Import Netlist to Schematic with existing Cells in other Libraries

Paul,

This sounds as if you need to add the library name containing TEST into the Reference Library List field on the Input tab of the File->Import->SPICE form. The AVLVSNN message comes when you're using CDL import because it uses the Assura LVS parser for this. Some articles that may help:

• SpiceIn failed to import cdl/spice netlist file when a cell was not found in reference library
• (SPICEIN-102): SpiceIn failed to parse the cdl netlist file

Andrew

Hi Andrew,

thanks for your fast answer. As I said, I already tried to add my library to the reference list, but the import does not seem to find (or look for) my cell.

The first link you added seems to describe exactly my problem. My cell 'TEST' has a schematic, a symbol and an auCdl view (copy of symbol) and for the export it seems to work. The proposed solution is also to add the library to the reference list. However, in the second link the proposed solution is to add a empty subckt blocks for non-primitive cells:

"On occasions, you may have to define an empty subckt definition in the netlist for cells which are not present in the reference libraries so that you are able to create a symbol of it and the actual instance gets imported successfully. The X character suggests that it will not be considered as a primitive device by the parser. It will be treated as any other cell and its schematic/symbol will be created because of the empty subckt."
...
"On similar ground, If you try to import the following CDL netlist, you will get the same errors; For this to import fine, you need to add an empty .subckt statement for the nor2 cell." (the netlist is the same as in the 1. link)

This also agrees with the Cadence Help, which states that only primitives (res, cap, fet,...) are searched for in the reference libraries.

EDIT: I also tried adding empty subckt blocks to the netlist, but this only results in new cells created with empty schematics and generic symbols.

Hi Paul,

I normally would have just tried it - and hadn't had a chance to do so (still haven't). I'll see if I can find some time a bit later to try it out with an example...

Andrew.

I could solve my problem. It seems the problem is the CDL import. After rewriting the netlist to standard SPICE and using the SPICE import it worked. It also works with spectre. Unfortunately the pin directions are only supported by CDL, but this can be solved by generating a symbol before, which has the correct pin directions set.

Ah, glad you worked around it Paul. That's probably a sensible approach - the SPICE/Spectre input using the Spectre parser which is a bit more tolerant of missing blocks, whereas the Assura CDL parser kind of needs the netlist to be complete. I should really check to see if this is known or is more clearly described - since I'm unlikely to have time before Christmas, if you'd like that resolved, would be worth you contacting customer support.

Thanks,

Andrew