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On February 24, 2010, the Interoperable PDK Libraries (IPL) Alliance announced IPL 1.0, an open standard intended to let foundries and integrated device manufacturers use one process design kit across multiple OpenAccess-based analog and mixed-signal design tools. Its reference kit paired a 90 nm sample iPDK with developer and user documentation and a reference design. The announcement described a standard and its intended benefits—not proof of measured cost savings or universal tool compatibility.
What is a PDK, and what did IPL standardize?
A process design kit (PDK) is a foundry-verified collection of files and models that helps designers use a manufacturing process in a custom integrated-circuit design flow. The IPL announcement described PDK contents such as schematic symbols, component descriptions, parameterized cells (PCells) and callbacks.
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IPL 1.0 specified an interoperable PDK format, called an iPDK, for analog and mixed-signal custom design. The Alliance described its approach as using standard languages and a unified architecture built around the OpenAccess database. Its stated scope was interoperability across participating OpenAccess-based custom-design tools; the announcement does not establish compatibility with every EDA product or current tool version. IPL Alliance’s February 24, 2010 announcement; EE Times coverage, February 24, 2010.
What came in the IPL 1.0 reference kit?
The Alliance said its reference kit included four items:
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- An iPDK developer’s guide
- A sample 90 nm reference iPDK
- A reference design
- An iPDK user guide
At announcement, the kit was described as available for free download from the Alliance website under an open-source licensing agreement. That is a historical availability statement; the cited announcement does not establish whether the files remain available today. IPL Alliance, February 24, 2010.
How was one iPDK meant to work across design tools?
Rather than build a separate PDK for each vendor’s custom-design environment, a foundry or integrated device manufacturer could use one iPDK for each process node across multiple OpenAccess-based tools. This was the standard’s intended model, not a claim that a single kit would work unchanged with every design product.
The Alliance said members had validated the reference kit across multiple custom-design flows and tools. The stated coverage included schematic capture, circuit simulation, layout, physical verification and extraction. The announcement did not give a test count or comparative performance measurements, so “validated” should not be read as a quantified benchmark. IPL Alliance, February 24, 2010.
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The Alliance presented reduced PDK development work, shorter delivery schedules and earlier access for designers as expected benefits of reusing an interoperable kit across tools. These were aims, not measured outcomes in the 2010 announcement.
Tom Quan, then deputy director of design methodology and service marketing at TSMC, said: “With the open and interoperable iPDK format, we expect to realize substantial cost savings in the development and support of TSMC iPDKs, while delivering greater choice and advanced design features to our end customers.” This is a vendor representative’s expectation; the announcement does not report realized savings. IPL Alliance, February 24, 2010.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What changed in IPL 2.0?
On June 4, 2012, the Alliance announced IPL 2.0. It said the specification remained the same and added a sample 40 nm reference iPDK to the 90 nm example. The announcement said member validation was in progress and targeted public download by the end of 2012; it does not establish that the target was met.
| Announcement | Reference process examples | Status stated at the time |
|---|---|---|
| IPL 1.0 — February 24, 2010 | 90 nm sample reference iPDK | Reference kit announced as available for free download under an open-source licensing agreement. |
| IPL 2.0 — June 4, 2012 | 90 nm example retained; 40 nm sample added | Member validation in progress; public download targeted by the end of 2012, with fulfillment not established by the announcement. |
Sources: IPL 1.0 announcement; IPL 2.0 announcement.
What can be confirmed about IPL today?
The cited announcements document what the Alliance announced in 2010 and 2012. They do not establish the Alliance’s current status, whether either version is maintained, or whether the historical downloads remain accessible. Treat IPL 1.0 and 2.0 as documented historical standard releases rather than assuming present-day support or availability.
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