Automatic Floorplanning, Place, and Route From an ADK Schematic

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1. Create an IC cell for the adder1 design

1.1  If not already there, move back to the location of lab 7 and start IC Station:
>> cd egre533
>> cd lab7
>> adk_ic &
 
1.2  Create a cell for the adder1 by clicking on Create under the Cell item in the Session palette. Enter adder1 under the Cell Name item.  Click on With connectivity.  Browse to the layout design viewpoint, highlight it and click OK for the EDDM Scehmatic Viewpoint.  For Attach Library navigate to the ami05 library (/mentor/adk3_0/technology/ic/process).  Repeat for Process.  For Rules File browse to the ami05.rules.  Your completed dialogue box should look like the example below.  Click OK and IC Station will create a new layout window called adder1.



From here you could complete the layout manually, as you have done before.  However, this tutorial will guide you through the automated floorplanning, placement and routing.

2. Floorplan, autoplace, and autoroute the adder1 block

2.1  Click on Floorplan in the IC Palettes palette. In the Floorplan palette, click Autofp. Leave the default setting in the Autofloorplan Options dialog box that pops up and click OK.  This will result in a set of floorplan shapes being added to the adder1 window which specify the rows into which the standard cells that make up the adder1 component will be placed and the external edges of the block onto which the ports will be placed.  The adder1 window should look like the one below:



2.2  Click Back in the Floorplan palette and click Place & Route in the IC Palettes palette.  In the Place & Route palette, click StdCel under the Autoplc item.  Leave the default options set in the dialog box that comes up and click OK.  Next, click Ports under the Autoplc item.  Leave the defaults checked in the dialog box that pops up and click OK.  The result should be an adder1 window that looks like this one:



2.3  From the Place & Route palette select All under the Autorou item.  The AUTOROU AL dialogue box will appear as shown.



2.4  Click Options in the Autoroute All dialog box that comes up.  The Autoroute All Options dialogue box will come up as shown.



2.5  In the Autoroute All Options dialog box, click Expert Options.  The Router Expert Options dialogue box will come up as shown.



2.6  Select Channel Over Cell Routing and click OK in the Router Expert Options dialog box that comes up.  Click OCRoptions back in the  Autoroute All Options dialog box.  The OCR Options dialogue box will come up as shown.



2.7  Set the step size to .5 and the Operation Mode Type to Center Weighted and click OK in the OCR options dialog box.  Finally, click OK in the Autoroute All Options dialog box and the Autoroute All dialog box to begin routing.  Depending on the size of the design this may take several minutes.  When the process has completed the mouse pointer changes back from an hourglass to an arrow and the results of the process are in the transcript.  The result should be an adder1 window that looks like the one below (you may need to press Shft-F8 to zoom all):


 

This small design will route completely the first time.  However, for large designs, some un-routed overflows may still exist.  These overflows must be routed as described below:

This step is necessary even if overflows don't immediately appear in the routed layout. When zoomed out small overflows may not be viewable, but may still exist. To select all overflows in the design type "check over". In the form window that appears select All and OK the form. Next, from the Place & Route palette select Overflw. If the response "An object of type Overflow must be selected" appears in the status block, there are no overflows to route. Otherwise, the overflows will be routed.

2.8  One little caveat with the tools that must be fixed AFTER autorouting (else the autorouter crashes IC Station):  Autoplacement of ports only makes the METALx layers for the ports.  You can easily fix this by manually adding METALx.PORT over each of the ports.  Also, remember the Calibre PEX tool requires the port name text be associated with the METALx.PORT shape for each port.  You will add the text for all port names after you have added the METALx.PORT shapes for each port.  Here are the steps for each port:

• Unselect everything (F2) then select a port (make sure you select a port by checking the transcript in the lower left corner)
• Use Easy Edit to add a shape of the corresponding METALx.PORT (Aspect=Both)over the exisiting METALx (you do not have to cover it completely)
• Press Esc to terminated adding shapes
• While both shapes are still selected, choose Connectivity->Port->Add to Port to connect the METALx.PORT shape to the existing METALx port
• Repeat for all ports (each connection on the outer ring is a port)

Once you have finished adding the METALx.PORT shapes and connecting them to the ports, then unselect everything (F2) and choose Objects->Add->Add Text on Ports to associate the port name text with the ports.

2.9  Run DRC and fix any errors manually.  At this time you should be able to run LVS and ensure the layout is correct.  Also you should be able to perform a Calibre PEX extraction then simulate with MachTA to ensure your design will work.

2.10  Save the layout by selecting File->Cell->Save Cell->Current Context.  You may save the layout and exit the IC Station session at any time.  To re-load the layout later, choose open from the IC station palette.  If you wish to make changes to the cell, you must also selectFile->Cell->Reserve Cell->Current Context.