xicmanual

Next: Contents Contents Index

$\epsfbox{tm.eps}$

Xic Reference Manual

Whiteley Research Incorporated
456 Flora Vista Avenue
Sunnyvale, CA 94086

Release 2.5.66
13 September 2006

© Whiteley Research Incorporated, 2006.

Xic is part of the XicTools software package for integrated circuit design. Xic was authored by S. R. Whiteley, with help from various public domain software libraries. Technical support for registered users of Xic and other XicTools software is available via electronic mail at xic@wrcad.com, and by telephone at (408) 735-8973.

Xic and subsidiary programs and utilities are offered as-is, and the suitability of these programs for any purpose or application must be established by the user as Whiteley Research, Inc. does not imply or guarantee such suitability.

Contents
Introduction to Xic
- Xic Graphical Editor Overview
- Starting Xic
- Menus and Operations
- The Text Editor
- The WR Button: Email Client
Using Xic
- Physical Layout Editing
- Electrical Schematic Editing
- Cell Organization and Libraries
- Batch Mode
- Server Mode
- Template (Parameterized) Cells
- Cadence^TM Compatibility
  - Design Resource File
  - Technology File
The Help Menu: Obtain Program Documentation
- The Help Button: Obtain Help
- The About Button: Program and Legal Info
- The Release Notes Button: View Release Notes
The Side Menu: Geometry Creation
- The arc Button: Create Arcs
- The box Button: Create Rectangles
- The break Button: Cut Objects
- The deck Button: Dump SPICE File
- The desel Button: Deselect Objects
- The devs Button: Device Menu
  - Terminal Devices
    - Ground Device
    - Vcc Device
  - SPICE Devices
- The donut Button: Create Donut Object
- The dots Button: Show Connections
- The erase Button: Erase Geometry
- The iplot Button: Interactive Analysis Plotting
- The label Button: Create/Edit Labels
  - Device Property Labels
  - Spicetext Labels
  - Hypertext
  - ``Long Text'' Capability
  - Script Labels
  - Label Size Issues
  - Label Font File
- The layer Button: Set Selection Mode
- The logo Button: Create Physical Text
- The nodmp Button: Enable SPICE Node Mapping
  - Node Mapping
- The plot Button: Generate SPICE Plot
- The polyg Button: Create/Edit Polygons
  - Polygon Vertex Editing
  - Wire to Polygon Conversion
- The put Button: Extract From Yank Buffer
- The round Button: Create Disk Object
- The run Button: Run SPICE Analysis
- The shapes Button: Add Predefined Features
- The sides Button: Set Rounded Granularity
- The spin Button: Rotate Objects
- The style Button: Set/Change Wire Style
- The subct Button: Set Subcircuit Connections
  - Virtual Terminals
- The symbl Button: Symbolic Representation
- The terms Button: Show Subcircuit Connections
- The wire Button: Create/Edit Wires
  - Wire Vertex Editor
- The xor Button: XOR Objects
The File Menu: Xic Input/Output
- The New Button: Open Temporary Cell
- The Open Button: Pop Up File Selection Panel
  - The File Selection Panel
- The Save Button: Save Cell
- The Save As Button: Save Cell, Renaming
- The Print Button: Print Control Panel
- The Files List Button: File Listing Panel
- The Libraries List Button: List Open Libraries
- The Cells List Button: Cell Listing Panel
- The Show Tree Button: Show Cell Hierarchy
- The Quit Button: Exit Xic
The Edit Menu: Modify Geometry
- Cell and Object Properties
  - Electrical Mode Properties
  - Physical Mode Pseudo-Properties
- The Edit Button: Edit Cells
- The Current Transform Button: Current Transform Panel
- The Place Button: Cell Placement Control Panel
- The Push Button: Push Editing Context
- The Pop Button: Pop Context
- The Flatten Button: Flatten Hierarchy
- The Create Cell Button: Create Symbol
- The Properties Button: Set Properties Panel
- The Cell Properties Button: Edit Cell properties
- The Undo Button: Undo Operation
- The Redo Button: Redo Last Undo
- The Delete Button: Delete Objects
- The Erase Under Button: Erase Under Objects
- The Move Button: Move Objects
- The Copy Button: Copy Objects
- The Stretch Button: Stretch Objects
- The Chg Layer Button: Change Layer
The View Menu: Alter Presentation
- The View Button: Select Cell View
- The Physical Button: Show Physical Mode
- The Electrical Button: Show Electrical Mode
- The Expand Button: Expand Subcells
  - Peek Mode
- The Zoom Button: Zoom In/Out
- The Viewport Button: Create Subwindow
- The Peek Button: Show Layer Composition
- The Cross Section Button: Show Cross Section
- The Rulers Button: Create Rulers
- The Info Button: Display Information About Objects
- The Bandwidth Button: Show Rendering Time
- The Allocation Button: Show Memory Allocation
The Attributes Menu: Set Display Attributes
- The Save Tech Button: Update Technology File
- The Key Map Button: Assign Keys and Macros
- The Freeze Display Button: Suppress Redisplay
- The Constrain 45 Button: Constrain Angles
- The Show Context Button: Show Context in Subedit
- The Show Properties Button: Show Physical Properties
- The Show Labels Button: Display Labels
- The Label True Orient Button: Display Labels Transformed
- The Show Cell Names Button: Show Cell Names
- The Cell Names True Orient Button: Show Cell Names Transformed
- The Show Origin Mark Button: Mark Subcell Origins
- The Tiny Boxes Button: No Expansion of Tiny Subcells
- The Set Font Button: Set Window Fonts
- The Set Grid Button: Set Grid Parameters
- The Set Color Button: Set Colors Panel
- The Set Fill Button: Fill Pattern Edit Panel
- The Edit Layers Button: Edit Layer Table
The Convert Menu: Data Format Conversion
- Cell Name Aliasing
- Cell Name Alias File
- Layer Names
- Layer Filtering and Aliasing
- GDSII Layer Mapping
- The Export Control Button: Conversion - Export Panel
  - CIF Dialect -- Extension Styles
  - Output Format
- The Import Control Button: Conversion - Import Panel
- The Convert Button: Conversion Panel
  - Conversion: Notes and Limitations
- The Read Into Current Button: Read In Data from Another Cell
- The Text Editor Button: Edit Cell Text
- The Edit Parameters Button: Edit Conversion Parameters
- Skeleton Mode
The DRC Menu: Design Rule Checking
- Layer Expressions
- Built-In Design Rules
- User-Defined Design Rules
- Assigning Design Rules
- The Clear Errors Button: Clear Error List
- The Set Defaults Button: Set Default Limits
- The Set Flags Button: Set Skip Flags
- The Enable Interactive Button: Set Interactive Checking
- The No Pop Up Errors Button: Suppress Error Report
- The Check In Foreground Button: Check Region or Cell
- The Check In Background Button: Initiate Check in Background
- The Check In Region Button: Check Objects
- The Dump Error File Button: Save Errors to File
- The Show Errors Button: Show Next Error
- The Query Errors Button: Print Error Text
- The Edit Rules Button: Rule Editor Panel
The Extract Menu: Extraction and Verification
- Extraction Setup and Configuration
- Extraction Methodology and Overview
- The Select Groups Button: Select Groups/Nodes
- The Quick Paths Button: Show Electrical Connectivity
- The Show Paths Button: Show Conducting Paths
- The Show Groups Button: Show Conductor Groups
- The Show Nodes Button: Show Node Numbers
- The Show Terminals Button: Show All Terminals
- The Edit Terminals Button: Place Connection Terminal
- The Find Terminals Button: Locate Terminal
- The Source SPICE Button: Update From SPICE File
- The Source Physical Button: Update Electrical From Physical
- The Dump Phys Netlist Button: Dump Physical Netlist
- The Dump Elec Netlist Button: Dump Electrical Netlist
- The Dump LVS Button: Test Layout vs. Schematic
  - LVS Output File Format
- The Compare Devices Button: Compare Extracted Parameters
- The Compute Params Button: Electrical Parameter Extraction
- The Extract RLC Button: Extract Parameters
  - The FastCap/FastHenry Interface
  - The RLC Extraction Panel
- The Edit Extraction Button: Set Parameters
The User Menu: User Commands and Xic Scripts
- Script Menus: User-Defined Sub-Menus
- Introduction to Xic Scripts
- Encrypted Scripts
- The Debug Button: Enter Script Debugger
- The Rehash Button: Rebuild User menu
- Supplied Example Scripts
The Scripting Language
- Error Reporting
- Data Types
- Math Operators
  - Operator Overloading
- Control Structures
- ``Preprocessor'' Directives
- Math Functions
- User-Defined Functions
- The exec Keyword -- Immediate Execution
- Static and Global Variables
- Predefined Constants
- HTML Forms and Scripts
  - Introduction to HTML Forms
  - Interfacing Forms to Xic Scripts
- The Tcl/Tk Interface
- Example Script
Keyboard `!' Commands
- Conversions
  - The !assemble Command: Merge Archives
  - The !sced2xic Command: Convert Old Format
  - The !gzip Command: Compress Files
  - The !gunzip Command: Uncompress Files
- Current Directory
  - The !cd Command: Change Directory
  - The !pwd Command: Print Directory
- Diagnostics
  - The !logfiles Command: Browse Log Files
  - The !compare Command: Compare Hierarchies
  - The !empties Command: Check for Empty Symbols
  - The !checkgrid Command: Mark Off-Grid Vertices
  - The !checkover Command: Report Subcell Overlap
  - The !dups Command: Select Coincident Objects
  - The !check Command: Database Consistency Check
  - The !regen Command: Regenerate Labels
  - The !polycheck Command: Check Polygon
  - The !polymanh Command: Select Manhattan Polygon
  - The !polyfix Command: Fix Polygon
  - The !polynum Command: Number Vertices
  - The !bincnt Command: Database Object Allocation
  - The !setflag Command: Set Internal Cell Flags
  - The !summary Command: Print Hierarchy Info
  - The !fileinfo Command: Show File Statistics
  - The !time Command: Show Elapsed Time
  - The !xdepth Command: Show Transform Depth
- Design Rule Checking
  - The !showz Command: Show DRC Test Areas
  - The !errs Command: Regenerate DRC Error Markers
  - The !errlayer Command: Create Error Polygons
- Extraction
  - The !source Command: Source SPICE File
  - The !exset Command: Extract Parameters and Set
  - The !addcells Command: Add Missing Cells
  - The !find Command: Find Devices
  - The !ptrms Command: Default Terminal Locations
  - The !terms Command: Regenerate Terminals
  - The !ushow Command: Show Unassociated Elements
  - The !fx Command: Control FastCap/FastHenry Interface
  - The !fxcell Command: Create Cell From RLC Extraction Interface
- Fonts
  - The !dumpfont Command: Dump Vector Font File
  - The !dumplogofont Command: Dump Logo Font File
  - The !logofont Command: Set Logo Font
- Graphics
  - The !setcolor Command: Set Attribute Colors
  - The !display Command: Export Rendering
- Grid
  - The !sg Command: Save Grid in Register
  - The !rg Command: Set Grid From Register
- Help
  - The !help Command: Help Interface
  - The !helpfont Command: Set Help Font
  - The !helpfixed Command: Set Help Fixed Font
  - The !helpreset Command: Clear Help Cache
- Layers
  - The !layer Command: Generate Layers
    - Advanced Features
  - The !ltab Command: Modify Layer Table
  - The !lal Command: Manipulate Layer Alias Table
  - The !ltsort Command: Alphanumerically Sort Layer Table
- Libraries
  - The !mklib Command: Create Library File
- Memory Management
  - The !clearall Command: Clear All Memory
  - The !vmem Command: Windows Virtual Memory Info
  - The !mmrecycle Command: Set/Clear Recycle Mode
  - The !mmclear Command: Clear Recycle Free Lists
  - The !mmstats Command: Show Memory Manager Statistics
- Operations
  - The !mo Command: Move Objects
  - The !co Command: Copy Objects
  - The !ro Command: Rotate Objects
  - The !rename Command: Rename Cells
  - The !sa Command: Save Cells
  - The !sqdump Command: Save Selections as Native Cell
  - The !cont Command: Read Contents of Native Cell
  - The !svq Command: Save Selections in Register
  - The !rcq Command: Recall Selections from Register
- Physical
  - The !box2poly Command: Object Type Conversion
  - The !path2poly Command: Outline to Polygon Conversion
  - The !poly2path Command: Polygon to Outline Conversion
  - The !bloat Command: Expand Objects
  - The !area Command: Measure Layer Area
  - The !join Command: Join Adjacent Objects
  - The !split Command: Atomize Objects
  - The !manh Command: Convert to Manhattan Polygons
  - The !polyrev Command: Reverse Polygon Winding
  - The !noacute Command: Eliminate Acute Angles
  - The !togrid Command: Move To Grid
  - The !tospot Command: Modify for Spot Size
  - The !bb Command: Print Bounding Box
  - The !origin Command: Move Cell Origin
  - The !import Command: Import Cell Data
- Rulers
  - The !dr Command: Delete Rulers
- Scripts
  - The !script Command: Add Script
  - The !exec Command: Execute a Script
  - The !lisp Command: Execute Lisp Script
  - The !tk Command: Execute Tcl/Tk Script
  - The !listfuncs Command: List Saved Functions
  - The !rehash Command: Rebuild User Menu
  - The !rmfunc Command: Remove Saved Function
- Selections
  - The !select Command: Select Objects
  - The !desel Command: Deselect Objects
  - The !zs Command: Zoom to Selected Objects
- Symbol Table
  - The !symtab Command: Set Symbol Table
- Variables
  - The !set Command: Set Variables
  - The !unset Command: Unset Variables
- Window Cells
  - The !cc Command: Load Cell into Window
  - The !sw Command: Swap Cells in Main and Subwindow
File Formats
- Technology File
- Resource File
- Symbol File Formats
- Library Files
  - Example Library File
- Device Library File
  - Editing Devices
- Model Library Files
- Help Database Files
  - Anchor Text
Property Specifications
- Global Properties
- Special Properties
- Physical Mode Properties
- Device Properties Set By Xic
- Device Properties Set By User
- Special Escapes
Xic Variables
- Special Constructs
- Paths and Directories
- General Visual
- Keyboard `!' Commands
- Selections
- Side Menu Commands
- SPICE Interface
- File Menu -- Printing
- Edit Menu Commands
- View Menu Commands
- Attribute Menu Commands
- Convert Menu -- General
- Convert Menu -- Input and ASCII Output
- Convert Menu -- Output
- Extraction Menu Commands
- FastCap/FastHenry Interface
- Help System
Interface Functions
- Control Functions
- Utility Functions
- Operating System and Input/Output Functions
- Geometry Creation and Management Functions
- Extraction Functions
Index
About this document ...

Stephen R. Whiteley 2006-10-23