Virtuoso AMS Environment User Guide

Netlisting

Netlisting Modes Supported by the AMS Netlister

The AMS netlister provides several ways to netlist cellviews:

■Automatic netlisting, where an application-specific operation (such asCheck and Save in the Virtuoso Schematic Editor) triggers netlisting of the cellview being saved

■Netlist updating and netlisting of entire designs using the Cadence hierarchy editor

■Netlisting from the UNIX command line

■Library netlisting, using a menu command in the CIW to netlist an entire library, all the views of a cell, or a single cellview

■Netlisting of cells in response to changes in CDF

The following sections describe each of these methods in more detail and explain how to use them.

Automatic Netlisting of a Cellview

This method is perhaps the most likely to be used in day-to-day production work, because netlisting is transparent, occurring automatically whenever you save a CDBA view that has valid connectivity. When you use this method and specify that both netlisting and compiling take place automatically, you always have the information required so the next tool in the flow, AMS Design Prep or the AMS simulator, can run quickly.

To use this method,

1. Choose Tools – AMS – Options in the CIW to display the AMS Options window.

Virtuoso AMS Environment User Guide

Netlisting

2. Select Check and Save in the Categories field.

3.Select what you want the AMS netlister to do when you check and save a CDBA cellview.

You can choose to have the netlister check, netlist, and compile the cellview.

Note: If Generate AMS netlist is disabled, the AMS netlister removes any netlist previously created by the netlister for the cellview being checked and saved. This behavior continues even when the AMS tools are disabled. This process of removing existing netlists ensures that you do not inadvertently simulate an out-of-date netlist.

4.If necessary, select other choices in the Categories field and set the options that control the AMS netlister. For more information, see “Specifyingthe Behavior of the Netlister and Compilers” on page 74.

5.Click OK or Apply to save your settings.

At this point you are ready to work with the CDBA data. For example, you use Virtuoso Schematic Editor to create or edit schematic views, then use the Check and Save command. In response, the AMS netlister runs automatically, creating a Verilog-AMS netlist in the cellview directory of your saved schematic view. The newly created netlist is available

Virtuoso AMS Environment User Guide

Netlisting

to all users of the block: None of the users need to recreate the netlist unless the block changes.

Netlist Updating and Netlisting of Entire Designs

In this method, the AMS netlister runs under the control of AMS Design Prep. AMS Design

Prep is a Cadence hierarchy editor plug-in that operates on the design configuration. This is the easiest method to use when you are primarily interested in ensuring that all the cellviews used in a design have up-to-date netlists.

For guidance on using AMS Design Prep, see Chapter 10, “Preparing a Design for Simulation.”

Netlisting from the UNIX Command Line

This method allows you to netlist an entire library, all the views of a cell, or a single cellview without starting the graphical user interface. Instead you use the amsdirect command, which has the following syntax.

amsdirect_command ::=

amsdirect -LIb libName [ -Cell cellName ] [ -VIew viewName ] [ -VERIlog ] [ -Env envFileName ] [ -LOg logFileName ] [ -Incremental ] [ -Help ] [ -VERSion ]

The following table describes the amsdirect command options.

Virtuoso AMS Environment User Guide

Netlisting