[FOSDEM] FPGA and VLSI devroom devroom CFP for FOSDEM 2026 (updated version)

[Tobias Platen]

Hello,

In 2024 I did my first talk at FOSDEM in the Libre-SOC, FPGA and VLSI
devroom. Since then I have been working on several VR and FPGA projects
with the goal of building my own Lighthouse tracker using the iCE40
FPGA. In 2025 I listened to the talk "Repurposing Valve's SteamVR 2.0
Technology to Develop an Open-Source, Low-Cost Motion Capture System
for Robotics" and also found out about Overte e.V. For FOSDEM 2026 I
will manage the FPGA and VLSI devroom. This is the first time,
that I will manage a devroom. Please forward this mail to anyone
interested.

FOSDEM is one of the largest gatherings of Free and Open Source
Software contributors in the world and happens every February in
Brussels (Belgium, Europe).

# About the FPGA and VLSI devroom

This devroom covers topics mostly related to hardware design
(FPGA and VLSI/ASIC), including FPGA boards made with KiCad.

Please distribute widely to interested parties: anything related to
VLSI and Open Tape-outs is welcome.

We are looking for any libre or open source topic relating to
hardware design, including but not limited to:

Chip Design
VLSI and FPGA Hardware Design
Libre/Open Processors in FPGA and/or ASIC (including PowerPC)
ISA design and usage
We accept the normal 30 min slot, which gives the speaker about 20-25
min, and 5 min for Q&A.

Desirable topics:

This devroom welcomes anything related to making an ASIC,
or designing one, or using FPGAs, or developing
an FPGA Board, or developing tools and techniques that make VLSI ASIC
design easier, we'd love to hear from you. Here's a list of topics:

Open Hardware projects
ISA and Architecture design
Simplified Vector extensions
VLSI ASIC Design and Manufacture
Libre/Open DIY Foundries (nanoscale 3D printing)
Libre/Open VLSI tools and toolflow
Libre/Open VLSI Cell Libraries
VLSI Simulation and Verification
VLSI Tools in use or in development
Silicon-proven (QFlow, coriolis2, OpenLANE)
Under development (LibreEDA, other)
Advances in Algorithmics in Place and Route and Layout
FPGAs
Libre/Open FPGA designs
FPGA toolchains and Reverse-Engineering
FPGA workflow
VLSI RTL and HDL
Advanced and innovative alternative HDL tools
Formal Correctness Proofs
Testing methodologies
Hardware Trust (and how to break it)
Software Engineering as applied to Hardware
Continuous Integration for VLSI
Automated tool development (RTL to GDS-II)
Automated testing
Topic overlap

I have already submitted my proposal "Full-Body Tracking in Godot VR"
to the Gaming and VR Devroom 2026. My currently planned talk in this
devroom will be about using Lighthouse FPGA for Virtual Reality.
 
Tobias Platen (they/them)