-- Bridge Camp 2000 --

At Carleton University

May 29 to May 9, 2000

Last updated: March 9, 2000.

Course Objectives

In 1996, Ian Scott of SMC did a study of the trained microelectronic personnel that would be needed by the rapidly expanding microelectronic industry. At that time, as now, the preferred degree for ASIC designers was the Master's degree. SMC realized that Canadian Universities would never be able to deliver enough trained people for the exponential growth they foresaw. However it was not until year 2000, with the present scramble for personnel, that most of us realized the full impact of SMC's prediction.

The Bridge Camps were started in 1997 by SMC as a partial response to this shortage. Their purpose was to take fresh Electrical Engineering graduates and give them intensive training in ASIC design. This training might also apply to persons with related background. Technical marketing persons, computer engineers, and board designers have all successfully completed the Camp.

The idea was to take these people, who would normally take many months to become fully productive, and give them a broad intensive course in ASIC design. It was thought that with strong concentration and a lot of help, these students could learn most of what took many months to learn by osmosis on the job. They could then become productive much earlier than normally.

There were some key elements that were agreed upon as essential to this type of training.

It should not be an overly theoretical or research style course, nor should it be only a "tool driving" course.
However the course should use industrial tools like mainstream tools from Cadence and Synopsys.
The course should have breadth and acquaint students with some of the marketing, management and psychological aspects of working in a high-tech company.
It should have both academic and industrial lecturers, much of the breadth will come from the later.
It should have an intensive design project which interacted strongly with the lectures.
This project should be done by a group.

    Comments on the scope and contents of the Bridge Camp are most welcome. Please direct them to:
      John              jknight@doe.carleton.ca               (digital)
r    Trevor           trainey@ati.stlawrencec.on.ca       (general)
       Calvin           cp@doe.carleton.ca                      (analog)

-- Bridge Camp 2000 --

At Carleton University

Course Objectives

Back to SMC's main Bridge Camp page.