Faster Standard Cell Layout: Auto Place and Route with Virtuoso Layout Suite MXL

Are you still manually placing and routing standard cells, spending hours on repetitive tasks, and risking design inconsistencies? The VLANT4 Training Byte is here to change that.  

The Challenge

Standard cell layout design at advanced nodes demands precision, speed, and compliance with complex design rules. Manual layout methods often fall short, leading to longer design cycles and increased risk of errors.

The Solution

The VLANT4_IC 23.1 course, Auto Place and Route (APR) for Virtuoso Studio – Standard Cell, offers a guided, automated flow that simplifies layout creation while ensuring constraint compliance. This Training Byte is now available in the Cadence ASK Portal and is designed to help layout engineers transition from manual to automated workflows.

What You’ll Learn

VLANT4 walks you through the complete APR flow:

• Workspace Setup: Define Width Spacing Patterns (WSPs), row regions, and supply grids
• Placement Automation: Use the Auto P&R Assistant to place standard cells, tap cells, and filler cells
• Routing Automation: Leverage the Routing Assistant to generate LVS/DRC-compliant routing
• Result Analysis: Review layout quality using the Routing Results Browser (RRB)

The course includes interactive labs and quizzes to reinforce learning.

Why It Matters

Virtuoso APR enables:

• Constraint-compliant and DRC-clean layouts
• Faster design cycles with early parasitic extraction
• Scalable automation for exploratory and production-level designs

Virtuoso APR optimizes integrated circuit (IC) design by automating placement, routing, and analytical processes, enabling engineers to produce constraint-compliant layouts efficiently and reliably. The course incorporates practical laboratory exercises and assessments to provide comprehensive proficiency with the tools essential for effective and scalable semiconductor design.

Discover the key terms in Virtuoso APR for standard cell placement

In this video, we examine the terms used in Virtuoso APR for standard cell placement. You will learn how boundary cells prevent electrical effects, tap cells reduce latch-up effects, and filler cells ensure design compliance.

Virtuoso Automated Standard Cell Placement and Routing Flow

In this video, you’ll learn the Virtuoso Automated Standard Cell Placement and Routing Flow. It covers the standard cell placement and routing process in Virtuoso, including setup, placement, routing, and a detailed breakdown of each step.

What is Standard Cell APR Placement

In this video, you will learn about Standard Cell APR Placement in the Virtuoso environment, wire length, and performance by automatically placing standard cells on the silicon die.

What Is Automated Standard Cell Routing?

In this video, you will learn about Automated Standard Cell Routing in the Virtuoso environment, which leverages Innovus NanoRoute router for optimized routing, starting with schematic-driven layout generation, and streamlining APR processes.

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 vIC 23.1

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.

Do You Have Access to the Cadence Support Portal?

If not, follow the steps below to create your account:

• On the Cadence Support portal, select Register Now and provide the requested information on the Registration page.
• You will need an email address and host ID to sign up.
• If you need help with registration, contact support@cadence.com.

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If you have questions about courses, schedules, online, public, or live onsite training, contact us at Cadence Training.

Become Cadence Certified

Cadence Training Services now offers digital badges for this training course. These badges indicate proficiency in a certain technology or skill and give you a way to validate your expertise to managers and potential employers. You can highlight your expertise by adding these digital badges to your email signature or any social media platform, such as Facebook or LinkedIn. To become Cadence Certified, you can find additional information here. Go straight to the course exam at the Learning and Support Portal. For more information visit Cadence Learning and Support - https://support.cadence.com - Your 24/7 Self-Help Partner.

Related Resources

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About Knowledge Booster Training Bytes

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.

Sandeep O

On behalf of the Cadence Training Team