Taped out. What does that mean?

In electronics, tape-out is the name of the final stage of the design of an integrated circuit such as a microprocessor, the point at which the description of a circuit is sent for manufacture. A modern IC has to go through a long and complex design process before it is ready for tape-out. Many of the steps along the way utilize software tools collectively known as electronic design automation. Tape-out is usually a cause for celebration by everyone who worked on the project, followed by eager anticipation of an actual product returning from the manufacturing facility.

The term refers to the writing of the magnetic tape with the final data file describing the circuit layout and other details. The term is still used even though magnetic tapes are now rarely used for this process. A comparable term in the software industry is release to manufacturing.

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