Sub-portal Chip Design Tools
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Open-source chip design stack

Clear installation and usage guides for the tools that unblock real work.

This section should evolve into a practical knowledge base for getting started with open-source chip design tools, with concise setup flows, working commands, troubleshooting notes, and guides that are easy to revisit.

Read the Verilator starter guide
Starter guide set

Launch with a few high-value tool pages.

Compiler and simulator

Verilator

Installation, first run, common pitfalls, and basic CLI workflow.

Open guide
Waveform viewer

GTKWave

Planned guide for installation, waveform inspection, and debugging basics.

Ecosystem

Stack overview

Planned page explaining how the tools fit together in a realistic beginner-to-practice workflow.

Guide writing rules
  • Prefer practical steps over long theory dumps
  • Keep commands easy to copy and verify
  • Explain what success looks like after each step
  • Capture common setup errors and recovery paths
Intended audience

Newcomers should be able to follow the first guides without already knowing the whole toolchain, while returning users should still find the pages worth bookmarking.