The Department of Electronics & Communication Engineering organized a two-day hands-on workshop titled “Inspiring Innovation in Silicon: Hands-on Session on VLSI Testing and Verification” on 22nd and 24th November 2025, with the objective of strengthening students’ knowledge and practical skills in VLSI design, testing, and verification. The workshop was conducted by Mr. Midde Venkata Siva, Ad-hoc Faculty, Department of Electronics & Communication Engineering, National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK), Surathkal. The resource person has a strong academic and industry background in VLSI design and testing, along with research expertise in hardware architectures for image and signal processing.
Mr. Siva completed his B.Tech in Electronics & Communication Engineering from JNTUA College of Engineering, Anantapuramu, and his M.Tech in Microelectronics and VLSI Design from NIT Calicut. He has industry experience as a Test Engineer Analyst at Accenture Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad, where he worked extensively on manual and automation testing. He has recently submitted his Ph.D. thesis at NIT Calicut on the topic “Design and Implementation of Area-Efficient VLSI Architectures for Camera ISP Block”. His research interests include low-cost VLSI design, hardware architectures, CNNs, and AI/ML accelerators.
The workshop aimed to provide participants with a strong foundation in VLSI verification and testing, aligning academic concepts with industry practices followed in the semiconductor domain.
On Day 1, the sessions focused on introducing the fundamentals of digital system design, VLSI concepts, verification, and testing methodologies. Key topics included logic verification principles, testing strategies, and verification flows adopted in modern semiconductor design processes. The session laid a strong conceptual base for understanding the role of verification in ensuring reliable chip functionality.
On Day 2, the workshop progressed into an intensive hands-on training session. Participants were guided to write and verify simple Verilog code, perform simulation exercises, and analyse real-time debug data. Students gained practical exposure to industry-standard Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools, enabling them to understand simulation workflows, digital and analog design processes, and layout implementation.
The workshop also emphasized the complete VLSI design flow, from conceptual design to verification, closely mirroring real-world semiconductor development environments. The sessions were interactive, blending expert insights with practical activities that enhanced students’ technical understanding and problem-solving skills. A total of 131 students and 2 faculty members actively participated in the workshop. The hands-on nature of the sessions and the industry-oriented approach helped participants gain confidence in VLSI testing and verification concepts. Students expressed that the workshop significantly improved their understanding of semiconductor design workflows and enhanced their readiness for internships and careers in the VLSI and semiconductor industry.
Overall, the workshop was highly successful in bridging the gap between academic learning and professional practices, equipping students with industry-relevant knowledge and practical exposure in the rapidly evolving field of VLSI design and verification.