wafer-space · mithro · Mar 20, 2026 · Mar 20, 2026 · Mar 20, 2026 · Mar 20, 2026
diff --git a/_authors/andrew-wingate.md b/_authors/andrew-wingate.md
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+---
+layout: author_page
+title: "Andrew Wingate"
+sub_title: "Guest Author"
+# avatar: "assets/images/people/andrew-wingate.jpg"
+social_accounts:
+  - icon: "jam jam-world"
+    url: "https://www.crowdsupply.com/evezor-inc"
+---
+**Andrew Wingate** is the founder of [Evezor Inc](https://www.crowdsupply.com/evezor-inc) and an active contributor to the [wafer.space](https://wafer.space) community. He has been instrumental in developing the chip-on-board (COB) packaging strategy that makes working with custom silicon accessible without specialised equipment.
diff --git a/_authors/hirosh-dabui.md b/_authors/hirosh-dabui.md
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+---
+layout: author_page
+title: "Hirosh Dabui"
+sub_title: "Guest Author"
+avatar: "assets/images/people/hirosh-dabui.jpg"
+social_accounts:
+  - icon: "jam jam-github"
+    url: "https://github.com/splinedrive"
+---
+**Hirosh Dabui** is the creator of [KianV](https://github.com/splinedrive/kianRiscV), a custom RISC-V SoC capable of running Linux on open-source silicon. His work on the GF180MCU Run 1 demonstrates what is possible with fully open ASIC design flows, from RTL to packaged chips.
diff --git a/_includes/post-gallery.html b/_includes/post-gallery.html
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+{% comment %}
+  Post image gallery with lightbox support.
+  Usage in a post:
+    {% include post-gallery.html gallery="gallery_name" %}
+  where gallery_name matches a key in the post's front matter `galleries:` hash.
+
+  Front matter example:
+    galleries:
+      librelane_steps:
+        caption: "LibreLane workflow steps"
+        images:
+          - img: "/assets/images/news/example/step1.svg"
+            alt: "Step 1"
+          - img: "/assets/images/news/example/step2.svg"
+            alt: "Step 2"
+{% endcomment %}
+
+{% assign gallery_data = page.galleries[include.gallery] %}
+{% if gallery_data and gallery_data.images.size > 0 %}
+<div class="post-gallery light-gallery-wrapper mb-30">
+  {% if gallery_data.caption %}
+  <p class="text-center text-muted mb-10"><small>{{ gallery_data.caption }}</small></p>
+  {% endif %}
+  <div class="tiles tiles-s">
+    <div class="items row">
+      {% assign image_count = gallery_data.images | size %}
+      {% for item in gallery_data.images %}
+        {% if image_count <= 2 %}
+          <div class="item col-md-6">
+        {% elsif image_count <= 4 %}
+          <div class="item col-md-{{ 12 | divided_by: image_count }}">
+        {% else %}
+          {% if forloop.index <= 2 %}
+            <div class="item col-md-6">
+          {% else %}
+            <div class="item col-md-4">
+          {% endif %}
+        {% endif %}
+            <figure class="overlay overlay1 rounded">
+              <a href="{{ item.img | relative_url }}" class="lightbox">
+                <span class="bg"></span>
+                <img src="{{ item.img | relative_url }}" alt="{{ item.alt | default: 'Gallery image' }}">
+              </a>
+              {% if item.caption %}
+              <figcaption>
+                <h5 class="from-top mb-0">{{ item.caption }}</h5>
+              </figcaption>
+              {% endif %}
+            </figure>
+          </div>
+      {% endfor %}
+    </div>
+  </div>
+</div>
+{% endif %}
diff --git a/_posts/2025-04-19-website.md b/_posts/2025-04-19-website.md
@@ -2,16 +2,14 @@
 layout: posts/post-boxed
 title: "New wafer.space website"
 date: 2025-04-19 04:00:00 +0000
-categories: [places]
-tags: [travel]
+excerpt: "The new wafer.space website has launched, bringing budget silicon manufacturing information and resources together in one place."
+categories: [news]
+tags: [wafer-space, website]
 author: "Tim 'mithro' Ansell"
-# post_image: "/assets/images/art/tb1.webp"
+post_image: "/assets/images/news/gf180mcu-gelpack-dice.jpg"
 badge_color: "bg-purple"
-slider_post: true
+slider_post: false
 trending: false
-#meta_title: "The Best Moments in Venice"
-#meta_description: |
-#  Snowlake Jekyll Theme is a perfectly crafted fast loading and SEO-friendly static site generator theme
 sidebar: true
 permalink: "/news/website"
 ---

diff --git a/_posts/2025-10-02-gf180mcu-run1-live.md b/_posts/2025-10-02-gf180mcu-run1-live.md
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+---
+layout: posts/post-boxed
+title: "GF180MCU Run 1 is Live!"
+date: 2025-10-02 12:00:00 +0000
+excerpt: "The wafer.space GF180MCU Run 1 campaign is live on Crowd Supply! $7k gets you 1,000 dies from GlobalFoundries' GF180MCU process."
+categories: [news]
+tags: [gf180mcu, run1, crowd-supply]
+author: "Tim 'mithro' Ansell"
+post_image: "/assets/images/news/gf180mcu-gelpack-dice.jpg"
+badge_color: "bg-purple"
+slider_post: false
+trending: false
+sidebar: true
+permalink: "/news/gf180mcu-run1-live"
+external_url: "https://www.crowdsupply.com/wafer-space/gf180mcu-run-1/updates/we-re-live"
+---
+
+Hey folks,
+
+The [wafer.space GF180MCU Run 1 campaign](https://www.crowdsupply.com/wafer-space/gf180mcu-run-1) just went live on Crowd Supply! 
+
+For those who haven't been following along: [wafer.space](https://wafer.space) brings the [OSH Park](https://oshpark.com) model to silicon. $7k gets you 1,000 dies. That's $7 per chip from GlobalFoundries' [GF180MCU](https://gf180mcu-pdk.readthedocs.io/) process. Real production quantities, not just a handful of prototypes.
+
+Efabless shutting down earlier this year left the open silicon community without a clear path to fabrication. I started wafer.space to rebuild that infrastructure with transparent pricing, predictable timelines, and no gatekeeping - and it's even more affordable now!
+
+## [The timeline](https://www.crowdsupply.com/wafer-space/gf180mcu-run-1#schedule)
+
+- **November 28**: Last day to buy a slot
+- **December 3**: GDS submission deadline
+- **March 15, 2026**: Target ship date for dies to customers
+
+## What you're getting
+
+20mm² on [GF180MCU](https://gf180mcu-pdk.readthedocs.io/), replicated 1,000 times. This is the same mature 180nm mixed-signal process used for tons of production chips and the two [Google open MPW runs](https://developers.google.com/silicon). Five metal layers, MIM caps, poly resistors - all the basics you need for mixed-signal designs, MCUs, sensor interfaces, whatever.
+
+## Get involved
+
+Jump on our [Discord](https://discord.gg/43y2t53jpE) or [Matrix](https://matrix.to/#/#gf180mcu:fossi-chat.org) if you need help with pad rings, DRC issues, or just want to see what others are building.
+
+Subscribe for future updates including reference designs, highlights of projects being built on GF180MCU, interviews with community members, and technical deep-dives into how things work behind the scenes.
+
+This is about enabling open, community-driven silicon manufacturing to grow and expand. Let's make it happen.
+
+-Tim 'mithro' Ansell
+
+P.S. I was on [The Teardown Sessions](https://www.crowdsupply.com/crowd-supply/the-teardown-sessions) earlier today discussing wafer.space and open silicon - you can watch the recording at [http://youtu.be/tEOmnN8IAjs](http://youtu.be/tEOmnN8IAjs).
diff --git a/_posts/2025-10-23-librelane-template.md b/_posts/2025-10-23-librelane-template.md
@@ -0,0 +1,177 @@
+---
+layout: "posts/post-boxed"
+title: "Easier Design Flow: LibreLane & the gf180mcu Project Template"
+date: "2025-10-23 12:00:00 +0000"
+excerpt: "Get started faster with the LibreLane gf180mcu template: ready-to-use tooling so you can focus on what your chip does, not build infrastructure."
+categories: [news]
+tags: [gf180mcu, run1, librelane, tooling]
+author: "Tim 'mithro' Ansell"
+badge_color: "bg-purple"
+slider_post: false
+trending: false
+sidebar: true
+permalink: "/news/librelane-template"
+post_image: "/assets/images/news/librelane-template/librelane-step1-design.svg"
+external_url: "https://www.crowdsupply.com/wafer-space/gf180mcu-run-1/updates/librelane-template"
+galleries:
+  librelane_steps:
+    caption: "Simple LibreLane Workflow: Design, Configure, Run, GDS"
+    images:
+      - img: "/assets/images/news/librelane-template/librelane-step1-design.svg"
+        alt: "LibreLane Step 1: Design your chip in Verilog"
+      - img: "/assets/images/news/librelane-template/librelane-step2-config.svg"
+        alt: "LibreLane Step 2: Configure the flow"
+      - img: "/assets/images/news/librelane-template/librelane-step3-run.svg"
+        alt: "LibreLane Step 3: Run the automated flow"
+      - img: "/assets/images/news/librelane-template/librelane-step4-gds.svg"
+        alt: "LibreLane Step 4: Get your GDS output"
+---
+
+Hey everyone,
+
+If you've been following open silicon over the past few years, you know the story: Google's [open PDK program](https://developers.google.com/silicon) changed everything, but when [Efabless](https://efabless.com/) shut down earlier this year, a lot of infrastructure disappeared. That's part of why [wafer.space](https://wafer.space/) exists - to rebuild accessible fabrication services.
+
+But fabrication is only half the equation. You also need tools to actually design your chip. That's where **[LibreLane](https://librelane.rtfd.io/)** comes in.
+
+Last month at [ORConf 2025](https://orconf.org/) in Valencia, Mohamed Gaber and Leo Moser presented LibreLane - the next-generation design flow for open silicon. And there's now a ready-to-use [gf180mcu project template](https://github.com/wafer-space/gf180mcu-project-template) that makes starting your wafer.space design even easier.
+
+{% include post-gallery.html gallery="librelane_steps" %}
+
+
+## What is LibreLane?
+
+LibreLane is a ground-up rewrite of [OpenLane](https://github.com/The-OpenROAD-Project/OpenLane) - the tool that made hundreds of open-source tapeouts possible through Google's MPW shuttles and Efabless programs. Originally developed as "OpenLane 2" at Efabless, it's now community-driven under the [FOSSi Foundation](https://fossi-foundation.org/) after being officially released in July 2025.
+
+If you used OpenLane 1, you know it works: you give it a Verilog file and a config, run one command, and get GDS ready for fabrication. LibreLane keeps that simplicity while fixing the pain points.
+
+### Why the Rewrite?
+
+OpenLane 1 was built under tight deadlines to enable the first Google MPW shuttles. It worked amazingly well for that goal, but had some limitations:
+
+- Written in Tcl, which made debugging and extending difficult
+- Hard to run individual steps or insert custom tools
+- No standard way to report design metrics
+- Difficult to integrate with other workflows
+
+LibreLane addresses all of this while maintaining backwards compatibility - your existing OpenLane 1 configs work with LibreLane.
+
+## What Makes LibreLane Better?
+
+- 🐍 **Python-Based Infrastructure**: Modern Python instead of Tcl means better tooling, clearer code, and a real API if you need programmatic control. No more fighting with "stringly-typed" scripts.
+
+- 🔧 **Modular Architecture**: Run individual steps (synthesis, placement, routing) independently. Insert custom tools into the flow. Debug specific stages without rerunning everything. The flow is a pipeline you can actually customize.
+
+- 📊 **Clear Error Reporting**: Standardized metrics and status reporting at every step. When something fails, you know exactly where and why.
+
+- 🎯 **Automated Padframe Generation**: LibreLane handles IO pad insertion and configuration automatically. This is huge - pad ring creation used to be one of the most error-prone manual steps. Now it just works.
+
+- 🌍 **Multi-PDK Support**: The same design can target different process design kits. [gf180mcu](https://gf180mcu-pdk.readthedocs.io/) is fully supported on the main branch, as is [sky130](https://skywater-pdk.readthedocs.io/), while [ihp-sg13g2](https://github.com/IHP-GmbH/IHP-Open-PDK) is supported in the dev branch. Write once, fabricate anywhere.
+
+- ↔ **Backwards Compatible**: Existing OpenLane 1 configurations work with LibreLane. Easy migration path if you've used OpenLane before.
+
+## Real-World Adoption
+
+LibreLane isn't experimental - it's already in production use:
+
+- **[Tiny Tapeout](https://tinytapeout.com/)** has adopted LibreLane for their automated tapeout service
+- **[ChipFoundry](https://chipfoundry.com/)** is using it for their fab pooling platform
+- **[wafer.space](https://wafer.space/)** uses it for their gf180mcu project template
+
+The shift from OpenLane 1 to LibreLane mirrors what happened in the fabrication world: when Efabless shut down, the community rebuilt better infrastructure. wafer.space rebuilt affordable fabrication access. LibreLane rebuilt the design flow. Both are about making open silicon sustainable.
+
+## The gf180mcu Project Template
+
+To make getting started even easier, there's now a [project template](https://github.com/wafer-space/gf180mcu-project-template) specifically configured for wafer.space designs targetting the gf180mcuD PDK variant.
+
+This template gives you a working starting point with everything included:
+
+- **LibreLane configuration** pre-configured for gf180mcuD and wafer.space requirements
+- **[Nix](https://nixos.org/)-based development environment** - `nix-shell` and you're ready to go, no manual tool installation
+- **[cocotb](https://www.cocotb.org/) testbench framework** - Python-based verification for your design
+- **Complete workflow** - from RTL to GDS, including LVS, DRC and gate-level simulation
+- **Example counter design** - shows the whole flow working
+
+### Getting Started
+
+```bash
+# Clone the template
+git clone https://github.com/wafer-space/gf180mcu-project-template
+cd gf180mcu-project-template
+
+# Set up environment (installs everything automatically)
+nix-shell
+
+# Add your design to src/
+# Update librelane/config.yaml with your design parameters
+
+# Run the flow
+make librelane
+
+# View the results
+# Opens in OpenROAD GUI or KLayout
+make librelane-openroad
+make librelane-klayout
+```
+
+That's it. Five steps from empty directory to GDS output.
+
+Everything is set up to work together. You focus on your design, the template handles the infrastructure.
+
+## Watch the ORConf Talk
+
+Want to see LibreLane in action? The full ORConf 2025 presentation by Mohamed Gaber and Leo Moser is on YouTube:
+
+**[LibreLane - ORConf 2025](https://youtu.be/GAEWpbXhhdg)**
+
+The talk covers:
+- Technical architecture and design decisions
+- Live demos of the flow
+- Advanced use cases and customization
+- Future development roadmap
+- Q&A with the community
+
+It's worth watching if you want to understand the full capabilities beyond just running `make librelane`.
+
+## Important Notes
+
+**This is a work in progress.** LibreLane and the template are actively developed and improving. If you use them:
+
+- Stay up to date with the latest changes
+- Report issues you encounter
+- Contribute improvements if you can
+- Join the community chat for help
+
+**The template is an example to help you get started**, not a mandatory requirement. You can use LibreLane directly, adapt the template to your needs, or build your own workflow entirely. It's there to make your life easier, not to constrain how you work.
+
+**Community support is available** through the [FOSSi Foundation chat](https://fossi-chat.org/) and the wafer.space [Discord](https://discord.gg/43y2t53jpE) / [Matrix](https://matrix.to/#/#gf180mcu:fossi-chat.org) channels. LibreLane has active developers and users who can help.
+
+## Resources
+
+**LibreLane**:
+- Documentation: [librelane.rtfd.io](https://librelane.rtfd.io/)
+- Announcement: [FOSSi Foundation Blog](https://fossi-foundation.org/blog/2025-08-17-librelane)
+- ORConf Talk: [YouTube](https://youtu.be/GAEWpbXhhdg)
+
+**gf180mcu Project Template**:
+- Repository: [github.com/wafer-space/gf180mcu-project-template](https://github.com/wafer-space/gf180mcu-project-template)
+- README with detailed instructions
+- Example designs showing best practices
+
+**Community**:
+- FOSSi Foundation: [fossi-chat.org](https://fossi-chat.org/)
+- wafer.space Discord: [discord.gg/43y2t53jpE](https://discord.gg/43y2t53jpE)
+- wafer.space Matrix: [#gf180mcu:fossi-chat.org](https://matrix.to/#/#gf180mcu:fossi-chat.org)
+
+## Why This Matters
+
+Open silicon has come a long way in just a few years. We went from "you need millions of dollars and proprietary tools" to "here's an affordable MPW run and free, open-source tools."
+
+But accessible doesn't mean easy. Chip design is inherently complex. Projects like LibreLane and templates like this one are about removing the incidental complexity - the tool installation headaches, the configuration mysteries, the "why doesn't this work" debugging sessions.
+
+Your time should go into designing your chip, not fighting your tools.
+
+LibreLane handles the flow. The template handles the setup. You handle the innovation.
+
+Whether you're targeting the December 3rd deadline or planning for a future run, these tools are here to help you go from idea to silicon faster and with less friction.
+
+- Tim 'mithro' Ansell