BoardSurfers: The SKILL Cheat Sheet: All You Need to Know About SKILL Language

Cadence SKILL scripting language can be used to automate a wide variety of tasks in Cadence tools, such as Allegro PCB Editor, Virtuoso Studio, and Allegro Constraint Manager. It is a flexible programming language that can be used to write simple scripts for repetitive tasks or complex scripts for automating complex design workflows.

Various flavors of the SKILL language are available depending on the Cadence tool you use. For example, Allegro SKILL is used in Allegro PCB Editor, which is a PCB design tool, while Virtuoso SKILL is used in Virtuoso Studio, which is an Integrated Circuit (IC) design environment. These two variants of the SKILL language can also be used in tandem, ensuring seamless collaboration across platforms. To know more, read the Virtuoso and Allegro SKILL for Efficient Co-Design blog post.

The SKILL APIs for a tool are usually prefixed according to the tool name or feature name. Regardless of the varied SKILL APIs used, all flavors of the SKILL language are built over a common core SKILL engine. You learn the fundamentals of the SKILL language once and then apply the knowledge to work with any Cadence tool that supports the SKILL language. The knowledge of the SKILL language helps you improve productivity and efficiency. The cheat sheet provided with this post will make it easy for you to learn the SKILL language. It provides a brief overview of the key features and commands of the SKILL language. You can download the cheat sheet and use it as a handy resource while working with the SKILL language.

For detailed information on Allegro SKILL APIs, refer to Allegro User Guide: SKILL Reference.

Using the Cheat Sheet

To use the cheat sheet effectively, do the following:

1. Browse to the function category.
2. Find the function.
3. Review the brief description and example to learn how to use it.

Benefits of the SKILL Cheat Sheet

There are several benefits of using the SKILL cheat sheet:

• Saves time: A cheat sheet saves time by providing a quick and easy reference to the commonly used SKILL functions.
• Improves accuracy: It helps you improve the accuracy of your SKILL code by providing examples of how to use each function.
• Helps you learn new functions: It helps you learn new SKILL functions by providing a comprehensive list of all the available functions.
• Improves your skills: It helps you improve your SKILL code-writing skills by providing a better understanding of how to use SKILL functions.

In the End

The SKILL cheat sheet is a quick and easy reference guide that includes the most common SKILL commands and functions. It is an asset for beginners, and also helpful for experienced users who need to brush up on their knowledge of the SKILL language. I hope you find this cheat sheet useful. If you have any questions or feedback about using a particular function, please feel free to leave a comment.

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About BoardSurfers

The BoardSurfers series provides solutions to the various tasks related to the creation and management of PCB design using the Allegro platform products. The name and logo of this series are designed to resonate with the vision of making the design and manufacturing tasks enjoyable, just like surfing the waves. Regular, new blog posts by experts cover every aspect of the PCB design process, such as library management, schematic design, constraint management, stack up design, placement, routing, artwork, verification, and more.