Progress:
This week, the team made a major step forward by finalizing the initial oscillator design. Charlie completed and locked the first implementation, which allowed the project to move out of the design-finalization stage and into fabrication, integration, and characterization. In parallel, the supporting NMOS analysis was completed to better organize the distributions of gm, Id, and Vth across device types, patterns, and chips, giving the team stronger backing for the final device and parameter dimension choices. On the fabrication side, Ethan completed fab on Friday, and over the weekend Jim is immediately coordinating with HackerFab personnel to arrange time for initial measurements and to make sure the team is prepared for any measurement-specific details before characterization and iteration begins next week.
Schedule/Updates:
Compared to last week, the team is now in a much stronger position. The biggest bottleneck had been completing the oscillator design, but that has now been resolved, and fabrication has also moved forward, allowing the project to transition from design uncertainty into empirical validation. This means the team’s immediate work is now centered on collecting first measurements, preparing for the interim demo, and using the initial results to guide quick follow-up refinements.
Upcoming Deliverables:
Next week, the team’s main priorities are to complete the first round of characterization, continue preparing and presenting for the interim demo, and use the measured results to guide the next iterations. Ethan plans to use the characterization data to support a v2 design iteration, while Jim will work with Charlie to finalize the demo PCB based on a better empirical understanding of the oscillator’s actual performance. With the initial design complete and fabrication underway, the team is now positioned to move quickly on translating the finished design into measured results.