VLSI Design for Secure Communication

Systems
 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.
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.
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.
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.
• 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.
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

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.
• 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.
• 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.
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:

1. IP companies like HDL ensign House, Cadence, etc.

2. Product companies like Qualcomm, Intel, etc.

3. EDA companies like Semiconductor Complex Ltd., eInfochips Ltd., etc.

4. Service companies such as FrenusTech, ASIC North, etc.

5. Foundries such as UMC, TSMC, etc

What are the Expected Challenges in the VLSI Field?
• Power 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Types of Hardware Security
• Four types of hardware security:

Cryptoprocessor
Power protection
Heat maintenance
Hardware security modules
 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.
 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
 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.
 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.