Shape Search

This section provides options to search for net shapes in the design.

Nets

Specifies the location in which net shapes are to be searched.

• All: Searches all nets in the current cellview.
• Selected: Searches for net shapes only in the selected nets in the current cellview. You can select the required nets in the Navigator assistant, Net Shapes Browser in the Pin Tool, or directly in the design canvas.

Hierarchical Depth

(Virtuoso Layout Suite EXL and higher tiers) Enables hierarchical pin creation and pin promotion from a lower level to the top level.

See Hierarchical Pin Creation using the Pin Tool.

Start Level

Specifies the start level from which the tool has to start hierarchical pin creation and promotion.

Consider Net Shape on Routing Layers Only

Restricts the search for net shapes to the routing layers. When this option is selected, Metal and Poly layers are considered as the default routing layers. You can use the autoPinSearchExtraLayers environment variable to extend this list to consider additional routing layers.

Consider Net Shape on Selected Purpose

Specifies the purpose on which net shapes are to be searched.

Environment variable: purposeField

Generate Options

This section provides pin generation options.

Create and Delete

Specifies the mode in which the Auto-Pin create command must run. The available options are:

• Create: Copies or converts objects from layer:drawing to layer:pin and promotes them to a higher level. The tool creates pins hierarchically and promotes them from a lower level to a higher level.
  For example, consider a hierarchy Top-level -> A -> B -> C, where the master cells A, B, and C do not have pin shapes. If you run the tool with net A and layers M4 and M5 selected, the tool creates pins on all M4 and M5 layer shapes of net A on cells A, B, C, and Top-level, and these pins are available at the top level for cell routing.
• Delete: Deletes all the pins that were created by the Auto-Create Pins tool. When this option is selected, all the pin creation-related options are disabled in the form. This command works in both All and Selected modes.
• Delete and Create (default): Deletes all pins that were created by the Auto-Create Pins tool, and creates pins hierarchically and promotes them from a lower level to a higher level.

Delete Pins Criteria

Specifies the pins that are to be deleted before generating new pins in the design canvas.

• Auto Created: Deletes only those pins and associated metal shapes that have been generated by the Auto-Create Pins form.
• All: Deletes all pins in the current cellview.

Environment variable: deletePinSelection

These options are not available in Create mode.

Schematic Aware

Specifies whether the tool must search for corresponding shapes in the schematic view before creating pins.

For pins that do not have a schematic counterpart, a warning message is displayed and pins are not created. Pins are not created for internal nets because they do not have corresponding terminals at the top-level. A warning message with a list of net names is displayed in the CIW.

A maximum of a 100 pin names can be listed in the warning message. If the list exceeds this limit, the pin names are excluded and only the warning message is displayed in the CIW.

Check for Duplicate Pins

Checks for the presence of similar pins in the design, and if found, does not create duplicate pins.

Signal Pin Generation

This section provides signal pin settings.

Boundary Shape Pin

Considers shapes that are abutted to or are straddling the PR boundary. Pins are created for the shapes that are touching or overlapping the PR boundary. The following settings specify the number of signal pins to be generated when multiple boundary shapes belong to the same net:

• Single: Creates a single boundary pin on the highest metal layer.
• Multiple: Lets you specify the layer in which multiple boundary pins are to be created. The available options are:
  • Top Layer: Creates multiple boundary pins on the highest metal layer.
  • Use Layers: Lets you specify the layers on which boundary pins are to be created. By default, all layers are selected.

Environment variables: boundarySquareShapePin, boundaryMultipleMode

See Pin Shapes Created for Straddling Shapes in Auto Create Pins Form.

Buried Shape Pin

Specifies that pins are to be created only for the shapes that are either completely inside the PR boundary or are straddling the PR boundary. Shapes that are completely outside the PR boundary are ignored. The following settings specify the number of signal pins to be generated when multiple buried shapes belong to the same net:

• Single: Creates a single buried pin on the highest metal layer.
• Multiple: Provides the following layer selection options:
  • Top Layer: Creates multiple buried pins on the highest metal layer.
  • Use Layers: Lets you specify the layers on which buried pins are to be created. By default, all layers are selected.

Environment variables: buriedWholeShapePin, buriedMultipleMode

Power Pin Generation

This section provides power pin settings.

Boundary Whole Shape Pin, Buried Whole Shape Pin

Lets you specify if you want to create pins for boundary and buried shapes. Power pins only support multiple mode. Similar to signal pins, with both options selected, boundary pins take precedence.

Environment variable: autoPinCreateBoundaryBuriedPowerPins

Pin Attributes

This section provides attributes for the new pins to be generated.

Signal Pin Size – Boundary, Buried

Specifies the size of auto-created boundary and buried signal pins.

• Square: Creates a square pin on any net shape present on the highest metal layer. Only rectangular and square path, pathsegs, and polygonal shapes are recognized for pin creation. All other shapes are ignored and a warning message is printed in the CIW.
• Whole Shape: Creates a pin on the largest net shape present on the highest metal layer.
• Honor Min Length: Honors the minLength constraint specified in the technology file. If the pin length is less than the minimum length specified in the constraint, the pin is resized to match minLength value during pin creation. See minLength.
• Custom Length: Specifies a custom length value for a pin. Environment variables: boundarySignalPinSize, buriedSignalPinSize, customLengthForBoundaryPins, customLengthForBuriedPins

Pin Layer

Specifies the layer on which pins are to be generated. The available options are:

• Same as Shape LPP: Creates pins on the same LPPs as the original net shapes.
• Same Layer, Custom Purpose: Lets you choose a different purpose for the same layer. Pins are created in the specified LPP.
• Custom LPP: Lets you choose a different LPP on which pins must be created.

Environment variables: pinLayers, customPurposeField, customLPPField

Pin Connectivity

Lets you select one of the following pin connectivity models for the pins that are generated.

• Strongly Connected: Specifies that the router must connect the pins internally, within the device.
• Must join: Specifies that the router must connect the pins externally, at a higher level.
• Must Connect: Specifies that the router must connect to all pins of the selected terminal. Applies the LEF58_MUSTJOINALLPORTS property to all auto-created pin terminals, which implies that the router must connect to all pins of the selected terminal.

Environment variable: pinConnectivityMode

Create Text Label for Pins

Creates text labels for the pins that are generated. Label texts are derived from their terminal names.

The label is created at the center of the pin bounding box for a rectangular pin, and inside the polygonal shape for a polygonal pin.

Enable Coloring

Uses the multiple patterning color engine to assign colors to the new pins based on their positions relative to the WSP tracks. This option is available only when the coloringEngineEnabled environment variable is set to t.

Create Metal Shapes Under Pin

Creates a metal shape on drawing purpose on the same layer as that of the pin promoted from level-1 to top level.

The metal shapes are assigned to the same layers as the parent pin and to the drawing purpose. The metal shapes have the same dimensions as their parent pin shapes. The reason to create these metal shapes is to enable the Cadence^® Assura^™ RCX (Resistance, Capacitance, and Inductance Extraction) tool to detect any violations in the design.

• Path: Creates a pathSeg metal shape.
• Rectangle: Creates a rectangular metal shape.

Show

Displays a preview of how the settings would be applied to the design.

Hide

Closes the preview.