Virtuoso Video Diary: Demystifying the Abstract

You heard it right! It’s Virtuoso Abstract Generator, the popular library modeling tool that lets you create abstracts from detailed layout information in various formats. Abstracts, when used for routing instead of full layouts, result in improved performance of place-and-route tools, such as the Cadence® Innovus™ Implementation System and the Cadence® Encounter™ Digital Implementation System (EDI System).

The Process Flow

The following figure depicts the overall flow of the abstract generation process:

Depending on your requirements, you can use one of the following Abstract Generator interfaces:

• The standalone Abstract Generator launched directly from the installation directory.
• The Abstract Generator interface from a workbench CIW or a Layout Editor window in the Virtuoso Design Environment.

Dynamic Abstract Generator

While Abstract Generator lets you create abstracts for standard cells, macro blocks, and IOs, the Dynamic Abstract Generator lets you create abstracts for Pcells dynamically based on a set of abstraction rules. The Dynamic Abstract Generator, used by the Virtuoso Space-Based Router and the interactive Create Wire command, has been developed specifically to handle device-level routing—the blockage information that the abstracts contain helps avoid routing over devices.

Video Buffet

Here’s a series of videos that provide step-by-step instructions on how to use Virtuoso Abstract Generator to perform different tasks:

• Launching and Generating the Abstract in Standalone Mode

Provides a detailed demonstration of how to launch the standalone Virtuoso Abstract Generator interface, load a library, attach the required technology information, import data, distribute cells, and finally generate an abstract.

• Exporting LEF File

Demonstrates the procedure to generate a LEF file from an abstract cellview for use in place-and-route tools, such as Cadence Innovus Implementation System and Cadence Encounter Digital Implementation System (EDI System).

• Routing Without Dynamic Abstract Generation

Demonstrates the procedure for using Virtuoso Space-Based Router to route the design without using Dynamic Abstract Generator and observe the routing over the Pcells.

• Routing with Dynamic Abstract Generation

Demonstrates the procedure for using Dynamic Abstract Generator to generate an abstract for Pcells, and then route the design using Virtuoso Space-Based Router. In contrast to the previous video, no routes are created over the Pcells.

• Highlighting Unabstracted Pcells

Demonstrates how to highlight the unabstracted Pcells in the layout window.

Click the video links now or visit Cadence Online Support and search for the videos under Video Library.

Note: If you don’t have a Cadence Online Support account, you can play the above series ofvideos (mp4) natively in Cadence Help when you are using Virtuoso IC6.1.7/ ICADV12.3 (ISR7 or later). In the Cadence Help Virtuoso Documentation Library, look for the video title under Video Demos.

Related Resources

• Virtuoso Abstract Generator User Guide
  • Abstract Generator Graphical User Interfaces
  • Dynamic Abstract Generation
• Abstract Generator Rapid Adoption Kit
  
• Virtuoso Abstract Generator Course
  

Note: For more information on Cadence products and services, visit www.cadence.com.

 About Virtuoso Video Diary

Virtuoso Video Diary is an online journal that relays information about Virtuoso videos that are available in the Cadence Online Support Video Library. Hundreds of interesting videos on a wide variety of new and exciting Virtuoso features have already been created. Virtuoso Video Diary brings you direct links to these videos and other related material, on regular basis. Click Subscribe to visit the Subscription box at the top of the page in which you can submit your e-mail address to receive notifications about our latest Video Diary posts.

Baby Ravi and Priya Sriram