Integration API into LVS+DRC

Author: Matthias Koefferlein

samples/lvs/ringo.gds

@@ -433,6 +433,32 @@ Class<db::LayoutToNetlist> decl_dbLayoutToNetlist ("db", "LayoutToNetlist",
     "\n"
     "This variant has been introduced in version 0.27.\n"
   ) +
+  gsi::method ("soft_connect", (void (db::LayoutToNetlist::*) (const db::Region &, const db::Region &)) &db::LayoutToNetlist::soft_connect, gsi::arg ("a"), gsi::arg ("b"),
+    "@brief Defines an inter-layer connection for the given layers in soft mode.\n"
+    "Connects two layers through a soft connection.\n"
+    "Soft connections cannot make connections between two different nets.\n"
+    "These are directional connections where 'b' is the 'lower' layer (typically high-ohmic substrate or diffusion).\n"
+    "\n"
+    "Soft connections have been introduced in version 0.29.\n"
+  ) +
+  gsi::method ("soft_connect", (void (db::LayoutToNetlist::*) (const db::Region &, const db::Texts &)) &db::LayoutToNetlist::soft_connect, gsi::arg ("a"), gsi::arg ("b"),
+    "@brief Defines an inter-layer connection for the given layers in soft mode.\n"
+    "Connects two layers through a soft connection.\n"
+    "Soft connections cannot make connections between two different nets.\n"
+    "These are directional connections where 'b' is the 'lower' layer (typically high-ohmic substrate or diffusion).\n"
+    "As one argument is a (hierarchical) text collection, this method is used to attach net labels to polygons.\n"
+    "\n"
+    "Soft connections have been introduced in version 0.29.\n"
+  ) +
+  gsi::method ("soft_connect", (void (db::LayoutToNetlist::*) (const db::Texts &, const db::Region &)) &db::LayoutToNetlist::soft_connect, gsi::arg ("a"), gsi::arg ("b"),
+    "@brief Defines an inter-layer connection for the given layers in soft mode.\n"
+    "Connects two layers through a soft connection.\n"
+    "Soft connections cannot make connections between two different nets.\n"
+    "These are directional connections where 'b' is the 'lower' layer (typically high-ohmic substrate or diffusion).\n"
+    "As one argument is a (hierarchical) text collection, this method is used to attach net labels to polygons.\n"
+    "\n"
+    "Soft connections have been introduced in version 0.29.\n"
+  ) +
   gsi::method ("connect_global", (size_t (db::LayoutToNetlist::*) (const db::Region &, const std::string &)) &db::LayoutToNetlist::connect_global, gsi::arg ("l"), gsi::arg ("global_net_name"),
     "@brief Defines a connection of the given layer with a global net.\n"
     "This method returns the ID of the global net. Use \\global_net_name to get "
@@ -441,10 +467,26 @@ Class<db::LayoutToNetlist> decl_dbLayoutToNetlist ("db", "LayoutToNetlist",
   gsi::method ("connect_global", (size_t (db::LayoutToNetlist::*) (const db::Texts &, const std::string &)) &db::LayoutToNetlist::connect_global, gsi::arg ("l"), gsi::arg ("global_net_name"),
     "@brief Defines a connection of the given text layer with a global net.\n"
     "This method returns the ID of the global net. Use \\global_net_name to get "
-    "the name back from the ID."
+    "the name back from the ID.\n"
     "\n"
     "This variant has been introduced in version 0.27.\n"
   ) +
+  gsi::method ("soft_connect_global", (size_t (db::LayoutToNetlist::*) (const db::Region &, const std::string &)) &db::LayoutToNetlist::soft_connect_global, gsi::arg ("l"), gsi::arg ("global_net_name"),
+    "@brief Defines a connection of the given layer with a global net in soft mode.\n"
+    "This method returns the ID of the global net. Use \\global_net_name to get "
+    "the name back from the ID.\n"
+    "Soft connections are directional, where the global net is the 'lower' layer (typically high-ohmic substrate or diffusion).\n"
+    "\n"
+    "Soft connections have been introduced in version 0.29.\n"
+  ) +
+  gsi::method ("soft_connect_global", (size_t (db::LayoutToNetlist::*) (const db::Texts &, const std::string &)) &db::LayoutToNetlist::soft_connect_global, gsi::arg ("l"), gsi::arg ("global_net_name"),
+    "@brief Defines a connection of the given text layer with a global net in soft mode.\n"
+    "This method returns the ID of the global net. Use \\global_net_name to get "
+    "the name back from the ID.\n"
+    "Soft connections are directional, where the global net is the 'lower' layer (typically high-ohmic substrate or diffusion).\n"
+    "\n"
+    "Soft connections have been introduced in version 0.29.\n"
+  ) +
   gsi::method ("global_net_name", &db::LayoutToNetlist::global_net_name, gsi::arg ("global_net_id"),
     "@brief Gets the global net name for the given global net ID."
   ) +

src/db/db/gsiDeclDbLayoutToNetlist.cc

@@ -2244,12 +2244,36 @@ def netter
     # @synopsis connect(a, b)
     # See \Netter#connect for a description of that function.
 
+    # %DRC%
+    # @name soft_connect
+    # @brief Specifies a soft connection between two layers
+    # @synopsis soft_connect(a, b)
+    # A "soft connection" is made between two layers and
+    # is a directional connection (like an ideal diode).
+    # Soft connections allow detecting if nets are connected
+    # via a high-ohmic substrate or diffusion layer (the
+    # "lower" layer).
+    # "b" is the "lower" and "a" the upper layer.
+    #
+    # See \Netter#connect for a more detailed description of that function.
+ 
     # %DRC%
     # @name connect_global
     # @brief Specifies a connection to a global net
     # @synopsis connect_global(l, name)
     # See \Netter#connect_global for a description of that function.
 
+    # %DRC%
+    # @name soft_connect_global
+    # @brief Specifies a soft connection to a global net
+    # @synopsis soft_connect_global(l, name)
+    # Like \soft_connect, a soft connection is made between 
+    # a layer and a global net (e.g. substrate). The global net
+    # is always the "lower" net of the soft connection.
+    #
+    # See \Netter#soft_connect_global for a more detailed 
+    # description of that function.
+ 
     # %DRC%
     # @name clear_connections
     # @brief Clears all connections stored so far
@@ -2320,6 +2344,8 @@ def netter
       clear_connections
       connect
       connect_global
+      soft_connect
+      soft_connect_global
       connect_implicit
       connect_explicit
       device_scaling

src/drc/drc/built-in-macros/_drc_engine.rb

@@ -116,6 +116,51 @@ def connect(a, b)
 
     end
 
+    # %DRC%
+    # @name soft_connect
+    # @brief Specifies a soft connection between two layers
+    # @synopsis soft_connect(a, b)
+    # a and b must be polygon or text layers. After calling this function, the
+    # Netter considers shapes from layer a and b connected in "soft mode".
+    # Typically, b is a high-ohmic layer such as diffusion, implant for substate
+    # material, also called the "lower" layer. 
+    #
+    # A soft connection between shapes from layer a and b forms a directional 
+    # connection like an ideal diode: current can flow down, but now up 
+    # (not meant in the physical sense, this is a concept). 
+    # 
+    # Hence, two nets are disconnected, if they both connect to the same lower layer, 
+    # but do not have a connection between them. 
+    #
+    # The netlist extractor will use this scheme to identify nets that are 
+    # connected only via such a high-ohmic region. Such a case is typically
+    # bad for the functionality of a device and reported as an error.
+    # Once, the check has been made and no error is found, soft-connected
+    # nets are joined the same way than hard connections are made.
+    #
+    # Beside this, soft connections follow the same rules than hard connections
+    # (see \connect).
+
+    def soft_connect(a, b)
+
+      @engine._context("soft_connect") do
+
+        a.is_a?(DRC::DRCLayer) || raise("First argument must be a layer")
+        b.is_a?(DRC::DRCLayer) || raise("Second argument must be a layer")
+        a.requires_texts_or_region
+        b.requires_texts_or_region
+
+        register_layer(a.data)
+        register_layer(b.data)
+        # soft connections imply hard intra-layer connections
+        a.data.is_a?(RBA::Region) && @l2n.connect(a.data)
+        b.data.is_a?(RBA::Region) && @l2n.connect(b.data)
+        @l2n.soft_connect(a.data, b.data)
+
+      end
+
+    end
+
     # %DRC%
     # @name connect_global
     # @brief Connects a layer with a global net
@@ -140,6 +185,33 @@ def connect_global(l, name)
 
     end
 
+    # %DRC%
+    # @name soft_connect_global
+    # @brief Soft-connects a layer with a global net
+    # @synopsis soft-connect_global(l, name)
+    # Connects the shapes from the given layer l to a global net with the given name
+    # in "soft mode".
+    #
+    # See \connect_global for details about the concepts of global nets.
+    # See \soft_connect for details about the concept of soft connections.
+    # In global net soft connections, the global net (typically a substrate)
+    # is always the "lower" layer.
+    
+    def soft_connect_global(l, name)
+
+      @engine._context("soft_connect_global") do
+
+        l.is_a?(DRC::DRCLayer) || raise("Layer argument must be a layer")
+        l.requires_texts_or_region
+
+        register_layer(l.data)
+        l.data.is_a?(RBA::Region) && @l2n.connect(l.data)
+        @l2n.soft_connect_global(l.data, name)
+
+      end
+
+    end
+    
     # %DRC%
     # @name extract_devices
     # @brief Extracts devices based on the given extractor class, name and device layer selection