There is a catastrophic shortage of personnel in the market of microelectronics developers, and there is no queue of willing people at the threshold of this segment. To learn the basic skills of using hardware description languages ​​(HDL) requires a minimal set of tools, but when a student tries to install it for the first time, there are usually a lot of additional problems. And the first of them is Linux. You may not believe it, but not all students are now burning with the desire to work in an incomprehensible console, when there are convenient windows nearby, where you can learn Python and SQL with ready and understandable courses with the same success and live happily ever after. And you will still have to face the choice of a simulator, the search for additional libraries for it, etc. In short, even for a simple circuit simulation, the entrance threshold is very high.

This article tells how we tried to lower this threshold with the help of a summer school at the MIFI National Research Nuclear University and what results we managed to achieve. We provided a ready-made environment and educational materials for students. Lectures were given and laboratories were held to introduce microelectronics to the course.

Hello, Habre!

As a hardware developer, we are constantly faced with a shortage of microelectronics developers. This direction is unpopular among students due to the high entry threshold. Stereotypes about prospects and salaries in this industry in Russia also play a part (especially against other IT industries). We came to MIFI to show the real picture using the example of our company, to introduce students to the requirements of employers, to provide sources of information and to teach how to use available tools, and in general to show the route of development of microelectronics and microprocessor systems.

Why was this excursion necessary?

In the culture of microelectronics developers, there is an unspoken rule that those who want to learn on their own. There are really many sources on the Internet on the topic of development. For example, the excellent APS MIET course, materials prepared by Yuriy Panchul and his team, as well as materials by Stanislav Zhelnia.

You need a simulation environment to start going through them. Already at the start, the question “Which Linux should I choose?” arises.

The simulators are more sensitive to the Linux version than we would like. Some simulators will work out of the box, but others may require additional libraries. It is not always possible to deal with this quickly. At the same time, Linux administration skills from a microelectronics perspective are actually secondary.

To circumvent these issues, we developed a two-week summer program for third-year specialist students familiar with circuit engineering, where they practiced running simulations, learned the basics of the Verilog language for describing digital circuits, and dissected the composition of the simplest processors. The program also included a visit to the office, a tour of our museum and getting to know the team representatives.

How was the training

As part of the project “More than a start”, 14 people were selected for our group. We gave lectures and conducted laboratory work for them.

As part of our summer school, we offered students laptops of our production with the necessary development environment and a set of materials for the duration of their studies.

In total, nine theoretical classes were planned:

– the first 3 lessons are devoted to the study of the functionality of the description of logic microcircuits,

– the following 3 – for the basis of microprocessor systems, in particular for ISA RISC-V,

– the last 3 – for learning the SystemVerilog language.

But according to the results of the lesson, it turned out as follows:

– 3 classes – for learning the basics of the Verilog language

– 2 classes – to study the development route and a tour of the company

– 4 lessons on studying microprocessor systems

SystemVerilog lessons did not fit into the allotted time.

They tried not to give the material in one monolithic piece for an hour and a half, but to break the material into parts. In addition, in each presentation there were questions for the audience, since the subject is practical. The question was made taking into account the completed program, which allowed students to shine with their knowledge.

During laboratory work, students were offered a set of tasks of various levels of complexity. Each student had to independently run the simulation and analyze its results. The tasks of the initial level were to be completed by all students. Others – individually at class or at home.

Example task:

Describe a 3v8 decoder using:

a) And, NO

b) logical shift

c) if-else

d) case

e) ternary operator

The initial level of difficulty is to perform one of the proposed options.

There are other options for the house.

Testbench requirements:

a) Testbench, which makes a sequential impact on the inputs of the device of all possible combinations of signals. The correctness of the device’s operation is assessed by viewing the timing diagrams.

b) Testbench, with the functionality described in point a, but contains a check function and outputs messages about correct and incorrect signal processing to the terminal.

Company employees acted as teachers and consultants. Of course, in terms of practice, engineers had to be distracted from work. It pays off in the long run, but carries some risks related to project delivery times. We were 100% aware of it. It will not be possible to distract a person by half, by ¾, etc. Development of the course, preparation of materials and checking of tasks requires a huge amount of time and effort.

But the participation of engineers was necessary. SystemVerilog is a new language for students and at first the biggest problem was with syntax errors. Open source simulators, such as Icarus, do not always clearly indicate a mistake made, so having an experienced person around makes the job much easier.

What’s next

Those students who successfully completed the summer program and met the requirements of our departments (verification, development and topology) were invited to an interview at the company. As a result, they hired five interns.

At MIFI, we conducted a pilot project on interaction with universities, which we will further develop and complete.

Habra readers have the opportunity to send their CV to [email protected] for practice or internship. Depending on the candidate’s goal and degree of training, the following interview can be divided into 2 parts: an introduction, during which we will evaluate the candidate and introduce the internship requirements for the field of interest, and a technical interview.

In the conditions of shortage of personnel, cooperation of industry with specialized institutes is absolutely necessary. This makes it possible to update the university program and show students the real situation on the market: how companies live, under what conditions employees work.