Virtuoso Studio IC25.1 Now Available

Virtuoso Studio IC25.1 production release is now available at Cadence Downloads. The README.txt file in the installation directory provides information about supported platforms and other release compatibility.

IC25.1

Here's a list of the highlights from the Virtuoso Studio IC25.1 release:

• Virtuoso Studio IC25.1 Overview 
  Leveraging over 30 years of industry experience, Virtuoso Studio IC25.1 provides broader support for RF, photonics, mixed-signal, and advanced heterogeneous designs. The new AI-powered Virtuoso Studio advances productivity via automation and innovative features, reimagined infrastructure and new levels of integration that stretch beyond classic design boundaries.
• Virtuoso Studio RF 
  Virtuoso Studio RF empowers designers with a platform tailored to RF-specific requirements while leveraging Cadence design, analysis, and manufacturing technologies. This cutting-edge RF design platform offers a tightly integrated environment for schematic capture, layout, simulation, and in-design analysis. Virtuoso Studio RF environment enables engineers to develop high-performance designs across RF silicon and laminate technologies from concept through validation—all without switching tools. By unifying these capabilities, Virtuoso Studio RF improves accuracy and accelerates design cycles, ensuring efficient RF system development.
  

Virtuoso Studio Design Environment Features

• Integration of Smart Search in Virtuoso Studio 
  Search features in Virtuoso Studio have been enhanced with the addition of Natural Language (NL) queries. Several existing search forms, such as the SKILL API Finder, the Cdsenv Editor, and the Cadence Documentation Assistant (CDA), have been improved to support natural language queries.
• Virtuoso Studio Dashboard for Managing Multiple Sessions and Windows
  Virtuoso Dashboard helps you manage multiple active windows of all the Virtuoso Studio sessions currently running. Using the available shortcut commands, you can navigate through various windows, customize, filter, organize, and display the active windows, monitor performance for a specific Virtuoso Studio session, and view session details such as associated server name and process ID.
• Virtuoso Studio Launch Performance Analysis
  View comprehensive performance metrics related to the launch of your Virtuoso Studio session. The detailed initialization metrics are displayed on the Virtuoso Studio Launch Performance Measurements form, which is easily accessible through the Performance tab on the Diagnostic Center form.
• Runtime Report Logging for Selected Virtuoso Studio Commands
  You can specify the commands for which you want to generate a high-level report using the Check Command form in Diagnostic Center. The report is generated when the runtime of the command exceeds the specified threshold value in the current session.
• Smarter Progress Tracking with Enhanced Feedback
  A more responsive and informative progress bar has been introduced to improve your experience as you view the progress of the supported commands. The progress bar provides more detailed progress information. Need to troubleshoot performance issues? You can now launch the Health Monitor directly from the progress bar to quickly identify root causes. 

Virtuoso Custom Design Migrate

• Creating or Editing Mapping Information for Schematic Migration
  Use the new Schematic Mapping Editor to create a new mapping file or edit an existing mapping file for schematic migration. This interface provides a convenient and accurate way to configure the mapping of devices, symbols, parameters, and their values.
• Layout Design Migration Solution Integrated into Virtuoso Custom Design Migration (Virtuoso Layout Suite MXL)
  Virtuoso Custom Design Migration has been enhanced to include the layout migration solution, which addresses the need to migrate layout designs from one technology node to another with minimal manual effort. The layout migration solution helps designers quickly adapt layouts to new process nodes, maintaining high productivity and reducing their efforts to finalize the layouts for sign-off checks. Migrating a layout design involves capturing placement and routing information from the source layout and applying the captured information to the target layout.

Virtuoso Schematic Editor XL

• Design Review Support in Schematic
  The Design Review feature, previously available only in layout, is now extended to the schematic view. This enhancement enables designers and reviewers to conduct reviews and apply related fixes directly in the schematic view within Virtuoso Studio. 
• Placing and Routing Objects
  Use the Auto Place, Detach, and Auto Route commands from the Arrange menu or Arrange toolbar to place and route objects in a schematic. The Auto Place command rearranges and routes the selected objects based on the connectivity. Detach removes all wires from selected objects, ensuring connectivity remains unchanged. Auto Route reroutes the objects with shared connectivity and terminals with no previously existing connectivity.

Virtuoso Analog Design Environment Features

• Introducing Virtuoso ADE Artist (Virtuoso ADE Artist)
  Virtuoso ADE Artist leverages all the features from Virtuoso ADE Assembler and Virtuoso Variation Option to provide a unified technology access point. Additionally, it is enhanced with advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) features that boost productivity. The transition to the new cockpit is seamless as the use model of Virtuoso ADE Artist is the same as that of Virtuoso ADE Assembler.  
• Smart Corners for the FMC Worst Samples Method (Virtuoso ADE Artist)
  Use the Smart Corners check box in the Monte Carlo form to enable Smart Corners for the FMC Worst Samples method. The Smart Corners option leverages the similarities in the corners to accelerate the FMC Worst Samples analysis. Smart Corners simulates and verifies the tail samples for all corners at a reduced computational cost compared to analyzing the corners independently.
• MARCO: Command-Line Interface for Analog Regression and Scripting (Virtuoso ADE Artist)
  MARCO (Maestro Analysis and Resource Control) brings powerful command-line support to the Virtuoso Studio ADE Suite, enabling analog regression and scripting without the need for SKILL. It streamlines automation and enhances collaboration between GUI and command-line users within a unified project environment.
• DSPF-to-ADE Flow for Post-Layout Simulation (Virtuoso ADE Explorer, Virtuoso ADE Assembler, and Virtuoso ADE Artist)
  The DSPF-to-ADE flow enables the reuse of schematic testbenches for both pre- and post-layout simulations using Detailed Standard Parasitic Format (DSPF) files. It ensures seamless mapping between schematic and post-layout syntax, allowing consistent expression usage across simulation stages. The flow further supports features like out-of-context probing, post-processing, and in-depth parasitic reporting and comparison, helping improve both the accuracy and efficiency of post-layout analysis.
• Customizing the UI of Results and Outputs Setup Tabs (Virtuoso ADE Explorer, Virtuoso ADE Assembler, and Virtuoso ADE Artist)
  Any customization related to the change of order, visibility, and width of columns is now automatically retained in the Outputs Setup tab and the Details and Details-Transpose view of the Results tab in ADE Explorer and ADE Assembler. The changes are saved in the maestro cellview even if you do not save the maestro session in which you made the changes.
• Using Move Histories and Save Options Form (Virtuoso ADE Explorer, Virtuoso ADE Assembler, and Virtuoso ADE Artist)
  You now have the flexibility to save RDB and PSF results at the default location, at separate locations using the saveDir and saveResDir environment variables, or at a custom location specific to each maestro cellview. The expanded history view in the Data View assistant displays the storage locations of RDB and PSF data. You can also use the Move Data command to move history data from one location to another.
• Deprecated Features in Parasitic-Aware Design (Virtuoso ADE Explorer and Virtuoso ADE Assembler)
  As part of ongoing updates to the Virtuoso Studio platform, some features in parasitic-aware design have been deprecated. The Parasitics menu in Virtuoso Schematic Editor L and XL, previously accessed through the Launch menu, is no longer supported. The recommended alternative is the Parasitics/LDE menu in Virtuoso ADE Explorer and Virtuoso ADE Assembler. Additionally, support for using .simrc files for netlist customization in Virtuoso ADE Suite and Virtuoso Schematic Editor has been removed.
• Calculating Time-Domain Measurements (Virtuoso Visualization and Analysis XL)
  Use the Time tab of the Direct Measurements assistant to instantly calculate and annotate the following time-domain measurements: settling time, overshoot, slew rate, and jitter.

Virtuoso Layout Suite Features

• Ensure Design Readiness for Analog Layout Migration (Virtuoso Layout Suite MXL)
  You can run the Application Readiness Checker as a prerequisite to ensure that your design is ready to be processed for layout migration from one technology to another with the Analog Layout Migration application.
• Improved Layout XL Binding using svdb Directory Data (Virtuoso Layout Suite MXL)
  You can use the SVDB Path option in the Application Readiness Checker to specify the svdb path for the Binder option. This lets you read the svdb directory created by the LVS tool to update the bindings for the current design and for all the cells in the design.
• EM-Driven Routing (Virtuoso Layout Suite MXL)
  Use EM-driven routing to address the EM violations while routing signal nets. This feature improves the J/Jmax values of multiple nets, enhancing the overall routing outcome for the design.
• Consolidation of Interactive Bus Routing Features (Virtuoso Layout Suite MXL)
  The various Create Bus features have been consolidated into a single interface, the Turbo Bus toolbar. This toolbar provides easy access to the flow-oriented bus routing features from the same area. 
• Trunk Stacking (Virtuoso Layout Suite MXL)
  Use the Stacking button on the SDR toolbar to control the stacking of trunks and twigs. This feature is useful when dealing with high current carrying nets and there is a need to stack metal layers to achieve the desired electromigration requirements.
• Configuring Via Settings (Virtuoso Layout Suite MXL)
  Use the Via Configuration editor to easily configure settings for each via in your layout design. This feature allows for more precise control over via properties, ensuring accurate and efficient design implementation.
• Support Added for Curvy Shape Database Objects (Virtuoso Layout Suite XL)
  You can use the curvy shape SKILL functions to create or retrieve curvy shape geometries and create or modify curvy shapes in your design. In Virtuoso Layout MXL, you can also use the Create Path, Create Polygon, Stretch, Chop, Merge, and Edit Object Properties commands to interactively create and edit curvy polygons and paths in your layout design.
• Placing Selected Devices Like Layout in the Schematic (Virtuoso Layout Suite XL)
  The new Placement mode option added to the Generate Selected From Layout form lets you choose between Array and Place like layout modes. When you choose Place like layout, device placement in the schematic is similar to that in the layout. 
• Enhanced Group Array Editing (Virtuoso Layout Suite XL)
  Creating and managing group arrays has now become easier. You can now quickly create a group array of instances using the Create Instance form. Some additional enhancements that have been introduced to improve group array editing are stretching of irregular group arrays, the ability to add already generated instances or figGroups to a group array, and rearranging members of a group array without ungrouping the array or resetting the connectivity.
• Create Clones using Group Arrays (Virtuoso Layout Suite XL)
  You can create clones by using one or more group arrays as the clone source. When you create a clone using a group array as the clone source, the generated clone group array is synchronized.
• Creating Group Fluid Guard Rings (Virtuoso Layout Suite XL)
  You can group the guard ring device and the specified outer rings in a group FGR using the Group FGR option in the Create Fluid Guard Ring form. 
• Updated Data in Layout View Instead of physConfig View (Virtuoso Layout Suite XL)
  Virtuoso Layout Suite XL commands that impact the layout physical hierarchy earlier edited the physConfig view in the background. This led to the possibility of changes going out of sync with the edits made in the layout canvas. To mitigate the risk of a possible mismatch, Virtuoso Layout Suite XL now directly stores edit information in the layout view instead of storing it in the physConfig view. 
• Enhancements in On-Canvas Binding Visualization and Manual Binding Capabilities (Virtuoso Layout Suite XL)
  For better visualization, you can now highlight the bound, unbound, and ignored instances and dummies in the layout and schematic canvas. You can also use the Bind commands in the Connectivity menu to manually update bindings of instances or terminals in the schematic or layout view.
• Analyze and Fix Connectivity Markers in Annotation Browser (Virtuoso Layout Suite XL)
  You can use the Connectivity Analyzer tool in Annotation Browser to analyze the markers and check if the violation reported is expected or unexpected. Depending on the type of violation reported, you can then apply a fix available in the tool.
• Use the Connectivity Setup File for Extraction (Virtuoso Layout Suite XL)
  You can now specify a custom connectivity setup file instead of a constraint group to define the connectivity stack based on your requirements.

Virtuoso Heterogeneous Integration Solution Features 

• Welcome Page in the Multiphysics Analysis Assistant (Virtuoso Multiphysics Analysis)
  You can now use the new Welcome Page in the Multiphysics Analysis assistant (erstwhile Electromagnetic Solver assistant) to specify the storage location for its data.
• Performing Thermal Analysis by Celsius Model Creation (Virtuoso Multiphysics Analysis)
  The Virtuoso Celsius integration lets you predict the junction temperature, address potential thermal issues, and optimize the thermal design early.
• Running a Simulation Using Clarity 3D Workbench (Virtuoso Multiphysics Analysis)
  Simulate package layouts, stacked ICs, side-by-side ICs, mirrored IC (IC on the bottom of a package), and molding compounds using Clarity 3D Workbench in the Virtuoso Multiphysics Analysis assistant.
• Simulating Stacked ICs with EMX (Virtuoso Multiphysics Analysis)
  You can now simulate multiple stacked ICs simultaneously using EMX to support vertical system representation early in the design flow, similar to how it is done for a single IC. 
• Editing Ports Manually for LVS Models (Virtuoso Multiphysics Analysis)
  The ports generated while creating an LVS model can be moved anywhere in a design, and there is no check of valid nets for LVS models (EMX and Clarity). 
• iDSPF Stitching in the Multiphysics Analysis Assistant (Virtuoso Multiphysics Analysis)
  Use an iDSPF view as a connectivity reference to stitch the devices and nets from the S-parameter model.
• Generating Cases for EMX Models in IC Layouts (Virtuoso Multiphysics Analysis)
  You can now define cases that allow EMX models to be simulated under many different conditions. Each case can be a combination of process file aliases, temperatures, corners, or generic file define factors, and is tied to a results file. 
• Virtuoso Heterogeneous Integration- Integrity 3D-IC Interoperability Virtuoso Multi-Technology Solution)
  The interoperability with Integrity 3D-IC is the latest branch of Virtuoso Heterogeneous Integration. 3D-IC designs are package-less, that is, with or without the use of a silicon interposer, the connections of dies are done using hybrid bonding, TSVs, copper pillars, microbumps, C4 bumps, and so on.
• SPB Agnostic Support (Virtuoso Multi-Technology Solution)
  To run the enablement flow, the version of the Allegro database must be lower or same as the version of the Allegro executable. If the database version is higher than the executable, the process is stopped, and an error is issued.
• Consolidation of Methods to Import from or Export to the Allegro Platform (Virtuoso Multi-Technology Solution)
  The features of the Import From Allegro and Export To Allegro forms have been integrated into the Virtuoso Multi Technology Enablement form.
• Stacking Dies (Virtuoso Multi-Technology Solution)
  Use the new Stack Editor for editing and viewing the stackable components of a single subsystem.
• Importing a Board Design From the Allegro Platform (Virtuoso Multi-Technology Solution)
  Use the Virtuoso Multi Technology Enablement form to specify Allegro board files (.brd) along with the .mcm and .sip files only for cross-fabric viewing, checking, and EM analysis.
• Creating Footprints (Virtuoso Multi-Technology Solution)
  A new Create Footprint feature, which generates a co-design footprint of an IC or package layout, has been introduced in this release. The erstwhile Export Die feature has been deprecated.

For more details on these and all the other new and enhanced features introduced in this release, see:

• What's New in Virtuoso Studio IC25.1
• Virtuoso Studio IC25.1 What's New User Guide

For questions or feedback, write to virtuoso_rm@cadence.com.

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Virtuoso Release Team