What’s New in Virtuoso Layout Suite XL

IC23.1 ISR2

Enhancements in the Application Readiness Checker Form

Application Readiness Checker by default opens in the compact form and you can click   to display the Check and Update pane. The Check and update pane supports a filter that lets you specify the check and update criteria for the categories you want to view.

Making Stop Shapes at Extract Stop Level + 1 Visible during Extraction

You can now specify the extractPromoteAllStopShapes environment variable to ensure that the stop shapes at extractStopLevel + 1 are visible to the extractor.

Removing Ignore Property in Layout

The bindRemoveIgnores environment variable lets you remove the ignore property from the layout instances that can be bound to schematic instances. 

Retrieving Connectivity Sources of Markers generated during Connectivity Extraction

The lceGetMarkerConnectivitySources SKILL function lets you retrieve the closest connectivity sources corresponding to the markers generated by the connectivity extractor.

Updating Terminal Names when Binding

You can now use the bindUpdateTermName environment variable to update the name of the terminal when binding using the Define Device Correspondence form or by using the Bind option on the right mouse button shortcut menu.

Possibility to chop group array

The Chop command now supports group array same as mosaic. See Array Chopping.

Verbosity message display

You can now use the commandVerboseLevel environment variable to display the verbosity message for commands such as Copy, Move, Stretch, Delete, Flip, Create Measurement, Create Rectangle, and Create Instance, in the log file or CIW.

Enabling or disabling the list of layer transitions

The viaSetValidTransitions SKILL function lets you enable or disable the list of layer transitions.

Copying layer shapes from one layer to another

The leCLSCopyLayerShapes SKILL function lets you Copy all the shapes from one layer to another that you have selected on the Copy Layer Shapes form. This function also allows you to delete previously created shapes from the Copy Layer Shapes form.

IC23.1 ISR1

Enhancements in the Application Readiness Checker Form

You can now specify:

• The path to the PVS LVS .ixf instance cross-reference file using the Cross Reference option.
• The path to the PVS LVS .net or .spi extracted netlist file using the Netlist option.
• Whether to run check and update in the current cellview, selected set, all cells in library, or all cells in the design using the options in the Scope drop-down list.

Enhancements in the Back Annotate Dummies Form

In the Back Annotate Dummies form, you can now:

• Update the layout of instances in a grid to be as close to a square aspect ratio using the button.
• Switch between column-priority packing and row-priority packing for the grid of instances being placed down using the  and  buttons.
• Change orientation of the dummy instances using the orientation buttons ,,, and .

Controlling Chaining Behavior

You can now control whether dummy devices can be changed during chaining by using the chainDummyUpdate environment variable.

Setting Limit for Incremental Check Against Source

You can now control the number of objects that can be processed by the incrementalCas variable at one time by using the incrementalCasLimit environment variable.

Specifying Component Classes NGAA and PGAA in CPH

(Virtuoso Advanced Node Option for GAA) You can now specify the component classes NGAA and PGAA for Gate All Around transistor devices in Layout EXL or higher tiers.

Specifying Connections Requiring an Extra Layer

You can now use a stdViaDef to define a connectivity model in which an extra layer is required to connect to the diffusion layer.

Arranging Postselected Objects in Square Format in an Array

You can now arrange selected objects in an array in square format using the  button.

Updating Schematic Parameters for Layout Instances

You can now update the schematic instance parameters for hierarchical layout instance masters or layout instances bound to the top-level schematic instances by using the lxHierUpdateSchematicParameters or lxUpdateSchematicParameters SKILL functions.

IC23.1 Base

Application Readiness Checker Form

Application Readiness Checker has been introduced to improve the process of checking and updating the layout from the source and to provide a one-to-one correspondence between the checks and updates, with the ability to choose the checks you want for different applications. You can also extend the checks by registering SKILL-based check and update tests. For LVS-complete designs, the tool automatically updates the schematic and layout correspondence to the best match before running the checks and updates.

Schematic Assistant

Schematic Assistant is a docked assistant now available in Layout XL and higher. It lets layout designers easily refer and use the schematic in the assistant instead of referring the schematic in a separate window. Schematic Assistant is a read-only view that supports zoom, probe and cross-select along with descend options.

The assistant can be made the default option without opening the full schematic window in the background by setting Layout – Connectivity – Connectivity Reference – Open With: No Schematic

Enhanced Search Criteria

You can now search for paths and pathSegs using the length search criterion. Also, you can now use the area criterion to search for rectangles, donuts, ellipses, labels, polygons, paths, and pathSegs.

Enhanced Dummy Instances BackAnnotation Flow

Enhanced interactive back annotation to the schematic for dummy instances to keep the two views synchronized. Back Annotate Dummies Form has improved row and column placement and support for mfactored or iterated instances.

Related Environment Variable: backAnnotateInstances

Related SKILL Function: lxHiBackAnnotateDummies

Enhancements in Automatic Chaining

The automatic chaining process has been to enhanced to let you:

• Optimize the chains using the chainOptimize environment variable or by setting the Chain optimize option in the Device Chaining section on the Generation tab of the Connectivity form.
• Control the effort applied during chaining by using the chainEffort environment variable or by setting the Chain effort option in the Device Chaining section on the Generation tab of the Connectivity form.
• Control if the post process to combine distinct chains into one chain by abutting on the dummy pins is performed by using the chainDummyAbutment environment variable.

Incremental Check Against Source

Check against source can now run dynamically to create markers and glyphs on canvas when an edit command introduces differences between the layout and the schematic. This lets you get instant feedback and enables you to correct the issues and maintain correspondence with the schematic. This is enabled using the incrementalCas environment variable

Applying Previous Data from the Property Editor Cache

After you have edited the properties of an object, you can now apply the same changes to another object by using the Apply Previous button in the Edit Properties form for the object. To view the previously applied data, you can use the lePlGetApplyPrevData SKILL function.

Capturing and Replaying Design Actions

With this release, you can record a series of actions in a design and replay them across cellviews and sessions by using the Capture and Replay assistant.
In addition to the assistant, you can use the following SKILL functions to capture and replay your actions: leCARStartCapture, leCARStopCapture, and leCARCommand.

Checking if Extracted Shape is Trimmed

You can now use to lceIsShapeTrimmed SKILL function to check if the specified shape has been trimmed during connectivity extraction.

Checking Points Within a Polygon

You can check whether a point lies inside a polygon by using the geIsPointInsidePolygon SKILL function.

Creating Repeated Patterns Using Group Arrays

You can now use group arrays to quickly create repeated patterns of objects in your designs. You can easily customize group array attributes such as the number of rows and columns, spacing between cells, and orientation of individual cells. You can also activate a lock to ensure group arrays are created using a predefined spacing mode and values. You can create group arrays by using the Copy, Generate Selected Components, or Generate Clones forms or the lxCreateGroupArray SKILL function. 

Determining Application Tiers

You can now use the following SKILL functions to find out the application tier to which an application belongs: leIsEXLAppOrAbove, leIsLayoutAppOrAbove, leIsMXLAppOrAbove, leIsXLAppOrAbove, leLayoutAppNames, and leLayoutViewTypes.

Dimming a Design in Gray

You can now use the dimmingInGray environment variable to dim a design in gray. This helps you to follow highlighted nets when tracing nets in a hierarchy.

Displaying Ruler Length at the End of a Ruler

You can now use the displayRulerDistanceAtEnd environment variable to display the ruler length at the end of a ruler during the drag operation when you create a single- or multi-segment ruler.

Enabling Partial Selection of Vias and Mosaics Using the Stretch Form

You can now enable partial selection of vias and mosaics by selecting the Mosaic Partial Selection and Via Partial Selection options on the Stretch form. Earlier these options were available only on the Selection Options form.

Extracting Off-Pin Connections Using the Connectivity Extractor

You can now use the extractDeepOffPinConnectionsToLevel environment variable to enable the connectivity extractor to extract off-pin connections. It also enables the detection of shorts and opens for off-pin connections.

Launching Layout MXL from Schematic Window

You can use the lxLaunchLayoutMXL to launch Layout MXL from a specified schematic window.

Propagating Net Information

The Propagate Nets form is no longer available. Selecting the Connectivity – Nets – Propagate command now opens the Connectivity tab of the Edit Instance Properties form for the selected instance. You can use the tab to propagate the net information from an instance in your cellview. When you hover over a terminal or net name on the Connectivity tab, that terminal or net now gets highlighted on the canvas, enabling you to easily identify it in the design.

Snapping Chopped Coordinates to the Manufacturing Grid

You can now snap chopped coordinates to the manufacturing grid by using the Modified edges to manufacturing grid option on the Chop form.

Specifying the Copy Type

In the Copy form, you can now specify the type of copy to be created as Single, Step, or Array. You can create a single copy of objects, a line, or an array of copied objects.
Related environment variable: copyOrder

Specifying the Method for Saving Visible Traces in a Design

In the Save Traced Nets View form, you can now specify the method to be used for saving visible traces in a design. You can choose to save each visible trace in a separate view or save all visible traces into a single view. You can also let the system to automatically determine which of these methods should be used.
Related environment variable: netTracerSaveMethod

Specifying Details for Displaying PR Boundary Interior Halo Shape

In designs with 3NM or 2NM technology libraries, the Generate All from Source lets you create a PR Boundary interior halo shape from the supported snap patterns in 3NM and derived layer in 2NM that have a minPRBoundaryInteriorHalo technology file constraint. The interior halo is maintained during interactive editing commands. You can display the option form using the lxHiPRBoundaryInteriorHaloSKILL function.

Specifying Highlight Color for Rows in Annotation Browser Tree View

You can now use the abSetColorOnSelection SKILL function to set the color to highlight all selected rows in the Annotation Browser tree view.