ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Design flow (EDA)

Okay, so let's say you want to draw a picture of a unicorn. The first thing you do is think about what you want the unicorn to look like - maybe you want it to have purple fur and yellow eyes. Then, you use a pencil to draw the basic shape of the unicorn.

But wait, you're not done yet! You need to add details like the horn, mane, and tail. You might also add shading to make the unicorn look more realistic.

Now, imagine that drawing a picture of a unicorn is kind of like designing a computer chip. Instead of pencils and paper, designers use special computer programs called Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools.

First, they decide what the chip should do and what it should look like. Then, they use EDA tools to create a digital "schematic" of the chip - kind of like a blueprint.

But just like with your unicorn drawing, the designers aren't done yet. They need to add more details and make sure everything is connected correctly. This is called "layout" and it's another step in the design flow.

Finally, just like you might erase and redo parts of your unicorn drawing until it looks just right, designers might have to make changes to the chip design until it works perfectly.

So, in summary, design flow (EDA) is the process that chip designers use to create and perfect the digital designs of computer chips using special computer programs called EDA tools.