How to learn Digital Design flow using open source tool that work like commercial software

[Awalluddin]

Hi, I am asking for advice. I interested in custom design. As you know commercials tools is supper expensive and it hard to get tutorial and also joining their community. So open tools source is the only way to go for me to explore. What open source tools that considered working almost like the commercial one which is used in the industries.

 

[krippkrupp]

There used to be a free student version of modelsim, however I'm not sure if it's still available. Vivado is my goto software for early RTL simulations.
I've heard good things about Yosis for synthesis, but not used it myself.

 

[FlyingDutch]

There used to be a free student version of modelsim, however I'm not sure if it's still available. Vivado is my goto software for early RTL simulations.
I've heard good things about Yosis for synthesis, but not used it myself.

Hello,

I can confirm - I used Yosys +Symbilfow - see link:

https://github.com/SymbiFlow

for synthesis (Yosys) and implementation (nextprn) of Lattice FPGA. There are many modules for diffrent vendors parts, but tools for Lattice FPGAS are most advanced and finished. For example tools for implementation of Xilinx FPGAs only partially suports this vendor chips. There is also quite good free Verilog simulator called "Verilator" - see link:

https://www.veripool.org/verilator/

I also use sometimes tool called "GTKWave" for watching .vcd files with results of simulation:

http://gtkwave.sourceforge.net/

Best Regards

 

[dick_freebird]

Closest thing to industrial grade EDA for modern digital is probably the Google / Skywater "open silicon" PDK / tools chain combo.

If you are serious enough to go the distance, they run free (!) MPW shuttles that will get you actual chip samples (though believe this requires you to declare your design Open Source as a "condition of carriage").

 

[dpaul]

What open source tools that considered working almost like the commercial one which is used in the industries.

Actually none, the ASIC design industry is still conservative with regard to the use of tools! But things are changing out there very slowly. As others have pointed out above, there are free tools which behave like the commercial one, but low largely they are accepted in the ASIC design domain is unknown to me.

I can recommend you two tools, for synthesis and simulation which are widely used in the industry but still can be obtained and used for free. But you need to do some pre-work.
1. Get the latest Microchip Libero tool
2. Get a free Microchip FPGA license
3. It comes with Modelsim for simulation and Synopsys Synplify for synthesis.
4. Use the above tools to simulate and then synthesize your design.
5. Learn how to run these tools in batch mode, this is very important. In that way you need not learn how the Microchip Libero calls these tools (in project mode), rather you would know just how to use them independently.

 

[ThisIsNotSam]

the OP said something about custom design, so I assume he is looking for the equivalent of virtuoso, no?