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

Supriyo,

I should point out that if this is urgent, you really should have logged this as a case with support.cadence.com; these forums are community forums - folks (including those from Cadence) respond in their spare time and it should not be seen as a substitute for formal customer support.

That said, thanks to Quek for being so diligent with these questions!

Regards,

Andrew.

Supriyo,

I should point out that if this is urgent, you really should have logged this as a case with support.cadence.com; these forums are community forums - folks (including those from Cadence) respond in their spare time and it should not be seen as a substitute for formal customer support.

That said, thanks to Quek for being so diligent with these questions!

Regards,

Andrew.

Hi Andrew and Quek, 

Please know that I more than appreciate the help cadence community is giving out voluntarily so that users don't have to go through a more time consuming official process of filing a ticket. I just wanted to be sure that Quek knows the problem. I would like to have the solution early but there is absolutely no urgency.

Thanks again.

Regards

Supriyo 

Hi Supriyo

The problem was that the instance parameters got lost after ciExpandMembers. You can use the following as a workaround:

procedure( CCSciExpandMembers(memberList)
   prog( (finalList memName memType instList2)
      finalList=foreach(mapcar member memberList
         memName=nth(0 member)
         memType=nth(1 member)
         instList2=foreach(mapcar instList ciExpandMembers(list(list(memName memType)))
            append(instList cddr(member))
         ) ;foreach
         car(instList2)
      ) ;foreach
      return(finalList)
   ) ;prog
) ;procedure


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

memberList=list(
   list("I6" 'inst list('("row" 0) '("col" 0) '("abutment" 1)))
   list("I7" 'inst list('("row" 0) '("col" 0) '("abutment" 1)))
) ;list

modgen=ciConCreate(cache 'modgen
        ?members CCSciExpandMembers(memberList)
) ;ciConCreate


May we have your help to file a case to fix the behaviour of ciExpandMembers? I think it should preserve the instance parameters. You can use the following example in the case:

ciExpandMembers(list(list("I6" 'inst list('("row" 0)))))
=> (("I6" inst))


Best regards
Quek

Thanks Quek, workaround works. Please let me know the process to file a case. However, I am not sure how to declare a pattern like ‘A B B A’. Abutment does not work for the example below. 

cvLay=geGetWindowCellView()

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

           memberList=list(

           list("|T5(1)" 'inst list('("row" 0) '("col" 0) '("abutment" 1)))

           list("|T4(1)" 'inst list('("row" 0) '("col" 0) '("abutment" 1)))

           list("|T5(2)" 'inst list('("row" 0) '("col" 0) '("abutment" 1)))

           list("|T4(2)" 'inst list('("row" 0) '("col" 0) '("abutment" 1)))

           ) ;list

            modgen=ciConCreate(cache 'modgen ?members CCSciExpandMembers(memberList)

) ;ciConCreate

            ;;mgAbutAllCB()

            mgGen( cvLay modgen )

Earlier I used pattern param inside ciExpandMembers as follows

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

        ) ;list

) ;ciConCreate

It also worked from the gui. 

Regards

Supriyo

Hi Supriyo

Using custom pattern "A B B A" is also ok. You just need to change numCols from 1 to 4.

modgen=ciConCreate(cache 'modgen
        ?members CCSciExpandMembers(memberList)
        ?params list(
           list("numRows" 1)
           list("numCols" 4)
           list("pattern" "custom ((A B B A))")
        ) ;list
) ;ciConCreate


You can file a case as follows:

a. Go to "https://support.cadence.com"
b. At the top of the page, choose "Cases->Submit Cases" from the menu
c. Choose "Virtuoso Layout Suite" as the product and in the subsequent page, choose "IC6.1.7" as the version
d. Please use the following problem description:

===========================
ciExpandMembers SKILL cmd does not preserve the instance parameters as shown below:

ciExpandMembers(list(list("I6<0:1>" 'inst list('("row" 0)))))
=> (("I6<0>" inst) ("I6<1>" inst))

Please help to file a CCR to either fix (if it is a bug) or to enhance it to preserve instance parameters. The expected output is as follows:

(("I6<0>" inst list('("row" 0))) ("I6<1>" inst) list('("row" 0)))
===========================


Best regards
Quek

Thanks Quek,

Changing the numCols from 1 to 4 had no effect and abutment did not work. What I realized is that list("pattern" "custom ((A B B A))") was not working as ciConCreate defined the pattern always based on the sequence instances were added to the memberList. And since my memberList was implicitly defining a pattern like A B A B which is not a valid pattern (without rotation), abutment was not successful. 

Anyway I understand the problem now. I think ciConCreate should accept the pattern (as well as rotation, also seems to be not working) as argument, not sure if this is a bug. 

While filing a case, it asked for a host id which I obtained by running the command lmhostid as suggested. But the key was not accepted. I am not sure if I am the right person. Please let me know if I should contact the university Professor who is acting as liaison officer. 

Regards

Supriyo

Hi Supriyo

This is strange. Changing numCols from 1 to 4 works for me. Would you please try IC617 and let us know if you are able to get the abutment?

it is ok not to contact the university professor. I will file the request to R&D.


Best regards
Quek

Hi Quek, 

I quickly checked IC617, looks like not working. Infact there was undefined function error with mgGen. Most likely it has been phased out as you also said before. I observed that it did not even enclose the interdigitated devices together which is a step before abutment occurs. It worked fine from gui. The skill code is as follows. 

cvLay=geGetWindowCellView()

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

           memberList=list(

           list("|T4(1)" 'inst list('("row" 0) '("col" 0) '("abutment" 1)))

           list("|T5(1)" 'inst list('("row" 0) '("col" 0) '("abutment" 1)))

           list("|T4(2)" 'inst list('("row" 0) '("col" 0) '("abutment" 1)))

           list("|T5(2)" 'inst list('("row" 0) '("col" 0) '("abutment" 1)))

           ) ;list

modgen=ciConCreate(cache 'modgen 

        ?members CCSciExpandMembers(memberList)

        ?params list(

            list("numRows" 1)

            list("numCols" 4)

            list("pattern" "custom ((A B B A))")

        ) ;list

) ;ciConCreate

One thing to note, it makes sense that pattern definition comes from memberList since nowhere we are mapping transistor names to ‘A’ ‘B’ before we pass the arguments in ciConCreate. But not sure if I am missing out something. 

Regards

Supriyo

Hi Supriyo

Would you please help to do the following and provide the output of the cmds?

a. Select the 4 instances in your layout
b. Execute the following cmds in CIW:

geGetSelSet()~>name
geGetSelSet()~>instTerms~>net~>name
getVersion('subVer)

c. Please kindly provide a snapshot of your current result for the 4 instances


Best regards
Quek

Hi Quek, 

Please see the attachment. The image is slightly poor in quality since had to meet recommended size limit. 

Regards

Supriyo

Hi Supriyo

Let me reproduce the info here:

name:
T5(1) : net06, net06, VDD
T5(2) : net06, net06, VDD
T4(1) : net06, net012, VDD
T4(2) : net06, net012, VDD

Your are using IC616-500-1.

Would you also please provide the following info?
a. geGetSelSet()~>instTerms~>name

b. Switch to IC617 and execute the following:
getVersion( 'subVer )


Best regards
Quek