Using the ELECTRIC VLSI Design System Version 9.07 Steven M. Rubin Author's affiliation: Static Free Software ISBN 0−9727514−3−2 Published by R.L. Ranch Press, 2016. Copyright (c) 2016 Static Free Software Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this book provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are preserved on all copies. Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this book under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that they are labeled prominently as modified versions, that the authors' names and title from this version are unchanged (though subtitles and additional authors' names may be added), and that the entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a permission notice identical to this one. Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this book into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions. Electric is distributed by Static Free Software (staticfreesoft.com), a division of RuLabinsky Enterprises, Incorporated. Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction.....................................................................................................................................1 1−1: Welcome.........................................................................................................................................1 1−2: About Electric.................................................................................................................................2 1−3: Running Electric..............................................................................................................................3 1−4: Building Electric from Source Code...............................................................................................5 1−5: Plug−Ins........................................................................................................................................10 1−6: Fundamental Concepts..................................................................................................................12 1−7: The Display...................................................................................................................................15 1−8: The Mouse.....................................................................................................................................17 1−9: The Keyboard................................................................................................................................18 1−10: IC Layout Tutorial.......................................................................................................................21 1−11: Schematics Tutorial.....................................................................................................................30 1−12: Schematics and Layout Tutorial..................................................................................................36 Chapter 2: Basic Editing..................................................................................................................................47 2−1: Selection........................................................................................................................................47 2−2: Circuit Creation.............................................................................................................................52 2−3: Circuit Deletion.............................................................................................................................57 2−4: Circuit Modification......................................................................................................................59 2−5: Changing Size...............................................................................................................................63 2−6: Changing Orientation....................................................................................................................65 Chapter 3: Hierarchy.......................................................................................................................................67 3−1: Cells...............................................................................................................................................67 3−2: Cell Creation and Deletion............................................................................................................69 3−3: Creating Instances.........................................................................................................................71 3−4: Examining Cell Instances..............................................................................................................73 3−5: Moving Up and Down the Hierarchy............................................................................................74 3−6: Exports..........................................................................................................................................76 3−7: Cell Information............................................................................................................................82 3−8: Rearranging Cell Hierarchy..........................................................................................................87 3−9: Libraries........................................................................................................................................88 3−10: Copying Cells Between Libraries...............................................................................................95 3−11: Views...........................................................................................................................................97 Chapter 4: Display..........................................................................................................................................101 4−1: The Tool Bar...............................................................................................................................101 4−2: The Messages Window...............................................................................................................103 4−3: Creating and Deleting Editing Windows....................................................................................104 4−4: Zooming and Panning.................................................................................................................108 4−5: The Sidebar.................................................................................................................................111 4−6: Color............................................................................................................................................119 4−7: Grids and Alignment...................................................................................................................123 4−8: Printing........................................................................................................................................127 Using the Electric VLSI Design System, version 9.07 i Table of Contents 4−9: Text Windows.............................................................................................................................129 4−10: 3D Windows..............................................................................................................................131 4−11: Waveform Windows.................................................................................................................137 Chapter 5: Arcs...............................................................................................................................................145 5−1: Introduction to Arcs....................................................................................................................145 5−2: Constraints...................................................................................................................................146 5−3: Setting Constraints......................................................................................................................149 5−4: Other Properties..........................................................................................................................150 5−5: Default Arc Properties.................................................................................................................153 Chapter 6: Advanced Editing........................................................................................................................155 6−1: Making Copies............................................................................................................................155 6−2: Creation Defaults........................................................................................................................156 6−3: Preferences..................................................................................................................................158 6−4: Making Arrays............................................................................................................................160 6−5: Spreading Circuitry.....................................................................................................................162 6−6: Replacing Circuitry.....................................................................................................................163 6−7: Undo Control...............................................................................................................................165