Question 1

What is OpenROAD automation?

Accepted Answer

OpenROAD automation is the autonomous, script-driven execution of digital ASIC physical design from Register-Transfer Level (RTL) Verilog to final tapeout-ready GDSII polygons without requiring human intervention. It integrates Yosys logic synthesis, automated floorplanning, macro placement, Power Distribution Network (PDN) generation, RePlAce global placement, TritonCTS clock tree synthesis, FastRoute global routing, TritonRoute detailed routing, and Magic/Netgen physical signoff.

Question 2

Can I run OpenROAD automation directly in the browser?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Ace-Seek provides a cloud-native OpenROAD automation platform where designers can upload RTL and SDC constraints, trigger containerized OpenROAD/OpenLane runs on dedicated compute clusters, view real-time log streaming, preview die layouts and macro placement, and download full signoff packages (GDS, DEF, SPEF, SDF, and DRC/LVS reports) without installing Linux or Docker locally.

Question 3

Which Process Design Kits (PDKs) are supported by Ace-Seek OpenROAD?

Accepted Answer

Ace-Seek natively supports open-source PDKs including SkyWater 130nm (sky130A and sky130B with ReRAM support), GlobalFoundries 180nm MCU (GF180MCU), and ASAP 7nm predictive FinFET technology.