VLSI Design for secure communication systems.pptx

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1. VLSI Design for Secure Communication Systems

2. What is VLSI Design? VLSI design is a complex process that includes the development of integrated circuits with thousands of transistors on a single chip. To work in this field, you need knowledge of electronics engineering and computer science, as you need to design high-performing and reliable circuits that have low power consumption and are small in size without compromising performance. It is interesting to know that the design of a VLSI chip includes different stages — specification, architecture, logic design, verification, physical design and fabrication. Now, here, in this blog, you will learn about the opportunities and challenges of VLSI design.

3. Current Scenario of VLSI Industry Hardware is a general term that refers to the physical artifacts of a technology. It may also mean the physical components of a computer system, in the form of computer hardware. Typical PC hardware: Motherboard CPU RAM ROM Power Supply Removable media devices Internal storage Networking, etc.

4. Current Scenario of VLSI Industry VLSI Design with AI and ML: With the advancement of AI and ML, VLSI design engineers are finding new opportunities and challenges to build integrated circuits. The ML algorithms analyse huge datasets and identify the patterns and trends that help optimise chip architectures. As a result, the design process accelerates the feasibility and performance of the integrated circuits. Moreover,  expert AI systems  can streamline the design verification and validation processes, which reduces time to market and human intervention. Thus, VLSI engineers should be updated with the latest AI and ML trends to get more opportunities. 5G Technology and Beyond : With the rapid advancement of telecommunication, 5G technology has become a game changer in the field of  Digital   VLSI design . Now, 5G is creating limitless opportunities in the VLSI design industry. Now, the VLSI engineers are getting trained in They are already implementing 6G technology to foster VLSI design with high-speed communication.

5. designing the microchips to empower the 5 G-enabled systems like smartphones, IoT gadgets and network infrastructure. Furthermore, the engineers are not only depending on 5G, they are now working on 6G which promises more innovation and job opportunities in VLSI design. IoT and Edge Computing : The convergence of IoT ( Internet of Things ) and edge computing is revolutionising the industry of VLSI design. IoT is an approach of interconnecting different devices and sensors to generate a huge volume of data. In contrast, edge computing is a decentralised approach that helps in data processing. Both these technologies help to construct power-efficient chips that easily operate data processing, improve real-time decision-making, and reduce latency. Quantum Computing : Quantum computing utilises the aspects of multidisciplinary fields like maths , physics, and computer science and ultimately uses quantum mechanics to solve complex challenges faster than traditional computers.

6. Cybersecurity : To protect the hardware from potential cyberattacks, secured chips must be developed. For instance, IoT devices need secure firmware updates, hardware-based attestation, and secure booting. Hackers can inject malicious elements into AI-based systems that can be infected to access sensitive information. For these reasons, the VLSI engineers specialise in hardware security to protect the chips from potential attacks.

7. VLSI Technology and Its Applications The technology of VLSI started in the late 1950s during the advancement of integrated circuits (ICs). Then by the 1980s, the ICs evolved from small-scale integrations to very large-scale integration (VLSI). VLSI enabled multiple transistors within a single chip that introduced compound ‘systems-on-chips’ (SoCs). Also, the transformations in design methodologies and lithography have set a revolution across industries.  Different applications of  VLSI design : 1. Consumer electronics 4. Telecommunications 2. Automotive industry 5. Computing capabilities: 3. Healthcare and biotechnology

8. Prospective Career Opportunities in VLSI Designing Industry SoC Verification Engineer : The SoC verification engineers verify the functionalities of the VLSI design. They have to verify the designs using high-level verification languages (HLVL), such as UVM and SystemVerilog . So, they need a strong knowledge of designing protocols, Logic Design, scripting language and SV/UVM programming. Moreover, the SoC verification engineers collaborate and coordinate with the RTL verification engineers to verify and report the bugs in the designs. Front end RTL Design Engineer : RTL design engineers create VLSI designs using Verilog. They must have a strong concept of  digital VLSI design  and read and comprehend design specifications. Also, they need to translate the design specifications into the Verilog code with the help of RTL design and coding guidelines. For these, they need a complete understanding of ASIC/SoC design flow and they must be able to debug the codes.

9. Application Engineer : Application engineers help customers to understand a product’s functionalities and features after they have purchased it. Significantly, they help before selling the products when the customers ask questions about the use/application of the products. Thus, an application engineer requires strong communication, representation and customer management skills. Also, they need a good understanding of VLSI technology and expertise in customer analysis. CAD Engineer : IC designs include different steps and tools. Every step requires an iterative design process and multiple input files. The VLSI industry requires CAD engineers to handle these procedures and input files. They automate the repetitive steps of the design workflow and need expertise in scripting, QA and EDA tools .

10. Corporate Application Engineer (CAE) : The CAEs master the microchip products to assist the clients and the production team with their applications. They also guide the users in choosing the right products based on their requirements. The CAEs also write user guides and knowledge-based articles and conduct training sessions and webinars/seminars. Apart from these, they work with the sales and marketing team.

11. Key Aspects to Know About a Career in VLSI Industry Skills to Succeed in the VLSI Field Which Types of Companies Should You Prefer to Get a VLSI Design Job? The list includes the following: IP companies like HDL ensign House, Cadence, etc. Product companies like Qualcomm, Intel, etc. EDA companies like Semiconductor Complex Ltd., eInfochips Ltd., etc. Service companies such as FrenusTech , ASIC North, etc. Foundries such as UMC, TSMC, etc

12. What are the Expected Challenges in the VLSI Field? P ower consumption becomes a huge concern for VLSI professionals. So, it’s better to overcome this problem by using power gating. Physical design creates challenges as it requires balancing between the circuit’s area and performance. This design includes routing and placements of elements on a chip with factors like area, performance and power. Thus, the designers need to use sophisticated tools and algorithms to overcome this challenge. Timing closure becomes another challenge in VLSI design. It’s the process that ensures all the paths of the circuits fulfil the essential timing constraints. So, it’s necessary to establish synchronisation between the different elements of the circuits to ensure seamless operation and avoid time delays. However, synchronisation becomes challenging in the case of complex circuits. Thus, the designers should utilise techniques like clock tree synthesis, pipelining and retiming to overcome these challenges.

13. Computer security Computer security have two types: Software security: Software security is an idea implemented to protect software against malicious attack and other hacker risks so that the software continues to function correctly under such potential risks. Hardware security: Hardware security is vulnerability protection that comes in the form of a physical device rather than software that is installed on the hardware of a computer system.

14. Hardware security Physical device that provides a layer of security. Protects data from unwanted accesses. Helps prevent exploits of specific vulnerabilities. Provides some advantages over security via software. Power supply security.

15. Why do we need? Modern security work is largely focused on either protecting or attacking target operating systems. Software is not enough to fully protect a system. Security in hardware offers performance and power consumption advantages over its software equivalents. Increasing amounts of data being processed and the complexity of encryption algorithms slows down security implementations severely. Often times these same encryption algorithms can be implemented in hardware.

16. What does hardware security do? Implements encryption algorithms to secure data. Store encrypted data in a difficult to access fashion. Prevents unencrypted data from existing in an idle state on the system. In the US, Hardware security conforms to the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Provides life to the system so that software used on it can be saved for larger time.

17. Attacks Insider Attack e.g. Laid-off employee. Invasive Attacks e.g. Hardware reverse engineering Semi-invasive Attacks e.g. Heating Non-Invasive Attacks e.g. EM radiation observation

18. Types of Hardware Security Four types of hardware security: Cryptoprocessor Power protection Heat maintenance Hardware security modules

19. Cryptoprocessor A secure cryptoprocessor is a dedicated computer-on-a-chip or microprocessor for carrying out cryptographic operations, embedded in a packaging with multiple physical security measures, which give it a degree of tamper resistance. Unlike cryptographic processors that output decrypted data onto a bus in a secure environment, a secure cryptoprocessor does not output decrypted data or decrypted program instructions in an environment where security cannot always be maintained.

20. Power protection A computer requires steady voltage of 110V or 220V. The fluctuations in electric voltage or frequent power failure can damage computer hardware Power protection devices UPS Volt Guard Spike guard

21. Heat Maintenance We should maintain suitable temperature, moisture and circulation of air in the computer system. Fluctuations in temperature in computer may cause unexpected crashes. There should be proper air condition to maintain suitable temperature in the computer system. Heat can break down contracts or junctions with the chip or other devices.

22. Hardware security modules(HSMs) A hardware security module (HSM) is a physical computing device that safeguards and manages  digital keys , performs  encryption  and decryption functions for  digital signatures ,  strong authentication  and other cryptographic functions. These modules traditionally come in the form of a plug-in card or an external device that attaches directly to a  computer or  network server . A hardware security module contains one or more secure cryptoprocessor   chips .