RTL is the design before an ASIC gets commissioned correct? So if we have to get another RTL that means the ASIC can't exist at all right?
I ain't no chip designer either, but from what I googled, RTL is a high-level description of what the chips is supposed to do. It gets converted to low-level descriptions and those into masks from which the chips are made.
Ken's statement imo indicates that he had an RTL description but it was faulty or underperforming so he finally hired some expert to help him out. What I take from this is that we had sample chips but they were no good and now the design has to be re-cast into silicon.
Someone with more knowledge? Mabs?