The following table identifies where the variables in this section are
set, if settable from the graphical interface, and specifies the scope
of the variables.
-
- ChdLoadTopOnly
Value: boolean.
When set, when reading cells into the main database from a Cell
Hierarchy Digest (CHD), only the requested cell is actually read. Any
subcells of the cell become reference cells in the main database.
This allows editing of the requested cell, and when written to disk
the complete hierarchy will appear, however loading the whole
hierarchy into memory is avoided.
This variable tracks the state of the Load top cell only check
box in the Cell Hierarchy Digests panel.
- ChdRandomGzip
Value: boolean or 0-255.
This variable enables use of a random-access mapping capability for
Cell Hierarchy Digest (CHD) accesses to gzipped GDSII and CGX files.
This will speed up CHD operations that must seek randomly in the input
file.
CHDs created while this variable is set will include the mapping
structure if the input file is gzipped. The mapping structure
provides access points to data within the file, spaced by default by
about 1Mb of uncompressed data. The map requires about 32Kb per
access point. When seeking in the file, one can jump to the closest
earlier access point, and read to the desired offset. Without the
mapping, one can only read forward from the current location to the
desired location, or rewind to the beginning and read to the desired
location.
The integer is the number of Mb between access points. If 0, it is as
if the variable is not set. Setting as a boolean, i.e., to no value,
is equivalent to setting to 1.
- AutoRename
Value: boolean.
When set, when reading archive files and a cell is encountered with
the same name as a cell already in memory, the new cell name is
automatically changed to avoid a clash. Thus, the Merge Control
pop-up never appears when this variable is set. The new name has an
added suffix ``$N'' where N is an integer. When
this is set, the alias file (if enabled) is never updated. A warning
is added to the log file when a cell name is changed. This is part of
a more general cell name mapping capability (see 14.2).
This variable is set when the Auto Rename entry is selected in
the Default when new cells conflict menu in the Setup page
of the Import Control panel from the Convert Menu.
- NoCreateLayer
Value: boolean.
When set, when reading an input layout file and a layer is found that
can't be mapped to the existing Xic layers, the read will be
aborted. The behavior otherwise is to create new layers as needed.
This variable tracks the state of the Don't create new layers
when reading, abort instead check box in the Setup page of the
Import Control panel from the Convert menu.
- NoMapDatatypes
Value: boolean.
This variable affects only the creation of new layers when a GDSII or
OASIS file is read. The default behavior is to create a separate new
Xic layer for each GDSII layer/datatype encountered that is not
mapped in the technology file. With the variable set, all datatypes
on the new GDSII layer are mapped to the same (new) Xic layer.
This variable tracks the state of the Map all unmapped GDSII
datatypes to same Xic layer check box in the Setup page of the
Import Control panel from the Convert Menu.
- NoAskOverwrite
Value: boolean.
If a disk file is opened which contains a cell with the same name as
one already in memory, and AutoRename is not set, the default
behavior is to produce a Merge Control pop-up which gives the
user control over how to proceed. If this variable is set, then the
pop-up will not appear, and the default action will be taken. The
default action can be specified with the NoOverwritePhys and
NoOverwriteElec variables. This variable tracks the state of
the Don't prompt for overwrite instructions check box in the
Setup page of the Import Control panel from the Convert menu.
Value: boolean.
These control the default behavior when a cell from a file being read
conflicts with the name of a cell already in memory. The default
behavior is for the cell from the file to overwrite the cell in
memory. If NoOverwritePhys is set, the physical part of the
cell in memory will not be overwritten, and the physical part of the
cell in the file will be ignored. Similarly, if NoOverwriteElec
is set, the electrical part of the cell in memory will be preserved,
and the electrical part of the cell from the file will be ignored.
This variable is set according to the choice in the Default when
new cells conflict menu in the Setup page of the Import
Control panel from the Convert Menu.
- NoOverwriteLibCells
Value: boolean.
By default, existing cells in memory can be overwritten if a cell of
the same name is read when opening cells from an archive file, if the
overwriting mode is enabled. Setting this variable will prevent
existing cells that were opened through the library mechanism (and
thus has the LIBRARY flag set) from being overwritten.
The No Overwrite Lib Cells button in the Libraries Listing
pop-up tracks the state of this variable.
- NoCheckEmpties
Value: boolean.
When set, there is no checking for empty cells as an input file is
being read, and the pop-up that normally appears when a file is opened
for editing if there are empty cells in the hierarchy is suppressed.
An ``empty cell'' as listed is a cell that is either absent or has no
content in both electrical and physical modes. It is possible to
check for empty cells at any time with the !empties command.
This variable tracks the setting of the Skip testing for empty
cells check box in the Setup page of the Import Control
panel from the Convert Menu.
- NoPolyCheck
Value: boolean.
When this boolean variable is set, the tests for problematic
conditions such as self-overlap, normally applied to polygons, is
skipped. The default behavior is to check each polygon for
potentially troublesome geometry specification while the polygon is
being created. If a layout is known to have only ``good'' polygons,
then turning off this test may slightly reduce reading time.
This variable tracks the setting of the Skip testing for badly
formed polygons check box in the Setup page of the Import
Control panel from the Convert Menu.
- DupCheckMode
Value: boolean or string.
When reading layout data and identical objects or subcells are found
at the same location, the default action is to issue a warning message
and read the duplicates into the database. This variable can be set
to alter the default behavior. If set to a word starting with `r' (case insensitive), the duplicate objects or subcells will not be
brought into the database. As duplicates are almost always layout
errors, it makes sense to filter them, though they generally cause no
harm. If this variable is set to a word starting with `w', only
a warning will be issued, exactly as if the variable were not set. If
set to anything else, including an empty string (i.e., set as a
boolean), testing for duplicates is disabled. This may very slightly
reduce the time to read in a file.
This variable tracks the setting of the Duplicate item handling
menu in the Setup page of the Import Control panel from
the Convert Menu.
- EvalOaPCells
Value: boolean.
When a non-native pcell placement is encountered when reading file
input, the default behavior is to not attempt to evaluate the pcell,
and assume that the sub-master has been exported. Generally,
evaluation of a Skill-based pcell will fail, unless Virtuoso is
accessible and the pcell caching has been turned on and is up to date.
If this variable is set, Xic will attempt to evaluate foreign pcell
placements, which is necessary if the sub-masters have not been
supplied by another means. The OpenAccess library that supplies the
super-master must be open.
If sub-masters are available, it is faster to use them rather than
to evaluate the scripts and recreate the sub-master.
This variable tracks the status of the PCell evaluation: Eval
OpenAccess check box in the Setup page of the Import
Control panel from the Convert Menu.
- NoEvalNativePCells
Value: boolean.
When a native pcell placement is encountered when reading file input,
the default behavior is to attempt to locate the super-master and
evaluate the script, generating the sub-master. It is assumed
therefor that the super-master is available. If the sub-masters have
been included in the archive or otherwise made available, then this
variable should be set. Otherwise, the super-masters must be
available.
This variable tracks the status of the PCell evaluation: Don't
eval native check box in the Setup page of the Import
Control panel from the Convert Menu.
- MergeInput
Value: boolean.
When this variable is set, and a layout file is being read into the
database, boxes on the same layer are merged together, if possible, as
files are being read in. Overlapping boxes are clipped and/or merged,
so that in the database no boxes will overlap.
Merging will not occur on a layer with the NoMerge technology
file keyword applied.
This variable tracks the setting of the Clip and merge
overlapping boxes check box in the Setup page of the Import Control panel from the Convert Menu.
- LayerList
Value: string.
This can be set to a space-separated list of layer names (see
14.4). These layers can be used for filtering when an
archive file is being read or translated. Each name should be in a
format which will match a layer in the file type being processed, with
wildcarding allowed. This variable is part of the layer mapping and
filtering capability, as used in the Import Control and Format Conversion panels, and tracks the entry area. Actual
utilization of the layer list is controlled by the UseLayerList
variable.
- UseLayerList
Value: boolean or string.
This variable determines how and if the LayerList string is used
when input is being read from an archive file. This variable is part
of the layer mapping and filtering capability, as used in the Import Control and Format Conversion panels, and tracks the
check boxes.
If UseLayerList in not set, the LayerList is ignored, and
any layer found in the input file will be read or converted. If UseLayerList is set to a word starting with `n' or `N',
layers that are listed in the LayerList will not be
converted. If UseLayerList is set to a anything else (including
no value) only the layers listed in the LayerList will be
converted.
- LayerAlias
Value: string.
This variable can be set to a string consisting of space-separated
name=value pairs, where name is an existing layer
name and value is a layer name to which name will be
mapped during conversions, if UseLayerAlias is set.
This variable can be set from the Layer Aliases editor, which is
available from pop-ups that control operations where layer filtering
and modification is available, as in the Import Control and Format Conversion panels. The variable can also be set using script
functions.
- UseLayerAlias
Value: boolean.
When this variable is set, when reading an archive or native file and
layer aliasing is available, layers encountered are aliased according
to entries in the LayerAlias variable.
Aliasing occurs on reading only, after the LayerList is
processed, if this feature is used. Thus, a LayerList used for
reading should contain the unaliased layer names. Layer aliasing
applies to physical data only, under conditions equivalent to those
listed for UseLayerList. This variable is part of the layer
mapping and filtering capability, and tracks the Use Layer
Aliases check box, as in the Import Control and Format Conversion panels.
- InToLower
Value: boolean.
When set, cell names found in archive files being read that are
entirely upper case will be mapped to lower case. A name that is
mixed-case will not be changed. This mapping occurs for names which
are not aliased in an enabled alias file. This is part of a more
general cell name mapping facility (see 14.2), available in
the Import Control panel and elsewhere.
- InToUpper
Value: boolean.
When set, cell names found in archive files being read that are
entirely lower case will be mapped to upper case. A name that is
mixed-case will not be changed. This mapping occurs for names which
are not aliased in an enabled alias file. This is part of a more
general cell name mapping facility (see 14.2), available in
the Import Control panel and elsewhere.
- InUseAlias
Value: boolean or string.
This variable enables utilization of the alias file (see
14.3) when reading from an archive file. If simply set as
a boolean, i.e., to no value, the alias file will be read before the
operation, and created or updated if necessary after the operation.
If the variable is set to a word starting with `r' (case
insensitive), then the alias file will be read before the operation
and used during the operation (if it exists), but will not be created
or updated after the operation. If the variable is set to a word
starting with `w' or `s' (case insensitive), the alias
file will not be read before an operation, but will be created or
updated after the operation completes. This is part of a more general
cell name mapping facility (see 14.2), available in the Import Control panel and elsewhere.
- InCellNamePrefix, InCellNameSuffix
Value: string.
These variables are most simply set to a text token that is added to
the beginning or end of cell name strings as archive files are being
read. Modifications will not be made to cell names found in an
enabled alias file. The strings can also be given in the form
/str/sub/
where str and sub are text tokens, separated by forward
slash characters as shown. In this case if the characters at the
beginning/end of the cell name (for prefix/suffix) match the str, they are replaced by sub. This is the same action as is
used in the !rename command. The string token must match
exactly -- there is no wildcarding. Either the prefix or suffix, or
both, can be defined. The suffix substitution occurs after the prefix
substitution. Either can match the whole cell name if one wants to
change the name of a single cell. This is part of a more general cell
name mapping facility (see 14.2), available in the Import Control panel and elsewhere.
- CifLayerMode
Value: integer 0-2.
This variable determines how Xic interprets layer directives while
reading CIF files. This is the same as the How to resolve CIF
layers menu in the Import Control panel. Setting to 0 is the
default Try Both option, 1 is the By Name option, and 2 is
the By Index option.
- OasReadNoChecksum
Value: boolean.
When set, the reader will ignore a checksum found in the OASIS file,
if any. When not set, if a checksum is found, it will be compared
with a computed checksum, using the method (CRC or summation)
indicated in the file, and the conversion will fail if the checksums
are not equal.
- OasPrintNoWrap
Value: boolean.
This applies when converting OASIS input to ASCII text. When set, the
text output for a single record will occupy one (arbitrarily long)
line. When not set, lines are broken and continued with indentation.
This variable has a corresponding check box in the ASCII Text
output format page of the Format Conversion panel.
- OasPrintOffset
Value: boolean.
This applies when converting OASIS input to ASCII text. When set, the
first token for each record output gives the offset in the file or
containing CBLOCK. When not set, file offsets are not printed.
This variable has a corresponding check box in the ASCII Text
output format page of the Format Conversion panel.
