Product Documentation

Virtuoso Floorplanner User Guide
Product Version IC23.1, November 2023

Contents

1

Virtuoso Floorplanner

Prerequisites for Virtuoso Floorplanner

Constraint Group Lookup Precedence

Technology File Rules for Floorplanning Tools

Layer-Purpose Pair and Voltage Dependent Rules in Floorplanning

Support for Net PROs in Virtuoso Floorplanner

Applications supported by Net PROs

Preparing Data for Floorplanning

Types of Block in Floorplanner

Setting the Cell Type

Setting the Block Type

Setting Site Information for Filler Cells

Floorplanner Design Flow

The Floorplanner Toolbar, Menu Commands, and Workspace

Floorplanner Command-Line Flow

Reinitializing a Floorplan

Creating a Rectilinear Polygon in Reinitialize Floorplan

Grid Initialization during Floorplanning

Block Override Support in Virtuoso Floorplanner

Instance Terminals and Overriding Terminals

2

Physical Hierarchy Generation Methods

Generating a Physical Hierarchy

Environment Variables Honored during Physical Hierarchy Generation

Generating a Hierarchy Automatically

Registering and De-Registering Area Estimation Functions

3

I/O Planning and Placement

Database Preparation for IO Planning and Placement

Creating I/O Rows

Abutment Issues During I/O Row Creation

Placing I/O PADS

Constraints Supported by I/O PAD Placer

Inserting Filler Cells

Inserting Corner Cells

4

Block Placement

Specifying Block Placer Generic Settings

Block Placer Constraints

Specifying Soft Block Constraints in Block Placer

Adding, Updating, and Deleting Soft Block Constraints

Adding, Updating, and Deleting Instance Constraints

Adding, Updating, and Deleting Instance To Boundary Constraints

Adding, Updating, and Deleting Relative Constraints

Loading Solutions Generated by Block Placer

Reporting Placement Statistics

5

Soft Blocks

Top-Level Power Structures Pushed into Block Level

Pushing Top-level Power Structures into Soft Blocks

Specifying General Options in Push Into Blocks

Specifying Shapes and Nets in Push Into Blocks

Specifying LPP and Pin Layers in Push Into Blocks

Modifying Target View Names

Soft Blocks and Pins Adjustment

Removing Block Overlaps

6

Pin Group Guides

Creating a Pin Group Guide

Selecting Pin Members for Pin Group Guide

Interactive Guide Creation for a Pin Group Guide

Creating a Partial Edge Pin Group Guide

Creating a Full Edge Pin Group Guide

Creating a Box Pin Group Guide

Creating a Free Area Pin Group Guide

Deleting a Pin Group Guide

Comparing Pin Group Guides

Placing Pin Group Guides Based on Schematic or Symbol Views

7

Pin Placement

Planning Placement of Top-Level and Level-1 Pins

Placing a Pin on a Boundary Edge

Placing Ordered Pins on a Boundary Edge

Placing a Pin in a Fixed Position not on the Boundary

Placing a Pin on a Lower-level Instance Terminal

Aligning Level-1 Pins to Top-Level Routes

Aligning Level-1 Pins with Level-1 Routes

Placing Pins that Are Connected to Hard Block Pins

Placing Buried Pins

Converting a Pin into a Rail

Interleave the Bits of Iterated Pins

Customization of the Pin Planner Flow

Pin Optimization

Pins Selection for Optimization

Optimization of Bus Pins

Constraints Supported by Pin Optimizer

Support for Net PRO Definitions

Optimizing Pins

Specifying Pin Spacing for Pin Optimization

Specifying Pin Offset for Pin Optimization

Setting Pin Layer and Side Constraints for Pin Optimization

Congestion-Aware Pin Placement in Pin Optimizer

Optimization of Pins Partially Outside the PR Boundary

Synchronization of Pin Optimization Options between Command Line and GUI

Specifying the Side for a Pin Using Pin Planner

Specifying the Order Constraints during Pin Optimization

Specifying the Priority of Optimized Pins Using Pin Planner

Alignment Issues During Pin Optimization

WSP/SP Support for Pin Optimization

Setting Pin Constraints Using a Pin Constraints File

Updating Pin Labels and Text Displays

8

Pin Tool

The Pin Tool Browsers

Selecting Pins and Editing Pin Attributes in the Pin Tool

Sorting Pins in the Pin Tool

Converting Pins to Rails using the Pin Tool

Interleaving Bus Pins in the Pin Tool

Creating and Deleting Pin Labels in the Pin Tool

Aligning Connected Pins in the Pin Tool

Creating Square and Rectangular Pins in the Pin Tool

Adding Pins On Different Purposes in the Pin Tool

Re-layering Labels to Match Pin Layers

Pin Creation Commands

Stacked Pins and Vias in the Pin Tool

Creating Pins from Labels in the Pin Tool

Creating Pins from Net Shapes in the Pin Tool

Creating Pins Automatically in the Pin Tool

Creating Boundary and Buried Pins on Whole Shapes

Pin Shapes Created for Straddling Shapes in Auto Create Pins Form

Hierarchical Pin Creation using the Pin Tool

Creating Pin Templates in the Pin Tool

Promoting Pins in the Pin Tool

Planning and Optimizing Pins Using the Pin Tool

Applying Uniform Pin Spacing Using the Pin Tool

Specifying Pin Spacing Based on the Number of WSP Tracks

Customized SKILL Hooks to Resize Pins in the Pin Tool

Resizing Pins using the Pin Tool

Electrically Aware Pins in the Pin Tool

Finding and Viewing Undersized Pins in the Pin Tool

Resizing Undersized Pins in the Pin Tool

Pin and Label Information in the Pin Tool

Exporting Pin Information to a Pin File

Importing Pin Information from a Pin File

Exporting Label Information to a Label File

Importing Label Information from a Label File

Merging Pins using the Pin Tool

Repositioning Pins Using Assisted Move

Setting Pin Tool Options

9

Layout XL Commands Supported By Floorplanner

Floorplanner Global Options

Updating Label Layer-Purpose Pairs on Pin Layer Changes

Customizing Block Annotation Options

Analyzing Connectivity in a Floorplan

Methods for Analyzing Connectivity

Common Pin Alignment Issues

Aligning Unconnected Bus Pins

Working With Pin Connectivity Models

Supported Pin Connectivity Models

Setting a Pin Connectivity Model

Shorting Terminals using the Pin Connectivity Setting Form

Unshorting Terminals in Pin Connectivity Form

A

Area Estimation Framework in Floorplanner

Area Estimation Function Definition

Area Estimation Function Registration

Registering an Area Estimation Function to Adjust a Virtual Hierarchy Area Boundary

Registering an Area Estimation Function to Adjust a Soft Block PR Boundary

Area Estimation using the Configure Physical Hierarchy Window

Area Estimation using the Create Cluster Boundary Form

Adding an Area Estimator Function for Layout Generation

B

Floorplan Property File

Master Properties in Floorplan Property File

Binding Properties in Configure Physical Hierarchy Form

Global Variables for Soft Block Generation

Boundary Tab Properties

Terminal Properties in Floorplan Property File

Halo Properties in Floorplan Property File

Loading and Saving a Floorplan Property File

C

Floorplanner Pin Constraints File

Pin Name in a Floorplan Pin Constraints File

Edge Constraint in a Floorplan Pin Constraints File

Pitch Constraint in a Floorplan Pin Constraints File

D

Virtuoso Floorplanner Forms

Add Pin On Different Purposes Form

Analyze Connectivity Form

Auto-Create Pins Form

Auto-Generate Hierarchy Form

Block Annotations Options Form

Block Placer Form

Constraints Tab

Compare Pin Group Guides Form

Corner Pad Placement Form

Create I/O Row Form

Create Pin From Label Form

Create Pin From Net Shapes Form

Create Pin Template Form

Create Stacked Pin Form

Electrically Aware Pin Sizing Form

Export Pins Information to File Form

Export Labels Information to File Form

Floorplan Global Options Form

Generate Physical Hierarchy Form

Insert Filler Cells Form

I/O PAD Placement Form

Import Label Info from File Form

Import Pin Information from File Form

Label Layer Purpose Form

Label Update Form

Load Solutions Form

Merge and Must Connect Pins Form

Pin Checker Form

Pin Connectivity Setting Form

Pin Connectivity Model Context Sensitive Menu

Pin Group Guide Form

Pin Group Guide - Place as Schematic/Symbol Form

Pin Placement Form

Pin Planner tab

Pin Optimization tab

Pin Spacing Options Form

Pin Spacing Form

Pin Spacing Advanced Options Form

Pin Offset Options Form

Pin Tool Browser Windows

Net Shapes Browser

Pin Tool Options Form

Pin Track Skip Options Form

Promote Pins Form

Push Into Blocks Form

Reinitialize Floorplan Form

Register and Deregister Area Estimators Form

Resize Pins Form

Set Cell Type Form

E

Virtuoso Floorplanner Environment Variables

allowNonEdgePins

analyzeConnCheckLogicalConn

analyzeConnCriticalNetOnly

analyzeConnDisplayConn

analyzeConnDisplayNetCount

analyzeConnDisplayNetOpt

analyzeConnEnableNetSel

analyzeConnFontColor

analyzeConnFontOpt

analyzeConnFontSize

analyzeConnFltGroundNet

analyzeConnFltGlobalNet

analyzeConnFltPowerNet

analyzeConnLineSizeWidth

analyzeConnNetSetName

analyzeConnTransValue

analyzeConnWidthOpt

astPinMoveMatchLabelLayerChoice

astPinMoveMatchLabelLayerLPP

astPinMoveMatchLabelLayerPurpose

astPinMoveMatchLayerType

astPinMoveMatchSizeChoice

astPinMovePickTargetFromSelection

autoGenHierCreateView

autoGenHierPhysConfig

autoGenHierDepth

autoGenHierDefaultArea

autoGenHierPinOptMode

autoGenHierRunPinOpt

autoGenHierStopViewsForLib

autoPinCreateBoundaryBuriedPowerPins

autoPinCreateFigGroup

autoPinMultiplePathSpine

autoPinPathSpineAware

autoPinProjectDefaults

autoPinSearchExtraLayers

autoPinTopBackMetalLayer

blockAnnotationArea

blockAnnotationAreaUnits

blockAnnotationCellType

blockAnnotationInstName

blockAnnotationRotation

blockAnnotationSelMode

blockAnnotationShrinkFactor

blockAnnotationTextLPP

blockAnnotationTextSize

bottomSidePinLayersConstraints

boundarySignalPinSize

boundaryMultipleMode

boundarySquareShapePin

buriedMultipleMode

buriedSignalPinSize

buriedWholeShapePin

closePinToolSubForms

customLengthForBoundaryPins

customLengthForBuriedPins

customPurposeField

defaultBlockTypeWhenUnknown

deletePinSelection

eaPinResizeEdgeSelectMode

eaPinResizeFindMode

eaPinResizeHilightOrigPin

eaPinResizeHilightPin

eaPinResizeHilightVEdge

eaPinResizePinAbutToPRB

eaPinResizeRetainPinSelection

eaPinResizeRunMode

eaPinResizeSelectPin

eaPinResizeSetResizeMode

eaPinResizeShowVEdgeDimension

enableCongestion

enableNoPinsBetweenBusPins

enablePinLayerSideConstraints

enableTrackSkipping

groundWireTypes

honorCurrentPinLocation

ignoreConnectivityBusPinsAlign

labelLayerPurposePair

layerChangeResize

leftSidePinLayersConstraints

matchLabelLayerWithPin

mergePinsConnMode

mergePinsSelMode

mergePinsSuffix

moveLabelOrigin

numberOfSkipTracks

offSetBySpacing

optimizeInstancesPartiallyOutsidePRB

perLayerAdjustmentFactorList

perLayerCustomPinGridList

perLayerOffsetByMfgGridList

perLayerOffsetByRoutingGridList

perLayerOffsetBySpacingList

perLayerSpacingList

pinConnectivityMode

pinFromLabelApplyDepthToInstLabels

pinFromLabelAttachLabelToPin

pinFromLabelCheckNetConnectivity

pinFromLabelCreateWholeShapePin

pinFromLabelEnableVirtualConnect

pinFromLabelPinSizeX

pinFromLabelPinSizeY

pinFromLabelSelectInstLabel

pinFromLabelSelectMode

pinFromLabelSetCustomLPP

pinFromLabelSetCustomPurpose

pinFromLabelSetLabelList

pinFromLabelSetLPPList

pinFromLabelSetPinLayers

pinFromLabelSetPinSize

pinFromLabelSetShapeDepth

pinFromLabelSetShapeLayer

pinFromLabelSetShapeType

pinGridAdjustmentFactor

pinResizeAllEstimators

pinResizeCurrentEstimator

pinSizeSelection

pinSnapModeSnapPins

pinSpacingUpdateConstrs

pinSpacingValue

pinTemplateCreatePGPins

pinTemplateCreatePGPinsLPPList

pinTemplateCreatePGRails

pinTemplateCreatePGRailsLPPList

pinTemplateCreatePinConstraints

pinTemplateDeletePinsRails

pinTemplateGroundNet

pinTemplatePowerNet

pinTemplateRunPinOpt

pinToolMatchLabelLayer

pinToolMatchLabelLayerChoice

promoteCreateLabelsOnPins

promoteCustomPurpose

promoteCustomLPP

promoteDeleteOldPins

promoteLayerChoice

promoteOddEvenChoice

promotePinConnectivity

promotePinNetChoice

promotePinNetList

promotePinOnNetForSelInsts

promotePinOnNetPickLevel

promotePrefixChoice

promotePrefixString

promoteSchematicAware

promoteSelectiveBusBits

promoteSelectInCanvas

promoteSuffixChoice

promoteSuffixString

promoteToChoice

promoteTopLayerFig

promoteVisibleLPPs

ptImportFileMode

ptImportFileName

ptPinPurposeNames

rectangularPinEdgeOnPRB

rightSidePinLayersConstraints

sameLabelPurpose

signalWireTypes

snapOnlySelInstsToGrid

spacingConstraint

tableSpacingRule

topSidePinLayersConstraints

widthForPinGrid

vfpGroundWireTypes

vfpPlacePinsAsSchCreateEdgeCons

vfpPinCheckerDuplicatePin

vfpPowerWireTypes

vfpSignalWireTypes

vfpTopLevelRouteCreatePinOnRouteProp

vfpTopLevelRouteEnableCustomPinLayer

vfpTopLevelRouteEnableCustomPinSize

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