Connectivity after I import the gds file

[Dmitriy Shurin]

Once I export my project to gds file and afterwards I import it
what do I need to do in order to preserve the pin names ?


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[S. Badel]

no such thing as pin exists in GDS2. People usually use labels placed on top of a shape to identify
as pin.
however, there is a cadence "feature" which allows to preserve pins by adding a set of properties
to the shape, that cadence tools can recognize as pin definition. to use this, during stream out
click "user-defined data", then put a number in the field entitled "Keep pin information as
attribute number". When streaming in, put the same number under "Retrieve pin attribute", also
in "user-defined data".

hope it'll work,

stéphane



Dmitriy Shurin wrote:

Once I export my project to gds file and afterwards I import it
what do I need to do in order to preserve the pin names ?

 

[Dmitriy Shurin]

Hi Stéphane!
Thanks for the answer, but your suggestion didn't work. Are there any
other ways to do it or is there a special number for the attribute?


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[John Gianni]

I believe the "Restore Pin Attribute"('restorePin) Streamin option
(available & documented since around the IC442 time frame) can be used
to recreate pins in a streamed in design.

For example:
CIW: File->Import->Stream->User-Defined-Data
Restore Pin Attribute: 0

A quick grep of the CDSDoc from years ago revealed:
"The Restore Pin Attribute field allows you to specify a nonzero value
for the specified attribute number and restores the dumped connectivity
information."

Search for those keywords in the CDSDoc documentation today and then
streamout/streamin a test design with pins and let the rest of us know
what you learn.

The pin attribute needs to be there in the first place.

For example:
CIW: File->Export->Stream->User-Defined-Data
Convert Pin to: (o)geometry ( )text ( )drop
Pin Text Map Table: <blank>
Keep pin information as attribute number: 0

I'm not sure why you indicate the information wasn't found in the
documenation as a quick search of the CDSDoc for streamout revealed:
"The Convert Pin to option translates pins into cell instances and
labels or ignores them. If you select text, you must specify a pin
text map table filename."

"The geometry option translates pins into cell instances."
"The text option translates pins into labels."
"The drop option does not translate pins."
"The Pin Text Map Table field lets you specify a file containing
mapping information between the types of pins in your design and
labels."
"You must specify this file when you set Convert Pin to text."
"Note: You must specify a file when you set Convert Pin to text.
Even if all the pins in your design are geometry pins and
your mapping file is empty, you must specify the file."
"The Keep pin information as attribute number field indicates
whether the system describes pin information (such as pin name, access
direction, terminal name, and direction) as a Stream attribute. To use
this option, you must set the Convert Pin to option to either geometry
or text.

If you specify text, you must supply an empty mapping filename in
the Pin Text Map Table option. Valid Values: 0 or an integer from 1 to
127.
Default: 0 (no pin information is shown)

The pin information is shown in the Stream file in the following
sequence:
access_dir pinName terminalName direction [instName]

access_dir:
The access direction of the pin, which can be T for top, B for bottom,
L for left, and R for right. If the pin has more than one access
direction, the directions appear in the sequence TBLR. If the direction
is unknown, Export - Stream writes one blank character.

pinName: Name of the pin.
terminalName: Name of the terminal
direction: Direction of the terminal.
Valid Values: input, output, inputOutput, switch, jumper, unused,
unknown

instName: Optional value specifying the name of the pin instance.

For example: If the pin name is 13, the terminal name is VSS, the
access direction is Bottom, and the terminal direction is inputOutput
.... Export->Stream gives the attribute number you type in this field
the value B 13 VSS inputOutput and assigns it to the instance or
rectangle pin.

My suggestion is to read the referenced documentation above and then
test it out by streaming out and then back in a test block. If that
still doesn't work for you, let the newsgroup know what didn't work and
why.

It should be noted you can also use existing Virtuoso layout options to
regenerate pins from text and plenty of ancillary SKILL code previously
posted to comp.cad.cadence exists such as abStreamInPin.il to do the
job.

Please run a search of comp.cad.cadence archives in news.google.com and
read the specified documentation and test it out on a test cell and
report back to us how well you did so that others benefit from all our
actions.

John Gianni
---
Absolutely nothing said by me on the Internet is sanctioned by my
employer.

 

[vlsidesign]

I tried this and it did work for me. I am using Cadence 5.

Note that if you stick with the default number of 0, then pins are not
kept, but if you change the number to 1 (valid numbers are 1 through
127) then it works, or at least for me.

Here is the info from Cadence doc:

Keep pin information as attribute number

The Keep pin information as attribute number field indicates whether
the system describes pin information (such as pin name, access
direction, terminal name, and direction) as a Stream attribute. To use
this option, you must set the Convert Pin to option to either geometry
or text. If you specify text, you must supply an empty mapping filename
in the Pin Text Map Table option. Valid Values: 0 or an integer from 1
to 127. Default: 0 (no pin information is shown)