerators and Data Movement Constraints
- [13:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-04-09-chip-design-for-fun-and-waffles-with-julia-desmazes#t=785) CPU Cache Hierarchy and Timing Constraints
- [22:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-04-09-chip-design-for-fun-and-waffles-with-julia-desmazes#t=1328) Debugging JTAG and FPGA Emulation Flow
- [35:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-04-09-chip-design-for-fun-and-waffles-with-julia-desmazes#t=2149) Floating Point Math and Hardware Optimization
- [46:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-04-09-chip-design-for-fun-and-waffles-with-julia-desmazes#t=2776) Custom Accelerators vs. General Purpose CPUs
- [54:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-04-09-chip-design-for-fun-and-waffles-with-julia-desmazes#t=3277) Physical Implementation Tools and Future Plans

## Topics

- [Chips, FPGAs & semiconductors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/chips-and-fpgas)
- [EDA & CAD tools](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/eda-and-cad-tools)
- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- Tiny Tape Out (other)
- OpenROAD (tool)
- Wafer Space (other)
- OpenOCD (tool)
- SEGGER (tool)
- LiberLane (tool)
- Skywater 130nm (other)
- GlobalFoundries (company)
- RISC-V (other)
- ARM (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [454: Printf Hello](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2023-07-06-454-printf-hello) (Embedded.fm)
- [105: Some Paths Are More Suicidal](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-06-17-105-some-paths-are-more-suicidal) (Embedded.fm)
- [Synopsys' Stelios Diamantidis Is Bringing the Magic of AI To Chip Design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2023-04-04-synopsys-stelios-diamantidis-is-bringing-the-magic-of-ai-to-chip-design) (Moore's Lobby)
- [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)
- [AI Disruption: DeepSeek and Cerebras](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2025-02-06-ai-disruption-deepseek-and-cerebras) (Oxide and Friends)

## Citing this page

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