Introduction to EZwave, Design Manager and IC Station

Mentor Graphics Tutorial 3: Introduction to EZwave, Design Manager and IC Station

Some material in the following tutorials is part of the thesis work by Ms Hasnida MUHAMAD DAUD and modified by Simon Leung.

Manuals from Mentor Graphics Corporation has been used for additional reference

Familiarise with EZwave

EZwave is an interactive waveform viewer from Mentor Graphics that allows you to display and manipulate analog, digital, and mixed-signal waveforms. The viewer allows you to display JWDB formatted files created by ADVance MS and Eldo during simulation. The viewer also supports the cross probing and post-processing of waveforms.

Simulate one of your designs using ELDO or ADMS Simulator. (say NAND gate)
Click on View Waves to view your waveforms.

(Note: Just click on the figures to get its full size)

Click on Cursor and select Add to add a cursor. Repeat to add additional cursor
Try using the Mouse to drag the cursors and place it at any desired location on the waveform. Investigate various functions in the Cursor drop down menu
Now lets use the Measurement Tool to measure some interesting results such as Rise Time, Fall Time, Pulse Width and Delay. Click Tools and select Measurement Tool. Alternatively try Ctrl-M.

The Measurement Tool window pops up as shown in the figure above. Choose Time Domain type in the Measurement Option
Choose the desired measurement from the other menu. (say Pulse Width)
Now Click on the Waveform in the waveform window you wish to measure the width of a pulse. Click on the wave icon Measurement Tool Window to select the waveform.
Adjust the cursors to fully include the desired pulse, to be measured, in between the cursors.
Choose the Pulse Type appropriately. Don't change anything in the Topline and Baseline.
Make sure the Annotate Waveform(s) with Measurement Results is selected.
Choose Between Two Cursors in the Apply Measurement to : option. Click OK to view the measurement result.
Try to Zoom a Rising Edge of a Pulse in a waveform in between two cursors. Measure its Rise time in a similar manner
Measure other parameters such as Fall Time, and Delay between two edges in two waveform
Familiarise with other functionalities offered by this Waveform tool.

Introduction to Design Manager

Design Manager is a design management tool which helps in managing the design data created using Mentor Graphics EDA applications. Using this tool, navigation, tool invocation and configuration management can be done.

The basic unit manipulated in Design Manager is called design object. It can be simply a design file or a directory. In Design Manager, the directories and files (design objects) are treated as a single object, called a design object, regardless the applications. This means that a schematic, a graphic or a document can be manipulated using the same command in Design Manager.

The features offered by Design Manager are:
i. navigation of your design
ii. browse of containers and references
iii. invocation of tools from the ‘Tools Window’
iv. management of design objects, e.g. copy, rename, move, etc
v. configuration of window
vi. ‘Release’ of a protected copy of a design

Lets explore some of the frequently used operations done using design manager. Create a design directory (say "icdesign" directory) in your home directory using mkdir command and change your directory to the one you just created. Set this directory as your working directory.

cd $HOME
mkdir working_directory
cd $HOME/working_directory
swd

swd is the command to set the current directory as the working directory.

Start the Design Manager application, by typing dmgr or dmgr_ic at the prompt. (Typing dmgr -geometry 1270x900 will create a larger window at startup, choose the size that you like)
The graphical window that popped up should show several sub-windows. The windows are the Tools, Navigator (Currently showing your working Directory), and the command palette at the bottom. Use the arrow keys at the bottom of the Navigator Window and browse through different directories and familiarise yourself with your home directory structure.
Sometimes the icons of various folders in the navigator window will be closely placed and names cannot be read clearly. In order to read them clearly, Right Click in the Navigator Window and select "View by Name" option. This option lists various folders and files in the directory.
Now your working directory should appear empty. So lets copy or move some of your designs from the other directory to this directory. Use the Arrow keys below the Navigator Window and browse through to your existing design directory (e.g. beginner). You should now see all your design objects like nand2, inverter, adms library, .ini files, etc.
Select the design object you want to copy. Click Copy in the Navigator palette.
In the window that popped up at the bottom left of your design manager window, enter the correct path where you may want to copy your design object. (for e.g. type $MGC_WD to copy in your working directory, alternatively you can type $HOME/icdesign).
Similarly copy or move the other designs you want to organise into your new design directory icdesign.
Explore other functions such as Delete, Check Refs. Alternatively you can close the Design manager and copy the design files at the command prompt. Open Design Manager again, and test the Check Refs functionality.

Familiarise with IC Station

Overview

In this tutorial you will be introduced to IC Station and its tools. IC Station is the software package within Mentor Graphics Suite for IC design, verification and layout. You can draw the various masks using IC Station to produce fully customised digital and analog IC, perform some behavioural testing and extract physical parameters from your design. In addition, it can check your design according to some rules.

This tutorial is only a quick introductory for the user to familiarise themselves with the environment. There are many more functions not introduced here. They will be shown in later tutorials.

Users are encouraged to explore the program throughout this tutorial. Try it out, it would not hurt anything. Users should refer to the online documentation available as well as some experimentation.

Full Custom IC Cell Editing without constraints

Setup for this exercise
Create a directory for this tutorial, eg. mkdir fun_tutorial. Change to the new directory and set it as the working directory with command swd.
Invoke IC Station
Invoke IC Station by typing adk_ic at the shell prompt. This will produce an IC Station Session window.

If your windows are mugged up for whatever reason, use menu MGC - Cleanup Windows or type in command "$cleanup_windows()" to refresh the screen.
Create / Open IC Station Cells
- You can create cells by clicking on the Create button towards the right side of the screen. Give the cell a name. Choose All Angle in angle mode, Standard in cell type and polygon editing in connectivity mode. Enter 1 in site types. Click OK to finish.
- Later on, to open IC Station cells, click on the Open button on the IC Session palette menu. Enter the name in the Cell Name box. Click on Edit to allow editing and then click on OK.
You will get a new IC window. Try to locate the origin which is an absolute 0,0 of your design. This point has a different marker.
Note that the IC Palettes is now shown on the right side of the window replacing the IC Session palette. All the options in the IC Palettes enable you to access other palette menus for editing and other IC Station functionality e.g., verification.
Display the Layer Palette
1. To display the Layer Palette, enter SHOw LAyer Palette 41-51 into the command prompt bar.
2. In the above range 41-51 you can specify to display layers in the range 41 to 51 (11 layers). You can optionally enter an individual layer by name or number.
3. When you enter the command, a set of process layers will be shown, showing their names and their colours.

Add Rulers
To help you in placing and sizing polygons into the layout, show rulers in the IC window.
1. From the IC Palette menu, click on Easy Edit. (Try right-click on the menu, and see what happens. Try those options, too.)
2. The Easy Edit contains the basic creation and editing commands that you need for this tutorial.
3. From the Easy Edit Palette, click on Ruler. This will show the Add Ruler prompt. The mouse cursor will change to the location cursor.
4. Move the mouse cursor about 5 microns to the left of the origin point.
5. Press and drag the Select mouse button upwards until you reach just above the top of the current window.
6. Release the Select button.
7. Next, move the Select mouse button about 5 microns below the origin point.
8. Click and drag the Select button to the right of the IC Window until it reaches just after the rightmost border of the window.
9. Release the mouse button. Now you can remove the Add Ruler prompt bar by hitting the Esc key.
10. How do you remove the rulers? (Hint: Edit > Delete ...)

Create Polygons
1. Create a new cell or reserve an existing cell to be edited. CELL MUST BE RESERVED IN ORDER TO BE EDITED. There are several options from which you can choose to create and edit objects within IC Station. They are EasyEdit, Edit and Expert Edit Palette menus, the Objects pull down menu, and the IC window pop-up menu. Also, there are some editing operations which are programmed into the function and named keys on your keypad. These pre-programmed keys are frequently used rather than the time-consuming operation using the menus and mouse cursors. It also minimizes keystrokes and improves productivity.
2. Choose the editing style from the IC Palette. Since you are a new user, select EasyEdit. When you have become familiar with the functions in IC Station, you can select from Edit, Expert Edit or CE/CBC Edit. The editing functions in these three options are the same, but their function names are truncated. You can also enter editing functions from the command line.
3. Execute the $add_shape( ) function, which will cause a prompt bar to appear, or optionally, from the Easy Edit Palette, click on Shape. You will see the Add Shape prompt bar. Simply draw the desirable size of rectangular polygons.
4. Click on Options ... box, or alternatively press Ctrl-O. Use the resulting dialog box to select the layer which you wish to draw on. By default, the chosen layer is layer 1.
5. Close the prompt bar by clicking on the OK button or hit Enter, or use an appropriate stroke action.
6. Move your mouse cursor in the active window. Press the left button and drag the mouse until you get the desired shape of your polygon. This technique is best used for creating a simple polygon or an arc.
For a more complex shape, click on the left mouse button at each vertex of the polygon until you are back at the initial point of the shape. At this point, double-click on the left button to complete the polygon. If you have more shapes of the same layer, simply repeat step vi. It is not necessary to execute the $add_shape() function since it is a recursive function. If you have more shapes of different layers, simply repeat the steps above starting from step iv. When you have finished adding the shapes, click on CANCEL to exit from the $add_shape( ) function. The shapes are selected by default, so unselect them to see their real colours and shading.
Create Paths
You can create a path using the $add_path function. The following describes how to create a path in an active cell.
1. Select the editing style from the IC Palette.
2. Execute the $add_path() function.
3. From the prompt bar, select the Option ... box and chose the layer and line attributes you desire for the path. When you have finished, select OK.
4. In the active window, place your mouse cursor at the starting point of the path. Click the select mouse button (left button) to start the path, and click on each vertex of the path until the whole length is completed. Double click when you have finished to terminate the path entry.
5. Click on the OK button or hit Return to close the dialog box, or use the appropriate stroke action.
  The following is a path prompt bar

Selection and Highlighting

Using the Select Filter
To change the select filter, follow the steps below:
1. Execute the $Setup_Select_filter() function. To do this, use the command line or select Setup > Setup Filter from the pull down menu.
2. Enter the selection criteria you wish to include.
3. Click on OK button or Return or use the stroke action to execute the new instruction.
This setup will persist until you change it again, or you leave the edit session.

Selecting a Single Object
If the select button is already defined to select objects, simply move the cursor to the object and click the select button. Otherwise, perform the following steps:
1. Press the Esc key.
2. Move the cursor to the object you wish to select and click on it with the select button.
Selecting Objects in an Area
If the select button is already defined to select objects, do the following steps:
1. Move you cursor to a point of one corner of the rectangular area which you wish to select.
2. Press and hold the select button.
3. Draw the cursor to form a rectangular shape which includes the object(s) you wish to select.
4. Release the select button.
If the select button is not defined to select objects, press the Esc key and carry the procedure above.

Protecting Objects for Selection
To avoid undesirable editing to certain objects, you can protect them. Do this by performing the following steps:
1. Select the objects you wish to protect.
2. On the select pull down menu, execute the Protect > Selected item.
This will prevent the object(s) from selection, therefore not editable.

Unprotecting Objects
To unprotect objects so that they are selectable and editable, perform the following:
1. From the select pull down menu, execute the Unprotect >All item. This will cause all the protected objects to be unprotected.
2. Unselect the object(s) which you wish to remain unprotected.
3. From the select pull down menu, execute the Protect > Selected item.
The remaining selected objects are again protected from selection.

Moving Objects
You can move objects or edges to a specific location. That is, the objects can be moved from one window to another if both have the same active context. Also, you can move objects by some distance in the same window. To move data between cells, use functions $Copy_to_clipboard() and $Paste().

Moving Unconstrained
“Moving unconstrained” allows you to move a selected object to anywhere in the window area. Moves can be constrained in only horizontal or vertical direction. For constrained moves, use the menu items. To move an object, perform the following steps:
1. Activate the window which contains the object(s) you want to move.
2. Select the object(s).
3. Press and hold the Ctrl-Select button. If you wish to perform the constrained move, use the menu item.
4. Drag the ghost image(s) to the desired position. Note that as you move the object(s), the cursor readout at the top-right corner of your window gives the location reference.
5. Release the Ctrl-Select button. The moved object(s) remain selected, so you can perform undo in case you made a mistake.
Moving Relative to Base point
To move selected object(s) relative to its current base point, perform the following:
1. Activate the window which contains the object(s).
2. Select the object(s).
3. Choose the Edit > Move > Relative: menu item.
4. Enter the offsets for X and Y into the prompt bar.
5. Click on OK to execute the prompt bar. This will cause the selected object(s) to be moved to the specified position by X and Y offsets. The moved object(s) remain selected.
Moving Edges
To move an edge of a polygon, perform the following:
1. Activate the window which contains the object(s).
2. Press the Unselect All function key.
3. Move your mouse cursor to the edge you want to move.
4. Click on the Ctrl-Select button. The nearest edge is selected.
5. Press and hold Ctrl-Select button.
6. Drag the ghost image to the point where you wish to place it. Note the reference provided by the cursor readout at the top right corner of your window.
7. Release the Ctrl-Select button when you are done. The moved edge remains selected.
A multiple number of edges can also be moved simultaneously by selecting the edges before performing the move operation.

Moving a Single Vertex
You can move a single vertex of a selected shape, path, etc. To do this, follow the steps below:
1. Select the two edges of the object that meet at the vertex you want to move.
2. Click on the Edit > Move > Unconstrained popup menu item.
3. Move the cursor in the direction and the distance you want to move the vertex.
4. Move the cursor around, pay attention to the numbers displayed on the screen. Those numbers tell you the relative position you've moved the vertex.
5. Click the mouse button when you've moved the vertex to your desired position.
Try exploring other "stretch" functions on the menu.

Remove Rulers
1. From the Easy Edit palette, click on Delete Ruler. (To see this option, you may need to right-click on the menu, choose show scroll bar, then scroll down to the bottom of the menu.
  This will produce the Delete Ruler prompt bar.
2. Click you Select mouse button on the rulers.
  Your rulers will disappear.
3. Remove the Delete Ruler prompt bar by hitting the Esc key.

Set All Layers to be Visible
Toggle all layers using the Layer Palette so that all the layers are visible. Try to find the menu option to do this. Alternatively, click using the middle button, and/or right button of the mouse, on the layer menus towards the top left of the screen.

Please experiment with the program. You can't really break anything. So give it a try.

Last Modified: 14 August, 2006 09:38:30.

Modified by Balavelan Thanigaivelan, velan@itee.uq.edu.au