Virtuoso Studio IC25.1: Explore the New Features - One Byte at a Time

Virtuoso Studio IC25.1 has just been released—and it's packed with exciting new features designed to make your design life easier and smarter. To help you get up to speed, we put together six quick training videos that demonstrate some of the coolest updates. Whether you’re into layout optimization, cleaning up mismatches, routing buses like a pro, working on Photonics, or just trying to keep your windows under control, these demos are here to make your day a little easier, and maybe impress a few teammates along the way.

This blog provides a brief introduction to each feature and links to the detailed videos on the Cadence ASK portal.

1. Turbocharge Your Routing with the Turbo Bus Toolbar

Meet your new routing powerhouse: the Turbo Bus Toolbar. This all-in-one interface consolidates key bus routing tools—like Auto Connect, Create/Edit Bus, Tunnel, Chop, and Chamfer—into a streamlined workflow. With DRC-aware routing, multilayer support, and high-speed algorithms, it’s built for scale and speed.

Perfect for handling hundreds of connections with precision and ease.

Here is the information on the toolbar icons, and here is the demo on using the toolbar.

2. Place Like Layout – A Game-Changer for Photonics

Bridging the gap between layout and schematic just got easier. The Place Like Layout feature lets you generate schematics that mirror your photonic layouts, making them easier to interpret and debug. With support for waveguide netting and editable formats, this tool is a photonics designer’s dream.

Ideal for those working with complex photonic devices and waveguides.

3. Visualize Binding Like Never Before with Bind Color Map

Say goodbye to guesswork! The Bind Color Map feature uses intuitive color coding to show which instances are bound, unbound, or ignored, right in your schematic and layout views. With adjustable transparency and line thickness, this tool makes the design status crystal clear.

A must-watch for anyone who wants instant visual feedback on binding.

4. Ignore Parameters Check – Now Smarter in Virtuoso Layout Suite XL

Tired of drowning in false mismatch warnings? This byte introduces two powerful fixers—Ignore Cell Parameters for Check and Ignore Cell Parameters for Generation—that let you filter out layout-only parameters like connectGates, leftAbut, and rightAbut. With these stored in physConfig, your verification process becomes cleaner, faster, and more focused.

Perfect for layout engineers aiming to reduce noise and boost efficiency.

5. Navigate Like a Pro with the Virtuoso Dashboard

Managing multiple sessions? The Virtuoso Dashboard is your new best friend. From real-time thumbnails to session filtering and system health monitoring, this tool brings order to your design chaos. It even helps you spot and resolve frozen sessions!

Essential for anyone juggling multiple windows and workflows.

6. Smart Search Using SKILL API Finder

Say hello to natural language search in Virtuoso Studio. This byte introduces the Smart Search feature in the SKILL API Finder, which lets you search using plain English instead of memorizing keywords. See how it blends keyword and natural language results, offers inline descriptions, and helps both new and experienced users find what they need—fast.

Combines intuitive search with low-latency results and inline descriptions.

These training bytes are short enough to fit into your coffee break and smart enough to make you look like a layout legend. Share them, save them, and maybe even brag about them in your next team sync.

Want to Learn More?

Now, you can take the Cadence Analog IC Design Flow course, learn Analog IC Design flow, and showcase your digital badge in your social platform profiles.

The Online Trainings are free for all Cadence customers with a Cadence ASK Account. For "Live" or "Blended" instructor-led training sessions, please contact Cadence Training.

Earn Your Badge

This training has a Digital Badge. You can earn this badge by passing the exam for this course.

You can become Cadence Certified once you complete the course and share your knowledge and certifications on social media channels. Go straight to the course exam at the Cadence ASK and Learning portal.

Related Resources:

Training Bytes	Demo videos on complete analog IC design flow Auto Place and Route feature(for Advanced Node designs) in Virtuoso Studio Layout Suite iPegasus feature in Virtuoso Studio Knowing LVS and debugging it using Pegasus Verification System Parasitic Extraction using Quantus Extraction Solution
Online Courses	Virtuoso Studio Features Auto Place and Route(APR) for Virtuoso Studio - Device Level Auto Place and Route(APR) for Virtuoso Studio - Standard Cell Virtuoso Layout For Photonics Design- T1 Pegasus Verification System Quantus Transistor-Level T2: Parasitic Extraction

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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 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. Subscribe to receive email notifications about our latest Custom IC Design blog posts.

Vishnu Teja Salagrama,

On behalf of the Cadence Training Team