Accelerate Standard Cell Placement and Routing Using Virtuoso Layout Suite MXL

In the realm of custom IC design, Auto Place and Route (APR) is a cornerstone of physical implementation. For standard cell designs, APR automates the placement of logic cells and the routing of interconnections, ensuring optimal performance, minimal area, and power efficiency.

Manual layout of standard cells is not only time-consuming but also prone to errors. APR tools like Virtuoso Layout Suite MXL eliminate these bottlenecks by offering intelligent automation, enabling designers to focus on innovation rather than iteration.

Virtuoso Layout Suite MXL provides a dedicated Auto_Place_Route workspace that integrates the auto P&R assistant and routing assistant, supporting both interactive and automatic routing modes. 

Let’s walk through a real-time example using Virtuoso Studio MXL for standard cell APR:

Start by generating layout representations from the schematic. This includes creating PR boundaries, instances, nets, and pins.

Configure WSPs, row regions, supply grids, and IO pin attributes. This step sets up the design for placement and routing.

Use the Place tab to insert boundary, tap, and filler cells. The Gigaplace engine runs the automated placement, optimizing for area and wire length.

Open the routing assistant to set up routing options. Enable DRC checks and lock colors post-routing.

Execute power and signal routing using the supply and route tabs. The assistant supports stripe generation, via insertion, and timing-aware routing.

Use the Routing Results Browser (RRB) to view routed nets, opens, shorts, and violations. This ensures the layout is signoff-ready.

The VLANT4 course titled Auto Place and Route (APR) for Virtuoso Studio – Standard Cell (IC 23.1) covers:

Virtuoso Studio MXL transforms standard cell layout into a streamlined, automated process. By leveraging its APR capabilities, designers can achieve faster turnaround, higher accuracy, and better performance. The VLANT4 course equips engineers with the skills to harness this power effectively.

To learn quickly about this APR flow, explore the short training bytes in this channel: Auto Place and Route (APR) for Virtuoso Studio – Standard Cell

In conclusion, the auto place and route assistant provides an interface suitable for initializing, placing, and routing designs to aid in the placement and routing for advanced node designs.

Enroll in the course Auto Place and Route (APR) for Virtuoso Studio – Standard Cell to learn more about Automated Place and Route in Virtuoso Studio.

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Related Resources

Online Courses	Virtuoso Layout for Advanced Nodes Auto Place and Route (APR) for Virtuoso Studio – Device Level Virtuoso Layout for Advanced Nodes: T1 Place and Route Virtuoso Layout Advanced Nodes: T2 Electromigration Virtuoso Layout Pro: T3 Basic Commands Virtuoso Layout Pro: T4 Advanced Commands
Rapid Adoption Kit	Virtuoso APR: Standard Cell Automated Placement and Routing RAK
User Guide	Virtuoso Automated Standard Cell Placement and Routing Flow Guide IC 23.1
Training Byte	Auto Place and Route (APR) for Virtuoso Studio – Standard Cell vIC 23.1

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Knowledge Booster Training Bytes is an online journal that relays information about Cadence Training videos, online courses, and upcoming webinars that are available in the learning section of the Cadence Learning and Support portal. This blog category brings you direct links to these videos, courses, and other related material on a regular basis.

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On behalf of the Cadence Training team