ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the history of VLSI technology with the features and advantages of an FPGA. A review of microelectronics, CMOS technology gate configuration, CMOS fabrication layout, VLSI design flow, combinational and sequential circuit design, subsystem design layout, types of ASICs and their design flow, VHDL design flow, the requirements of VHDL and so on are presented. The operation of CMOS switching transistors and designing combinational circuits using them is detailed with circuit configuration and function tables. The CMOS fabrication process is illustrated with clear sketches to provide a better understanding of the operation of every fabrication process. The basic structures of a combinational and sequential circuit are explained with the basic gates, as well as CMOS transistors. The ASIC technology is classically classified and the different types are summarized, with various associated factors. The standard VHDL design flow, verification, issues and implementations are illustrated with clear descriptions. Finally, the computational difference between serial and parallel processing and implementation of serial and parallel architectures in an FPGA is explained. Design exercises are listed in the last section.
