What’s New in Virtuoso Schematic Editor

IC23.1 ISR1

Queries Category Added to Navigator Assistant

The Navigator assistant now displays a new Queries category that has two new custom query sets to display. Selected and Probed objects appear in respective sets, which can be updated manually.

Refresh Sets with Custom SKILL Queries Manually

You can now use the Refresh Sets Manually button on the Summary page of the Navigator assistant to manually refresh any sets that have custom SKILL queries defined.

New Environment Variables

You can use the following new environment variable to manipulate the Virtuoso Schematic Editor:

• vicLogWarnLimit: Specifies the maximum number of warning and error messages generated by the cross-view checker in a single run.

New SKILL APIs

You can use the following new SKILL APIs to control the Schematic assistant:

• schAsstAutoZoomPan: Performs auto-zoom on or pans to the selected objects.
• schAsstCellViewProperty: Raises the Schematic Cell View Properties form the Schematic assistant.
• schAsstDescend: Traverses down the hierarchy and displays the child cellview of a specified instance and view you select if you have edit permission. If you do not have edit permission, a dialog box prompts you to use read mode.
• schAsstDisplayMenu: Raises the context menu at the cursor location for the Schematic assistant. This allows accessing most of the other commands available in the Schematic assistant.
• schAsstObjectProperty: Raises the Schematic Object Properties form for the Schematic assistant.
• schAsstProbeSelected: Probes the net of the currently selected figure.
• schAsstRemoveAllProbes: Deletes all probes in the Schematic assistant.
• schAsstRemoveProbe: Deletes the probes of the selected figures in the Schematic assistant.
• schAsstReturn: Returns up the hierarchy. You can use this when editing schematics or symbols after completing a descend action
• schAsstReturnToTop: Returns to the top-level cellview in the hierarchy. You can use this when editing schematics or symbols after completing a series of descend commands.
• schAsstScroll: Pans the canvas in the Schematic assistant in the passed direction.
• schAsstSelectPT: Selects an object under the mouse cursor in the Schematic assistant.
• schAsstZoomAtMouse: Zooms in or out at the cursor in canvas of the Schematic assistant.
• schAsstZoomFit: Zooms the canvas of the Schematic assistant to display the entire schematic.
• schAsstZoomRelativeScale: Zooms in or out of the canvas of the schematic assistant.
• schAsstZoomRelativeScale: Zooms in or out the canvas of the Schematic assistant to display the currently selected objects.

IC23.1 Base

Displaying Columns in Navigator Details Pane

The Design Intent and XL Status columns are no longer visible by default in the Details pane of the Navigator assistant. Instead, you can now right-click the header and select the columns that you want to display. This setting is persistent in the session window.

Specifying Flatten Connect Mode

You can now specify how the flattened content is connected to the existing instance using the Connect Mode on the Flatten form.

• by-name connects the flattened content to the existing schematic using connect-by-name.
• flight connects the flattened content to the existing schematic using flight lines.
• wire connects the flattened content to the existing schematic using routed wires.

The default is by-name, which you can change by using the flattenConnectMode environment variable.

Routing Named Connection

You can now route physically disjoint wires or groups of wires that use wire-by-name connection using the Route Named Connection command and selecting the flight Route Method on the Route Named Connection form.

You can also use the  schHiRouteNamedConnection SKILL API to start the command.

Define Multiple Values for Query Set Expression Conditions in Navigator Assistant

You can now define multiple comma- and space-separated values for conditions in Navigator assistant queries. For example, where previously you could only define Name Contains 2 you can now define Name Contains 2, 4, 6. Values must be separated by both a comma and a space to be considered valid.

Bring Most Recently-Used Form to Front

You can now use the SKILL command to bring the most recently-used open form to the front. This is bound to F3 by default, which replaces the previous ‘Toggle various Option Forms’ binding.

Support for Flattening of Schematic Instances

You can now use the Flatten command to flatten schematic instances. Flattening brings the contents of the flattened instance up to the current level to allow editing while preserving the connectivity of the flattened instance. You can use the schHiFlatten SKILL command to start the command.

Support for Make Cell

You can now use the Make Cell command to create a cell by cutting out an area from the current window. You can use the schHiMakeCell SKILL command to start the command.

Close Current Form or Clear Selection

You can now use the schHiEscape SKILL command to close an open form or clear the current canvas selection.

Export Schematics as SVG

You can now use the schExportSvg SKILL command to export a schematic as a vector image in SVG format.

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

Managing Navigator Queries using SKILL

You can now manage your custom Navigator queries without having to open the Navigator assistant and modify hidden system files. The queries you create can be added to a common SKILL file for individual design engineers to load and use as they work. The API comprises the following functions:

• opcCreateCondition: Defines a condition to be used in Navigator custom queries.
• opcCreateExpression: Defines an expression to be used in queries.
• opcCreateQuery: Defines a query that can be instantiated in a cellview to generate a set of objects matching the expressions that constitute the query.
• opcDeleteQuery: Deletes the definition of a query along with any sets that have been created using the query.
• opcEditQuery: Edits the definition of a query in a modal popup form.
• opcInstantiateQuery: Instantiates a query in a cellview.
• opcLoadQueries: Loads all the queries defined in the specified file.
• opcRefreshSet: Refreshes the content of an operating collections set derived from a query containing SKILL customization.
• opcSaveQueries: Saves the list of queries in the specified file.