Product Documentation
Mixed Signal (MS) Interoperability Guide
Product Version 22.13, Last Updated in July 2023

1

Getting Started

1.1 Product and Installation Information

For product, release, and installation information, see the README file at any of the following locations:

For information about Innovus™ Implementation System licenses, see the Product and Licensing Information chapter in the Innovus User Guide.

For information about Virtuoso licenses, see Virtuoso Software Licensing and Configuration User Guide on support.cadence.com.

1.2 Setting the Run-Time Environment for Innovus

If install_dir is the location of your Innovus installation, you should set up your run-time environment like this:

For example, you might add this to your startup shell script:

set install_dir = /tools/innovus17.1/lnx86

set path = ($install_dir/bin $path)


setenv MANPATH $install_dir/share/innovus/man:$install_dir/share/tcltools/man:$MANPATH

Note: When Innovus launches, it automatically adds the legacy man pages and the Tcl man pages to the beginning of the current MANPATH inside Innovus. Therefore, from within Innovus, the man command will see both sets of man pages before any other man pages.

1.2.1 Supported and Compatible Platforms

The README file lists the supported and compatible platforms for this release.

1.2.2 64-Bit Version of Innovus Applications

Innovus software only has a 64-bit mode. A 32-bit version of the software is no longer supported.

1.3 Temporary File Locations

Each Innovus session creates its own temporary directory to store temporary files at the beginning of the run.

By default the tmp_dir is created in /tmp.  If the Unix envar TMPDIR is set, then the tmp_dir is created inside $TMPDIR.

The name of the tmp_dir will look like:

innovus_temp_[pid]_[hostname]_[user]_xxxxxx

Where the _xxxxxx is a string added to make the directory unique. For example:

innovus_temp_10233_farm254_bob_nfp9ez

The temporary directory is automatically removed on exit or if the run terminated with a catchable signal (e.g. SIGSEGV).

1.4 OpenAccess

Innovus installs OpenAccess in the <Cadence_install_dir>/ directory. The software creates a symbolic link from <Cadence_install_dir>/share/oa to the OpenAccess installation directory.

The various OpenAccess Unix utilities, such as def2oa, oa2def, verilog2oa, oaGetVersion, and so on are all linked into the <Cadence_install_dir>/bin directory.

For more information on the version of OpenAccess supported with this release, see the OpenAccess installation directory or use oaGetVersion.

1.5 Launching the Console

The window (shell tool, xterm, and so on) where you start the Innovus session is called the Innovus console. You enter all Innovus text commands in the console window, and the software displays messages there. When a session is active, the console displays the following prompt:

innovus>

If you use the console for other actions--for example, to use the vi editor--the session suspends until you finish the action.

If you suspend the session by typing Control-z, the innovus> prompt is no longer displayed. To return to the Innovus session, type fg, which brings the session to the foreground.

The window (shell tool, xterm, and so on) where you start the Innovus session is called the Innovus console. You enter all Innovus text commands in the console window, and the software displays messages there. You start legacy Innovus from Unix like this:

>innovus

When a session is active, Innovus shows the Tcl interpreter prompt like this:

innovus 1>

Innovus currently uses Tcl version 8.6.  The current version of the Tcl interpreter is in the $tcl_version variable.

If you use the console for other actions--for example, to use the vi editor--the session suspends until you finish the action.

If you suspend the session by typing Control-z, the innovus> prompt is no longer displayed. To return to the Innovus session, type fg, which brings the session to the foreground.

For a detailed description of the innovus command-line options and the initialization files loaded at startup, see innovus in the Text Command Reference. The initialization files can be used to configure the GUI, load utility Tcl files, or configure Innovus settings.

Alternatively, at the Unix prompt ,you can type:

>innovus -help

for a summary of the options or

>man innovus

for the full man page (available if MANPATH includes <install_dir>/share/innovus/man).

If you type the innovus command without parameters, the Innovus software starts in the GUI mode and creates a log file and a command file. The system attempts to check out the license with the most functionality, then the license with the next most functionality, and so on.

The innovus command starts one of the following products:

For an overview of the products and product licensing, see Product and Licensing Information.

1.6 Accessing Documentation and Help in Innovus

You can access the Innovus documentation and help system by using the following methods:

1.6.1 Launching Cadence Help From the Command Prompt

You can type the Unix command cdnshelp (which is inside the <install_dir>/bin directory) to launch the Cadence Help tool. It includes access to all the documents in the installation, along with Search functions.

After launching Cadence® Help, press F1 or choose Help - Contents to display the help page for Cadence Help.

1.6.2 Using the Innovus man and help Commands on the Text Command Line


1.6.2.1 Using the help Command to View the Command Syntax

1.6.2.2 Using the man Command to View the Command Description

1.6.2.3 Using the help Command to View Message Summary

1.6.2.4 Using the man Command to View Message Detail


The detailed description is not available for all active message IDs.

1.7 Starting the Virtuoso Studio Design Environment

Virtuoso Studio Design Environment software is built into binary files--or workbenches--containing blocks of executable computer code. Each workbench contains the code to run several related applications.

Note: From IC614, virtuoso is the recommended workbench. The layout (and layoutPlus) workbenches are being phased out from IC614, but will still be accessible via symlinks in the short-to-medium term. It is however recommended that you now use the virtuoso executable.

When you start the Virtuoso® Studio Design Environment, the Command Interpreter Window (CIW) opens. From the CIW, you can access Cadence applications that you are licensed to run.

To start a workbench, type the workbench binary name at the system prompt. For example, to start the virtuoso workbench, type virtuoso at the system prompt. Your system administrator can tell you the command to type to run your particular set of applications.

The installation procedure puts your Cadence executables in your_install_dir/tools/dfII/bin. You must not move any of the Cadence executables from this location or they will not run.

You can run Virtuoso Studio Design Environment software in graphics or nongraphics mode:

When Virtuoso has launched, the time taken to successfully checkout the 111 (Virtuoso Framework) license will be shown in the CIW, for example:

\o Virtuoso Framework License (111) was checked out successfully. Total checkout time was 0.32s.

You can now go on to access some applications by selecting a menu item (such as from the Tools menu in the CIW) while other applications start automatically when you open a design cellview (using File - Open). For example, when you open a schematic, your schematic editor starts automatically.

For more information on using the Virtuoso Studio Design Environment, search for Virtuoso Studio Design Environment User Guide on support.cadence.com.

1.8 Innovus and Virtuoso Release Compatibility Information

You can pair the following Innovus and Virtuoso releases for the Mixed Signal flow:

Note: IC61xISRy  is same as IC6.1.x(-64b).500.y, returned by virtuoso -W.




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