Binding

This section lets you specify the type of binding to be applied.

Name only

Binds the schematic and layout instances that have matching names.

Environment variable: bindNameOnly

All cells in design

Runs the Update Binding command at the current level for each layout and schematic cellview pair found in the design hierarchy. At the end of the command, the XL status is displayed for each layout cellview with connectivity reference, and a list of layout cellviews with no connectivity reference is also displayed.

Environment variable: bindAllCellsInDesign

For backward compatibility, the ?hierarchical argument is also supported.

Connectivity

This section lets you specify the type of Connectivity for the design.

Clear

Deletes all logical connectivity from the design and re-extracts the layout to derive the physical connectivity so that the binder can bind using the correct connectivity.

Physical connectivity is the connectivity derived from overlapping physical objects (or shapes) in the layout. It is recommended to use physical connectivity for updating bindings if the design is LVS clean but the layout was created outside Layout XL.

If the logical connectivity is cleared, the Extract to level must be specified for the re-extraction.

If the Clear option is deselected, the Update Binding command uses both logical and physical connectivity to improve the bindings. To clear all the bindings before attempting to rebind, deselect both the Preserve binding options.

Environment variable: bindClearConn

Extract to level

Extracts the layout down to the specified level. By default, the command is set to extract only the top level. However, you can update the field to choose extracting up to a specific hierarchical level.

For example, if the design has route cells and the extraction level is set to 0, the binder cannot improve the bindings unless the extraction depth is manually increased and the layout is extracted again.

When extracting hierarchically, it is recommended that you define stopLayers in your technology file before running Update Binding so that the extractor ignores the layers that are being used to cut other layers and any undesirable violations can be avoided.

Environment variable: bindExtract

Create - Ungenerated pins from labels

Creates pins from labels in Layout XL, if the label text or text display matches an ungenerated schematic terminal name. Pins are also created for terminals that already have pins but labels are swapped in the layout.

Environment variable: createPinsFromLabels

Remove - Duplicate objects

Removes duplicate instances, shapes, and vias from the layout cellview.

Environment variable: removeDuplicateObjects

Use - Physical bindings

Binds schematic instances with those layout instances that have the master defined using the Configure Physical Hierarchy Window. By default, the option is ON.

The Physical bindings option is disabled in the Hierarchical mode when binding based on a Binding file or an Instance Cross Reference file.

By default, the bindCorrectMaster environment variable needs to be nil for initial binding and t for Update Binding. Therefore, the Physical bindings field on the Update Binding form is by default selected even when the environment variable is set to nil. In other words, the Update Binding form binds with the correct master, irrespective of the default value of the bindCorrectMaster environment variable.

The Physical bindings field cannot be used to change the value of the bindCorrectMaster environment variable. This implies that if the value of the bindCorrectMaster environment variable needs to be set to nil to support initial binding, the update needs to be saved in the .cdsinit file.

Environment variable: updateBindUsePhysicalBinding

Update - Physical bindings

Updates the physical bindings in CPH if the current physical binding does not match the bound layout instance.

The Update – Physical bindings option is disabled when the Use – Physical bindings option is selected.

Environment variable: updateBindPhysicalBinding

Ignore

This section specifies the instances to be ignored.

Route cells

Adds an ignore property on the layout instances that are identified as route cells to ignore the instances for binding.

Route cells are identified as cells that have no devices using extract stop layers. For cases when no extract stop layers are defined, route cells are identified as the ones that have no terminals but only metal or cut shapes.

By default, the option is OFF.

Environment variable: bindIgnoreRouteCells

If the route cells exist within a transparent layout hierarchy, the ignore property cannot be added during an Update Binding run. Adding the ignore property on route cells within a transparent hierarchy requires editing the transparent instance master. The Update Binding command does not support such edits that require modifying the layout cellviews other than at the top level.

Dummies

Ignores any unbound, potential dummy instances that are identified during a binding run. By default, the option is OFF.

Alternatively, you can ignore the unbound instances by selecting the instances and choosing Add Ignore from the shortcut menu.

Environment variable: bindIgnoreDummies

Preserve

This section lets you specify the preserve options for bindings.

User-defined bindings

Preserves the user-defined bindings of devices between the schematic and the layout. This option preserves user-defined one-to-one, many-to-many, many-to-one, and one-to-many device correspondences defined in the Define Device Correspondence Form form.

If the option is deselected, the Update Binding command deletes any existing device correspondence before processing the bindings.

Environment variable: bindPreserveUserBindings

Existing bindings

Preserves not only the user-defined bindings but also any other existing bindings between the schematic and the layout devices.

If the option is deselected, the Update Binding command recreates all bindings.

Environment variable: bindPreserveExistingBindings

Hierarchy

This section lets you specify the options in hierarchy.

Binding

Traverses through the hierarchy, binding the schematic and the layout instances along the way.

Flatten layout instances

Flattens the layout instances, if required, when binding hierarchically and creates leaf-level bindings. Since the leaf-level bindings have a one-to-one correspondence, full Engineering Change Order (ECO) capability is available for the design.

If the Flatten layout instances option is deselected, the layout hierarchy is preserved and you can choose to create either complex bindings to resolve hierarchy mismatches between the schematic and the layout or create transparent instances. If you choose to create complex bindings, ECO capability of the design is restricted.

Environment variable: bindPreserveLayoutHierarchy (determines whether the layout hierarchy will be preserved or the layout instances will be flattened to create leaf-level bindings).

The Flatten layout instances option is enabled only when Hierarchy – Binding is selected.

Depending on the value of the Create option, the flattened instances can exist as free objects or can be formed into a synchronized family or a regular figure group.

Create

Generates transparent instances or complex bindings during hierarchical binding when Flatten layout instances is OFF. Alternatively, the Create option can create a synchronized family, a figure group, or let the flattened instances to exist as free objects, when Flatten layout instances is ON. By default, transparent instances are created when binding hierarchically.

The options that you see in the Create field depend on the value of the Flatten layout instances option.

If Flatten layout instances is OFF, Create displays the following options: Transparent Instances and Complex Bindings. The default is to create transparent instances.

If Flatten layout instances is ON, Create displays the following options: Synchronized Family, Grouped Objects, and Free Objects. The default is to create Synchronized Family.

Environment variable: bindFlattenLayoutCreate

Create – Transparent Instances

Converts layout instances into transparent instances such that the binder can bind the instances within the transparent instance to the corresponding schematic instances. By allowing such one-to-one bindings, the original layout hierarchy is preserved.

The Create – Transparent Instances option is only enabled in the Hierarchical mode when the Flatten layout instances option is disabled and the Create option is set to Transparent Instances. In other words, the Create – Transparent Instances option can help improve binding by allowing the layout instances to be made transparent instead of flattening them.

If Update Binding is run at the current level and the layout design already has a transparent hierarchy, the Update Binding command considers the transparent layout hierarchy for binding. This means, wherever possible, the Update Binding command binds to the layout instances that exist within the transparent hierarchy in the design.

Read File

This section lets you specify options available in the Read File drop-down menu.

None

Specifies that the binder performs an automatic hierarchy match and creates complex bindings to improve the schematic versus layout bindings.

Environment variables: bindFile, bindCrossRefFile, and bindExtractedNetlistFile

If all the environment variables are set to "", Read File sets to None.

If bindFile is set to a valid value, and the environment variable takes precedence over the other associated environment variables, Read File sets to Binding.

Else, if bindCrossRefFile or bindExtractedNetlistFile are set, Read File sets to PVS.

Binding

Provides the path to the binding file to be used for improving the schematic versus layout bindings.

If the Binding option is selected and a binding file is selected in the File Path field, the binder uses the binding file to improve the bindings across the schematic and the layout. However, if the Binding option is selected but no binding file is specified, the Update Binding run does not proceed.

Environment variable: bindFile

PVS

Specifies that the input from a PVS LVS run will be used for running Update Binding.

Cross Reference

Provides path to the PVS LVS.ixf instance cross-reference file that is created in the svdb directory of the LVS run directory by using the Create Quantus Input Data option.

If the PVS LVS instance cross reference file is specified, the binder uses the specified file to improve the bindings across the schematic and the layout. If any mismatched instances are encountered while parsing the.ixf file, they are ignored.

If the PVS LVS instance cross reference file is not specified, Update Binding run does not proceed.

Environment variable: bindCrossRefFile

Extracted Netlist

Provides the path to the PVS LVS .net or .spi extracted net list file that is created in the svdb directory of the LVS run directory by using the Create Quantus Input Data option.

If the path to the instance cross-reference file has been specified, the path to the extracted netlist file must also be provided for the binder to improve the existing bindings.

Environment variable: bindExtractedNetlistFile

Input Scale

Specifies the floating point input scale for running PVS.

By default, input_scale is 0, which means that dbuPerUu for the layout is used. But, if the PVS input scale is different from that of the layout, and the PVS rule file is specified, the PVS rule deck is parsed to determine the appropriate value. Alternatively, you can specify the PVS input scale to be used.

Environment variables: bindPVSScale, bindPVSRulesFile

Report

This section lets you specify options for reporting.

Permute rules

Reports cells that have no permute rules defined.

Environment variable: checkPermute

Component types

Reports cells that have a missing component type.

Environment variable: checkCompType

Remove devices

Reports parasitic devices that could be ignored.

Environment variable: checkRemoveDevice

Dummies

Reports unbound dummy layout instances.

Environment variable: bindReportDummies

Route cells

Reports layout instances that have an ignore property set.

Environment variable: bindReportRouteCells

Hierarchy binding

Reports the schematic and layout cellviews that are being descended into to create the bindings.

Environment variable: bindReportHierarchy

Unconnected instance

Reports instances that have an unconnected instance terminal.

Environment variable: bindReportUnconnInstTerms

Unmatched terminals

Reports cellviews with instance terminals that do not match any instances in the corresponding schematic view.

Environment variable: bindReportTerminalMismatch

Opens and shorts

Reports cellviews with shorts between instance terminals and opens between strongly- or weekly-connected pins.

Environment variable: checkShortsAndOpens

Cellviews with no terminals

Reports cellviews with no terminals.

Environment variable: bindReportCellsNoTerms

Terminals with no pins

Reports instance terminals with no pins.

Environment variable: checkMissingTermPins

Duplicate objects

Checks and reports duplicate instances, shapes, and vias in the layout cellview.

Environment variable: checkDuplicateObjects