MOSbius: Custom integrated circuit for hands-on circuit design education

This technology is a custom integrated circuit (IC) plus printed-circuit board (PCB) designed for teaching circuit labs, enabling students and engineers to experiment with complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) circuit topologies typically found in integrated circuits (a.k.a. microchips).

Unmet Need: Tools for hands-on education in circuit design

Current circuit design education heavily relies on software-based simulations, which often lack the complexity and variability of real-world circuits. This limits the understanding of circuit debugging, measurement, and practical aspects of IC implementations. While some discrete circuit prototyping tools exist, they do not replicate real CMOS circuits as implemented in industry-grade ICs. There is a need for an educational tool that bridges this gap by providing a hands-on, cost-effective way to learn CMOS transistor-level circuit design.

The Technology: MOSbius: custom integrated circuit for hands-on learning

This technology introduces a custom CMOS-based integrated circuit (IC) platform that allows students and engineers to directly test and analyze MOS circuit topologies on a breadboard. It provides access to a variety of CMOS transistors and circuit configurations for experimental evaluation. This technology enables hands-on learning in debugging, measurements, and comparisons between calculations, simulations, and real-world performance. As a result, this technology has the potential to expose students, designers, and engineers to CMOS circuitry that can be used to improve transistor-level circuit design skills.

Applications:

  • Educational tool for classroom circuit design courses
  • Training platform for engineers and students in integrated circuit (IC) design and testing
  • Industry tool for rapid prototyping of CMOS circuits
  • Research tool for exploring new circuit topologies and device interactions

Advantages:

  • Enables hands-on, real-world circuit experience beyond software simulations
  • Compatible with standard laboratory equipment and breadboards
  • Enhances understanding of IC design, debugging, and measurement techniques
  • Cost-effective solution for circuit education

Lead Inventor:

Peter Kinget, Ph.D.

The MOSbius Crew

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