Abstract Generation in Batch Mode

During an abstract session, every command and menu option you use is recorded in the abstract.record file. You can use this file as the replay file for the next session in either GUI or non-GUI mode. The replay file can be used to rerun the previous session or run a new session in batch mode. For this, you only need to change the library and cell names in the replay file.

To save your previous work and to avoid the abstract.record file from being overwritten, the abstract.record file is renamed as abstract.replay, and then it is replayed. A new abstract.record file is created for the current session.

To run Abstract Generator in batch mode:

For GUI mode, run the following command at the command line prompt.

 % abstract -replay filename

For non-GUI mode, run the following command at the command line prompt.

 % abstract -nogui -replay filename

Abstract Generator runs the steps in sequence as per the replay file settings. After the batch run is complete, a library is created in the Library Manager, and the logical, layout, and abstract views of the selected cells are imported into the library. An LEF file is also generated depending on the selection of the GUI or non-GUI mode.

Note:

It is recommended to remove any .abstract files between the GUI and non-GUI replay runs.
In the non-GUI mode, it may be necessary to explicitly set the default bin in the replay file.

 absSetOption("DefaultBin" "Core")

This command must be inserted before the absSelectCell() call so that the selected cells can be imported into the default bin.

In the abstract.record (replay) file, you can define the same cell and terminal properties for multiple cells belonging to a single bin or different bins. For this, you only need to add a foreach statement with the selected cells. For example,

 absExtract()

 celllist_for_prop_add = cellList("cell1" "cell2")

 cellList=absGetSelectedCells()

 cellList=parseString(cadr(parseString(cellList ":")))

                   foreach(cell cellList

                             absSetCellProp(cell "symmetry" "X Y R90")

                             absSetCellProp(cell "prCellClass" "areaIO")

                             absSetTerminalProp( cell "VDD" "shape" "abutment")

                             absSetTerminalProp( cell "VSS" "shape" "abutment")

                            );foreach

 absAbstract()

 absExportLEF()

Here, you must run the Pin and Extract steps before selecting the cells for defining the cell and terminal properties.

While using the replay file, Abstract Generator generates LEF abstracts for cells of both the previous and current sessions. If you want LEF abstracts for only the current session, do one of the following:
- Move the cells of the previous session to the Ignore bin.
- Move the cells of the current session to a different bin, generate LEF abstracts only for the cells of that bin, and then place the cells back in the original bin.
In an abstract session, the bin-specific and step-specific options are saved in the .abstract.options file of a library. If you do not want these settings in batch mode, update the abstract.record (replay) file so that the library defaults are skipped. The .abstract.options file does not exist if you have not run Abstract Generator on the library.

Virtuoso Abstract Generator User Guide
Product Version IC23.1, November 2023