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Running Allegro PCB SKILL code in Virtuoso

Curtisma

Hello:

I would like to run some SKILL code that was developed for Allegro PCB Designer (APD) in Virtuoso.  Is this possible?  I would guess that I would need to be add the API to virtuoso since the functions would not be available.  Is it possible to find the source of the Allegro PCB SKILL API code and load that in virtuoso?  

My end goal is to create an Allegro PCB symbol in Cadence for an IC layout in Virtuoso.

Regards,

Curtis

  • Andrew Beckett

    Hi Curtis,

    This is not possible. The Allegro APIs do not exist in Virtuoso and can't be added since they depend on the underlying Allegro architecture.

    Regards,

    Andrew.

  • ebecheto

    Dear Curtisma,

    Probably your ASIC has not the same Pinout as you package would be. FOr example,

    - if you have groud pads connected to bottom cavity,

    - If your package have more pins than your CHIP, you will have Not COnnected Pins. 

    etc.

    So you have probably a manual necessary interaction to have.

    For BGA package it is maybe pin-pin compatible, but i do not have enough background. ANyhow, what you will need from your layout is a pin position and a name. Such script exist easily in Virtuoso.

    What you could do is to have and open ipcProcess socket open in Virtuoso and launch script into it. Generate a file with NAME, POSITION, (possibly other param : bBOx, Orientation ...)

    ANd another ipcProcess connected to Allegro (preferably on a linux host, but do-able on a windows plateform if interconnected on the same network) in which, you will read the file and generate your symbol.

    Your main script could be independent, or in Allegro, or in Virtuoso.

    By the way, i am interested by you Allegro skill code to generate a Symbol. Does it creates also a Schematic and a body-(layout) ? 

    In exchange, i could gives you scripts in the virtuoso World that does anything you want (not as complicated and clean as Andrews ones' though,:).

    Hope it helps,

    Regards

  • Curtisma
    in reply to Andrew Beckett

    Thanks Andrew!  Good to know, that was my guess but I thought I would check.

    So is there a Linux version of Allegro?  Maybe I can just call it from Virtuoso.  Can I start running Allegro with a script and without the gui?  

    -Curtis

  • Curtisma
    in reply to ebecheto

    Hey Ebecheto:

    We currently have a script that saves the pad information to a file that can then be used in Allegro to create the footprint.  I'm trying to streamline this process so Allegro doesn't have to be opened to put a footprint in the library.

    In our case we put flip chip and wire bonded die directly on a multi-chip module (small pcb) so our die do not have their own package.  The whole module is packaged.  Here we are just interested in getting the footprint and pad locations of the die in Allegro format.

    -Curtis

  • Andrew Beckett
    in reply to Curtisma

    Hi Curtis,

    Yes, there is a Linux version of Allegro available (on downloads.cadence.com - look at the SPB release stream)

    Andrew.

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