Create schematic from RCX extrated view

[Tim]

Is there a way to create a schematic view from and RCX extracted view?

The extracted is almost a schematic already but it would make probing
easier if it could be converted into a real schematic view.

I did find a answer about converting it to a Verilog view and then
converting to a schematic view but I'm not sure that will work on my
transistor level schematic.

Thanks in Advance,
Tim

 

[S. Badel]

The extracted is almost a schematic already but it would make probing
easier if it could be converted into a real schematic view.

You can probe in an extracted view... in fact, i think it is much better, since in the extracted
view you can easily find the nets you are looking for - they are where you have drawn them

If you generate a schematic from the extracted view, all components will be placed randomly.

If however you really want to do it, see below.

I did find a answer about converting it to a Verilog view and then
converting to a schematic view but I'm not sure that will work on my
transistor level schematic.

This is just to "fool" the connectivity-to-schematic tool, which would not accept an extracted view
as input because it's not an "eligible viewtype". Dont ask me why.

Alternatively, copying the av_extracted view into a schematic view will do the trick, then you can
run "Import->Netlist View" to place & route and get a working schematic.

Below's some code to copy the extracted view to a schematic.


Hope this answers you question.

Stéphane



procedure( ExtractedToSchematic( lib cell view @optional (destview "netlist") )

let( ( lay sch schinst schterm netexpr )

lay = dbOpenCellViewByType( lib cell view nil "r" nil )
sch = dbOpenCellViewByType( lib cell destview "schematic" "w" nil )

foreach( term lay~>terminals
schterm = dbCreateTerm( dbMakeNet( sch term~>net~>name ) term~>name term~>direction )
when( netexpr = dbGetTermNetExpr( term )
dbCreateTermNetExpr( schterm netexpr )
) ; when
) ; foreach

foreach( inst lay~>instances
schinst = dbCopyFig( inst sch )
foreach( instTerm inst~>instTerms
dbCreateInstTerm( dbMakeNet( sch instTerm~>net~>name ) schinst dbFindTermByName(
schinst~>master instTerm~>term~>name ) )
) ; foreach
) ; foreach

dbClose( lay )
dbSave( sch )
dbClose( sch )

) ; let

) ; procedure

 

[Tim]

Thanks Stephane!

That worked great creating the netlist view.

I have one problem during the Import >>> Netlist View. In the
schematic view that is created the parasitic components from RCX come
through from the correct library but the PDK components don't. They
are all created in the schematic library. I tried listing the PDK
library on the menu and removed the libraries that were there and it
aborts. Any hints how to correct this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Again,
Tim

 

[Tim]

Hi Stephane,

I got the translation to work correctly. I opened the netlist view and
did a search and replace of ViewName ivpcell and replace with symbol
and now the symbols come through correctly on Import >>> Netlist View.

This now gives us the capability to create schematics views of layouts
which didn't have one. The schematic view of an RCX run can also now
be modified for simulation.

Thanks for your help,
Tim

 

[S.Badel]

For the record, using this trick I had a problem with inherited
terminals.

What happened is, the connectivity-to-schematic was inserting labels
conflicting with the net expression... I found no way to prevent that,
and fixed it by manually removing those labels.

For example : a VDD pin with net expression [@VDD:%:vdd!]. The
schematic pin is created with the net expression, but there's a label
'VDD' on the wire, and the schematic extractor complains that net VDD
is shorted to net vdd!

Stéphane