Chip Creator Tool Guide

Overview

Chip Creator GUI is a user-friendly tool for IC designers. It excels in large designs with its linear design capability, supports multiple CPUs with a single license, and fosters teamwork through network files. It easily creates, verifies, and edits chip layouts. At the completion of the chip design, you can easily read/view the log file or report generated in the notepad. It is suggested to use a third-party tool to verify the chip layout to ensure the design is flawless.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding with the Chip Creator GUI Tool, ensure you meet the following prerequisites:

• Use the newest version of the Chip Creator GUI tool.
• Have a valid license to start the Chip Creator GUI tool.
• Launch the tool using the system command line.

Procedure

1. Launch the Chip Creator Tool

   • Set the environment variable TOOL_HOME to the directory of the installed Chip Creator tool through the command:

   setenv TOOL_HOME <path_to_Chip_Creator>

   • Replace <path_to_Chip_Creator> with the appropriate directory path on your system.

   • Run the chip_creator_app executable to launch the Chip Creator tool through command:

   $TOOL_HOME/bin/chip_creator_app

   • Use the command start_gui in <CC_PROMPT> in the command line to launch the Graphical User Interface of the tool.

2. Importing the Library and Design

   • Go to the 'File' menu and select 'Open Design' to import the library and design.

   • Library files to be imported include cells.lef, tech.lef, timing.lib, and design.netlist.

   • Optionally, you can load old project files.

   • Alternatively, enter the read_file command in the GUI prompt for importing the library and design. (Note: The tech.lef must be read first.)

3. Verify Reading Status

   • To verify that all readings are correct, use 'Verify > Inputs' in the menu bar. Once verified, the tool is ready for the next steps.

   • If there are 'INFO' messages in the verification report, these indicate the files that were read before this step.

4. Create Chip Outline

   Before creating the chip outline, consider the following key points:

   • The distance units are always in microns.
   • The chip boundary must be large enough to fit all standard cells imported from cells.lef file.
   • The outline determines the desired chip size, such as for the CPU.

   Create the chip outline using one of the following options:

   • Automatic chip outline: Use 'Run > Create Auto Outline' in the menu bar.
   • Manual outline drawing: Use 'Edit > Draw Outline' in the menu bar.
   • Command line: Enter the create_outline command with the desired value.

5. Place Cells in Chip Border:

   • To place all cells in the chip border, use 'Run > Place All Cells' in the menu bar.
   • Alternatively, you can use the 'place_cells' command with the -all option.
   • To manually move the cell, use 'Select > Arrow key' for precise position

   Note - Cell is displayed on the GUI after placing done.

6. Connect Wires:

   • To connect all wires, use 'Run > Connect Wires' in menu bar
   • Alternatively, run the connect command.
   • Style the layers using the set_layers command.
   • Wires utilize different layers available from the tech.lef file.

   Note - If wires don't connect, consider running the place_cells command again. 'Place All Cells' option has a random algorithm which can cause issues in wire connections.

7. Verification of the completed Chip Design:

   • To verify the accuracy of the completed chip design, use 'Verify > All Design' in the menu bar.

Results

With the above procedure, you will have successfully used the Chip Creator tool to style and create a chip layout that can be sent for manufacturing in integrated circuit packages.