6 Week Hands-On Digital Chip Design using the VSDSquadron FM Trainer Kit
Chip Design for High School is a carefully designed, hands-on hardware program that introduces high school students and early engineering learners to the fundamentals of digital chip design using FPGA technology. The journey begins with core concepts such as current, voltage, and switching behavior, helping students understand how electronic signals represent logic. Instead of overwhelming theory, the program builds clarity step by step, connecting physics to digital systems and demonstrating how real hardware forms the backbone of modern computing devices.
As students progress, they move from switches to logic gates, Boolean expressions, truth tables, and combinational circuit design. Learning is reinforced through structured experiments on the VSDSquadron FM Trainer Kit, where students work with LEDs, push buttons, seven-segment displays, and real input-output systems. This practical exposure strengthens logical thinking and problem-solving skills, enabling learners to clearly visualize how inputs are processed into meaningful hardware outputs.
The program then advances into logic optimization using Karnaugh Maps (K-Maps) and gradually transitions into Verilog hardware description. Students learn how circuits are modeled through code and how designs move from logic diagrams to programmable FPGA implementation. This crucial bridge introduces learners to modern chip development workflows, making them comfortable with both conceptual design and practical deployment.
Designed to build strong digital foundations early, Chip Design for High School nurtures hardware thinking, analytical ability, and structured design skills. By combining theory, experimentation, and FPGA implementation, the program prepares students for advanced VLSI, embedded systems, and semiconductor careers, empowering the next generation of chip innovators.
Kunal Ghosh, the visionary co-founder of VLSI System Design (VSD) Corp. Pvt. Ltd., stands at the forefront of online open-source EDA and hardware design education, particularly in the realm of RISC-V.
With a portfolio of 50 top-tier VLSI online courses, Kunal has enriched the learning journey of over 90,000 students across 153 countries. His expertise extends beyond training; he’s actively involved in pioneering open-source projects and design collaborations with esteemed institutions like IIT Madras, IIT Bombay, IIT Guwahati and IIT Hyderabad.
His current focus is on crafting high-quality open-source Analog/Digital IPs, a groundbreaking endeavor in open-source hardware design. Kunal’s rich industry experience includes roles at Qualcomm and Cadence, specializing in SoC design. He holds a master’s degree from IIT Bombay, where he specialized in VLSI & Nano-electronics, with a focus on sub-100nm Electron Beam Lithography Optimization techniques.
Yes. The program is completely self-paced and cloud-based, allowing you to log in from anywhere in the world, at any time that suits your schedule. There are no fixed live sessions or timezone restrictions. You can access the lab environment 24/7 during the 6-week program window, complete your daily modules at your convenience, and progress at your own pace. Whether you prefer studying after school, late evenings, or weekends, the platform is designed to adapt to you — not the other way around.
Absolutely. In fact, we would love experienced system designers to join. The program is structured from fundamentals to hardware implementation, making it an excellent opportunity to revisit core digital logic, optimization techniques, and Verilog-based design in a clean, structured way. Many professionals appreciate refreshing first principles and strengthening their hardware thinking. The cloud-based labs and FPGA deployment provide a practical environment to revalidate concepts and sharpen design intuition, regardless of prior experience level.
Yes, absolutely. This program is designed specifically for beginners who are new to digital logic. We start from the very basics — current, voltage, switching, and simple logic gates — and build concepts step by step before moving into circuit design and Verilog. The learning flow is structured, guided, and supported with hands-on labs and mentor assistance. If you dedicate 1–2 hours per day, you will be able to comfortably follow, practice, and successfully complete the course.
The structured course content and guided modules are available only during the 6-week program duration. After that, the learning platform access will close. However, your journey does not stop there. You will continue to have unlimited access to the FPGA board, open-source tools, and cloud lab environment, allowing you to keep practicing, building projects, and strengthening your skills independently even after the formal workshop concludes.
For the digital logic design labs, no installation is required. Everything runs directly on our cloud-based platform, so you can begin learning immediately after logging in.
For the FPGA-based labs in the final phase, you may need to install the open-source FPGA toolchain if you choose to work locally. We provide complete setup guidance and support for Windows (using a Linux virtual machine), macOS, and Linux systems. Step-by-step instructions and mentor assistance are available to ensure a smooth setup experience.
Yes. The program is carefully designed for students from Class 8 up to second-year engineering, starting from basic concepts and progressing step-by-step toward digital logic and FPGA implementation. No prior coding or electronics background is required. Students typically spend 1–2 hours per day, with full flexibility to learn at their own pace. The curriculum builds strong analytical and hardware thinking skills, providing early exposure to semiconductor and chip design fundamentals that are highly valuable for future studies and technology careers.
VSD, standing as a trailblazing Semiconductor EdTech company and a community-based Technology Aggregator, is revolutionizing the landscape of VLSI Design. With the belief that “Creativity is just connecting things”, VSD has mastered the art of linking the right resources with the community. This unique approach has sparked a significant transformation in the VLSI Design process.
Over the past decade, VSD has made remarkable strides in the open-source semiconductor domain. Our journey includes the development of comprehensive training content, empowering students to design silicon-grade IP/SoC. Notably, we’ve successfully guided these projects through the tapeout cycle via the Google open shuttle program. This achievement is a testament to our commitment to hands-on, practical education.
At VSD, our role extends beyond traditional education. While we didn’t invent EDA tools or design flows, we’ve made them accessible to a wider community. Our mentorship has been instrumental in the development of over 50+ Analog/Digital IPs and solutions. Impressively, 20+ of these have successfully transitioned from concept to Silicon – a clear indicator of our effective approach and the high quality of work produced under our guidance.
We pride ourselves on fostering a community-based revolution in the Semiconductor Industry. By democratizing access to advanced tools and knowledge, VSD is not just educating individuals; we are building a community of innovators poised to lead the next wave of advancements in the semiconductor sector. With VSD, the future of VLSI Design is not just being written; it’s being rewritten by a passionate and empowered community.
VSDSquadron was launched by Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras
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Job Roles, Convergence With Embedded Systems, and Startups
VSD showcased at Semicon India 2023
VSDSquadron Educational board on Tamil News channel
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Welcome to Ethical RISC-V IoT Workshop
The “Ethical RISC-V IoT Workshop” at IIIT Bangalore, organized in collaboration with VSD, is a structured, educational competition aimed at exploring real-world challenges in IoT and embedded systems. Participants progress through three stages: building an application, injecting and managing faults, and enhancing application security. The event spans from May 9 to June 15, 2024, culminating in a showcase of top innovations and an award ceremony. This hands-on hackathon emphasizes learning, testing, and securing applications in a collaborative and competitive environment.
Welcome to the World’s only online conference in Semiconductor Industry VSDOpen Conference. With enormous support and global presence of audience from different segments of industrial lobby and academia made a highly successful event. Evolution is change in the genetic makeup of a population over time, online conference is one kind evaluation everyone adapt soon.
VSD offers online course in complete spectrum of vlsi backend flow from RTL design, synthesis and Verification, SoC planning and design, Sign-off analysis, IP Design, CAD/EDA automation and basic UNIX/IT, Introduction to latest technology – RISC-V, Machine intelligence in EDA/CAD, VLSI Interview FAQ’s.
Current Reach – As of 2021, VSD and its partners have released 41 online VLSI courses and was successfully able to teach ~35900 Unique students around 151 countries in 47 different languages, through its unique info-graphical and technology mediated learning methods.
