I know almost nothing about this, but: (1) IP cores can be bought as "binaries with API", not as source. This is cheaper, but much harder to inspect. (2) I th

I know almost nothing about this, but: (1) IP cores can be bought as "binaries with API", not as source. This is cheaper, but much harder to inspect. (2) I think that "compiling"[1] the source to some fab's process is not completely automatic (they "recompile" or "handcode" some "functions" to optimize power usage or max frequency), so you need to verify the "binary" is faithful to your source, including on the analog level. Then you need to verify the manufactured chip is faithful to the tape out[2] you verified, as a 3d apparatus, not just the xray. 1 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Place_and_route https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Place_and_route 2 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tape-out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tape-out