Date: 15/02/2007

ST Microelectronics to set up VLSI lab in IIT Delhi and BITS Pilani

In an initiative to close the gap between academic institutes and companies, France based ST Microelectronics will be setting up a research lab at Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi and Birla Institute of Technological Sciences, Pilani. The lab will provide facilities for electronics students to carry out their research on VLSI and Embedded Systems. The specific areas of research targeted are analog and mixed-signal design in the area of VLSI, image and speech pattern recognition, sensory organ modeling and digital data protection in algorithm research, along with generic IP (Intellectual Property) blocks for embedded solutions. ST will load the lab tables with reference boards, kits, and software to run and test them. Students are given projects under the guidance of both faculty and ST representatives. The lab will be fully operational from 2nd quarter of 2007 at both the institutes

In India, most of the engineering colleges students have tough time to find right place to learn practical aspects of VLSI and embedded systems. More initiatives like this will surely help proliferating hardware design knowledge/skills in India. In fact it's not only the students, but also the faculty, which need some updated knowledge on latest tools and systems.