Cell Layout creation from Standard Cells

Discussion in 'Cadence' started by jools, Feb 19, 2004.

  1. jools

    jools Guest

    Hello

    We've been trying, with no luck, to create our own layouts using
    standard cells, which can then be used in silicon ensemble to create a
    bigger design.

    Were doing this to garantee the placement is how we want it to be. For
    example we have our own flip flop design using standard cells, which
    we need to generate a layout for to use in SE.

    We've tried loading the whole design into SE, routing it but the
    placement is too random, even using timing placement etc; so somebody
    suggested we build up the design like ive mention from individual
    layouts.

    We've tried to use virtuoso to do something like we want but it didnt
    work and it is from custom layouts as we understand it, which we not
    trying to do as were using standard cells.

    Somebody has mentioned absract generator or something but we havent
    got anywhere with that either.

    Has anybody some suggestions/advice or tutorials?
    Can we use SE to do this?

    Thankyou

    jools
     
    jools, Feb 19, 2004
    #1
  2. jools

    kal Guest

    You don't have to go out side of SE to do this. In SE, you can
    manually place cells yourself and even add routing wires. You can load
    your whole design into SE, place the cells you are interested in with
    a script and then let SE place the rest and do routing.

    Kal
     
    kal, Feb 19, 2004
    #2
  3. jools

    S. Badel Guest

    if i understand your question, which is not very clear :

    you are making your own blocks by placing and routing
    standard cells by hand, and you want to use these blocks
    in a bigger design with automatic routing.

    is this correct?

    what views do you have for the standard cells?
    do you have the layout? or an abstract view?
    if yes you could probably use the virtuoso router.
    you need virtuoso XL licence and cadence ICC
    to run the virtuoso placer and router.

    if you want to use SE, i think you have to create an
    abstract view. abstract generator is located in the
    tools menu of virtuoso layout editor, under
    'Abstract Editor'. I do not know however if you
    need a particular license to run it.
     
    S. Badel, Feb 19, 2004
    #3
  4. jools

    jools Guest

    Hi

    We have abstract views of our standard cells but no layout views, in
    SE these get placed onto a row when we run QPLACE as expected. We want
    have our own cells to be placed on a row too as one entity.

    For example our flip flop design has 8 standard cell gates. We want
    some representation of this which can be placed on a row by qplace
    like other standard cells, so it would be like a wide abstract view
    with FF design inside using standard cells.

    Effectively what I talking about is a hierarchy, the next level above
    standard cells we need placeed like standard cells. And we cant use
    blocks as we understand it as these dont get placed on rows, rows
    encircle them. And we feel eight gates does warrant a block. This
    would be used for a more higher level unit in a hierarchy, such as
    counter, fsm.

    I can run abstract generator, have access to virtuoso but cant get the
    router to run, as it needs a *.rules file. We only have one of these
    files for SE, and it refuses to use this file. And our tech file
    apparently doesnt have the info it wants either.

    We using the AMS Hit-Kit 3.30 if this is relevant.

    Thanks for any advice.

    Jools
     
    jools, Feb 20, 2004
    #4
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