skill command for layout execution

Hi Supriyo

For question 1, you can try lxGenFromSource cmd. Please refer to $CDSHOME/doc/sklayoutref/sklayoutref.pdf for more details on the various options.

For question 2, you can use ciCreateModgen cmd. Please refer to $CDSHOME/doc/constraintsSKILL/constraintsSKILL.pdf for more details on the option and for sample codes

For question 3, you can use "route 25"


Best regards
Quek

Thanks Quek for insight and reference. 

1) I was able to get all the components from schematic to layout by executing the following commands. 

schematic_view = dbOpenCellViewByType(libName cellName "schematic")
layout_view = dbOpenCellViewByType(libName cellName "layout" "maskLayout" "w")
lxGenerateStart(schematic_view layout_view)
lxGenerateFinish(schematic_view layout_view)

2) I was also able to autoplace it with the following command. 

nclAnalogAutoPlaceCB(layout_view 2 "nil")

Here is a problem. I was not able to keep the boundary fixed with "nil" argument. The autoplace command execution always modifies the boundary to just rightly fit all the components. This is important since routing quality would be affected by amount of space left.

3) I am still working on the interdigitization part, will update the feed as I progress. 

4) Was able to transfer the layout to chip level routing assembly with the following command. 

ipcBeginProcess("/package/eda/cadence/IC616/tools/iccraft/bin/vcar -lib tutorial -cell amplifierDemo -view layout  -constraintGroup virtuosoDefaultSetup  -protectPreRoutes  -o router_01-31-2018_17:13:26.log")

But "route 25" does not work from CIW. There is a place to type command in the auto router window and it works from there. Strangely, the commands for all the gui execution (ex. detail router) in the new window do not appear anywhere including CIW, perhaps due to the same reason why route 25 does not work from CIW. 

Regards

Supriyo

Hi Supriyo

Here are my comments:

2. This seems like a bug. I have not experienced it myself. If it is not possible for you to try the latest version of Virtuoso (IC617-ISR17), perhaps you  can use the following workaround:

cv=geGetWindowCellView()
prbPtList=cv~>prBoundary~>points
nclAnalogAutoPlaceCB(layout_view 2 "nil")
dbDeleteObject(cv~>prBoundary)
dbCreatePRBoundary(cv prbPtList)

4. "route 25" is not a SKILL cmd so it cannot be executed in CIW. If you would like it to be automatically executed, would this be ok?

a. Create a file named "vcar.do"
b. Add "route 25" into the file
c. Use the following ipc cmd:


ipcBeginProcess("/package/eda/cadence/IC616/tools/iccraft/bin/vcar -lib tutorial -cell amplifierDemo -view layout  -constraintGroup virtuosoDefaultSetup  -protectPreRoutes  -o router_01-31-2018_17:13:26.log -do ./vcar.do")


Best regards
Quek

Thanks Quek, appreciate it very much. 

2) I have access to IC6.1.7 ISR14 September 2017 but that did not help. I though was able to fix it with the workaround you suggested. 

4) This also worked. 

About the modgen, I have made progress, below is the code. 

d_cvLay=geGetWindowCellView()
d_cacheId = ciCacheGet( libName cellName "layout" )
l_constMembers = cons( list( "T5 T6" 'inst ) l_constMembers ) )
d_constr = ciConCreate( d_cacheId 'modgen ?members ciExpandMembers( l_constMembers ) ?params list( list( "numRows" 1 ) list("pattern" "custom ((A B))") ) )
mgGen( d_cvLay d_constr )
mgAbutAllCB()

but there seems to be some problem with the syntax in line 3 in the code above. I am not sure about how to add two transistor instances to l_constMembers, suppose T5 and T6 are two transistors and I want to put them together using a single device with the pattern A B. 

Regards

Supriyo

Hi Supriyo

I just realised that your placer cmd is wrong. That is why prBoundary is being updated.

=== Wrong ===
nclAnalogAutoPlaceCB(layout_view 2 "nil")

=== Correct ===
nclAnalogAutoPlaceCB(layout_view 2 nil)

Would you please remove the double quotes and retry placer cmd?


For the modgen issue, you can do it as follows:

cvLay=geGetWindowCellView()
cache=ciCacheGet(cvLay~>libName cvLay~>cellName "layout")

memberList=list(
   list("T5" 'inst)
   list("T6" 'inst)
) ;list

modgen=ciConCreate(cache 'modgen
        ?members ciExpandMembers(memberList)
        ?params list(
           list( "numRows" 1 )
           list("pattern" "custom ((A B))")
        ) ;list
) ;ciConCreate

mgAbutAllCB()


Please note that mgGen is no longer in use.


Best regards
Quek

Thanks much, 

nclAnalogAutoPlaceCB(layout_view 2 nil), yes this one works. 

for the modgen, I had to add one line to your modification above

mgGen( cvLay modgen )

Without this, it does not commit the constraint; therefore devices are not enclosed with a boundary. So, I am not sure why you said it is no longer in use.

But I don't know why mgAbutAllCB() does not abut the devices. I tried with mgAbutAllCB(modgen) but it does not work either. When I executed manually, the abutment worked fine for that pattern. 

Regards

Supriyo

Hi Supriyo

Would you please try adding an "abutment" parameter for each instance and let us know if it works?

memberList=list(
   list("I4" 'inst list(list("row" 0) list("col" 0) list("abutment" 1)))
   list("I5" 'inst list(list("row" 0) list("col" 1) list("abutment" 1)))
) ;list

- mgAbutAllCB is meant to be used only within the modgen editor.
- mgGen is no longer available starting from IC617


Best regards
Quek

Hi Quek, 

I still do not see the abutment. This is code I have now for modgen. 

cvLay=geGetWindowCellView()
cache=ciCacheGet(cvLay~>libName cvLay~>cellName "layout")

memberList=list(
list("|T5" 'inst list(list("row" 0) list("col" 0) list("abutment" 1)))
list("|T4" 'inst list(list("row" 0) list("col" 1) list("abutment" 1)))
) ;list

modgen=ciConCreate(cache 'modgen ?members ciExpandMembers(memberList) ?params list(list( "numRows" 1 ) list("pattern" "custom ((A B))")
) ;list
) ;ciConCreate

;;mgAbutAllCB()
mgGen( cvLay modgen )

One thing I noticed, as long as the modgen editor is open, mgAbutAllCB() command works from CIW. 

Regards

Supriyo

Hi Quek,

Wondering if there is any good solution for the abutment to work from skill. 

Regards

Supriyo

Hi Supriyo

I am thinking about it. : )

Best regards
Quek