The !mklib Command: Create Library File

Syntax: !mklib [archive_file] [-d] [-a] [-l]|[-u]

This command will create or append to a library file adding references to cells in the current hierarchy, or to cells in an archive file if archive_file is given. If -a is given, the library entries will be appended to an existing library, otherwise a new library will be created. If -d is given, a Directory reference will be created. These are usually collections of native Xic cells. The archive_file argument is the directory path in this case, if given. If not given, the path will be prompted for. The -l and -u arguments are ignored with -d given. Otherwise, if -l is given, the reference name will be a lower-cased version of the cell name, or, if -u is given, the reference will be upper-cased.

The following applies when -d is not given.

if archive_file is given, all cells found in the file will be added to the output library as references. If the file is not rooted, a reference directory is prompted for. This is the full path to the directory containing the archive file. The prompt is skipped if archive_file is rooted.

If archive_file is not given, and the current cell was read from an archive file, the user is prompted for the name of a reference archive file. If a name is given, the library entries will be in the form

Reference refname reference_path/name cellname

otherwise the references are in the form

Reference refname reference_path/cellname

as for native cells. The user is next prompted for the reference path. This should be the path to the directory where the referenced cell files, or archive file, reside. The current directory is the default. Finally, the user is prompted for the name of the library file, which is then created, or appended to if it exists and -a was given.

Example

You have a GDSII file named /usr/local/cad/standard_cells/std_cell_lib.gds and you want to enable the standard cell definitions in Xic as library cells. This is a two step process.

1. First create a library file with the command

   !mklib /usr/local/cad/standard_cells/std_cell_lib.gds

   This creates a file named std_cell_lib.lib in the current directory. Move this file to a directory in your cell search path if desired (the current directory is probably in the search path). You may want a separate directory for library files, for example.

2. The library will need to be opened in order for cells in the library to resolve references as designs are read. From the Libraries panel from the Libraries List button in the File Menu, double click the folder icon for the std_cell_lib.lib entry. The icon will change to an open folder, indicating that the library is now open.

   You can add an OpenLibrary call to your .xicstart file, to open the library automatically whenever Xic starts. Otherwise, you will need to open it manually when needed.