Virtuoso Studio: Excellent XL – Analyze and Fix Connectivity with Analyzer

15 Jun 2026 • 3 minute read

Our new AI-powered custom design solution, Virtuoso Studio, leverages our 30 years of industry knowledge and leadership, providing innovative features, reimagined infrastructure for unrivaled productivity, and new levels of integration that stretch beyond classic design boundaries. In this blog series, learn how the best analog design tools just got better to help you keep pace with your challenging design issues.

Connectivity issues are not always straightforward. A reported open, short, or hierarchical violation may point to a genuine problem, or it may reflect an expected condition driven by design intent, hierarchy, or extraction visibility. Being able to tell the difference is key to keeping designs clean and moving forward with confidence.

Automatically Fixing Reported Issues

In Virtuoso Layout Suite, connectivity analyzer helps you analyze reported connectivity markers and, when appropriate, guides you toward fixes that can be applied directly from the tool. For each reported marker, the tool helps determine whether the violation is expected or unexpected.

You can select a reported connectivity marker in Annotation Browser and analyze it to understand why the violation was flagged and whether it represents a real issue or an expected condition. To do this, click the analyze link in the marker description or right-click the marker and select analyze marker. The analysis updates the marker description with detailed insights and, where applicable, adds fixer links that guide you directly to recommended actions.

When a violation is unexpected, the connectivity analyzer suggests a fixer. Selecting a fixer resolves the issue and, if needed, adds an override to the connectivity overrides file. Connectivity markers are then re-extracted as required, and the overrides are applied during subsequent extractions and to new cellviews.

Supported Connectivity Issues and Fixes

Open markers may be reported when shape visibility is insufficient during extraction. After analysis, a fixer is provided to add an extract stop level override, extending shape visibility and resolving false open violations.

Short markers can occur due to incorrect connectivity assignments on instance terminals. After analysis, the tool identifies the path causing the short and provides fixers to reassign instance terminals to the appropriate net and locate the short on the layout canvas.

Illegal hierarchical connection markers are reported when a connection exists between a top-level net and an internal net. If the connectivity is intentional, analysis provides a fixer to add an override that ignores the corresponding hierarchical shape connectivity.

Incomplete must-connect-all-pins markers are reported when no physical connection exists between the pins of a must-connect-all-pins terminal. Analysis explains the issue and provides a fixer to add a terminal override, resolving the marker during re-extraction.

Keeping Connectivity Clean with Confidence

Connectivity analyzer helps distinguish between expected and unexpected connectivity issues and provides targeted fixes directly within the layout. This approach simplifies analysis, reduces unnecessary manual intervention, and helps maintain correct connectivity while preserving the design intent.

This final blog in the 'Excellent XL' series focuses on diagnosing and fixing connectivity issues. It completes the workflow that spans staying schematic-aligned, reaching LVS closure, restoring layout XL compliance, and keeping connectivity clean using analysis-driven fixes.

Related Resources

Product Manual	Virtuoso Layout Suite XL: Connectivity Driven Editing User Guide
Rapid Adoption Kit	Virtuoso Layout Connectivity Analyzer
Videos	Using the Analyze Connectivity Command
Blogs	Virtuoso Studio: Excellent XL - Next-Gen Layouts with Virtuoso Layout XL Virtuoso Studio: Excellent XL- Layout XL Tools for Faster LVS Closure Virtuoso Studio: Excellent XL – Automated Layout XL Binding from LVS Data Virtuoso Studio: Excellent XL – How to Keep XL Up to Date with Ease

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Happy Reading!

Sucharita Mehta