CAD Tools at the Berkeley CAD Tools at the Berkeley Wireless Research CenterWireless Research Center

OverviewOverview3/9/20013/9/2001

CAD Tools at the BWRC

• Numerous tools, generally at maintenance cost– Adobe, Agilent, Angeles, Arcadia, Cadence,

Celoxica, Chameleon, Hspice, Mathworks, Mentor, MicroMagic, OpNET, OrCAD, Sente, Sonics, STM, Syopsys, Telelogic, VIEWlogic, Xilinx, Xtensa,...

• Not to mention the internally developed tools, Shareware, Freeware,…

Adding New CAD Tools

• Obtain Licenses and Software– Identify University marketing

contacts– Arrange for special needs, early

access– Receive compatible media or

download accounts

• Determine disk space requirements– Early estimates tend to be inaccurate– Identify obsolete tools, clean up

• Run the installation procedure– This is the easy part!

Adding New CAD Tools (cont’d)

• Work with new users to test out the installation– Establish environment setup

scripts– Identify missing licenses, incorrect

release versions, then loop

• Repeat this procedure: Annual renewals– Marketing contacts change

~annually– Collect publications, web pages,

reports to satisfy University Program requirements

FlexLM

• Most tools use the GlobetrotterFlexLM license manager– 14 licenses managed from joy.EECS– Others installed on PCs, or using temps

• Licenses can be specified as files or ports– A file (eg: license.dat) describes features

• May mismatch updated files from the license server.

– Port (eg: LM_LICENSE_FILE = 1700@joy): Query the server for features.

• Need to use “lmtools” to query status, availability

CAD Tools and Disk Space

• Many of the CAD tools consume multiple GB per installation– Identifying obsolete installations is critical

• Design Space– Use \\hitz\designs and /tools/designs

• Nightmare unweaving designs split across user accounts.

• Future deleted accounts can break such flows.

– PLAN AHEAD! Keep Kevin Z. in the loop when planning large projects

CAD Tool Support

• Most CAD vendors identify a primary contact for support issues (usually Brian R.)

• Several vendors offer web access accounts:– Synopsys: Sign up at

http://www.synopsys.com/registration/– Cadence: Visit

http://sourcelink.cadence.com/. Request an account through Brian Richards

CAD Tool Training

• Many CAD tool vendors offer classes for new and advanced users.– Cadence: Classes and Web-based training:

http://esds.cadence.com/education/esext.home– Synopsys: Classes, Seminars:

http://www.synopsys.com/services/education/intro_tr.html

Chip Fabrication at BWRC

• ST Microelectronics offers access on a space-available basis to 0.25u and 0.18u runs.

• Plan Ahead: There is no published regular run schedule.– In the past, runs have been available within a month of

anticipated design completion dates.

– Older technologies (.25u) have limited availability (3-6 months)

– Special features: Plan farther ahead for non-standard processing (multiple VT, …)

Adobe

• Licensing: Shared

• Platforms: PC

• Tools: FrameMaker 6.0, Illustrator 9.0, Photoshop 6.0, Acrobat 4.0

• Installation: Request media from Brian– Only for installation on BWRC machines

• Licensing: FlexLM

• Platforms: PC

• Tools: ADS 1.3– Mixed simulation, evolved from Ptolemy

• Installation: Media available from Brian

Angeles Design Systems

• Licensing: FlexLM

• Platforms: PC, UNIX

• Tools: DSP Canvas, System Canvas (pending availability)

• Installation: /tools/dspcan2.2– DSP Canvas is UNIX only.– System Canvas will be released soon on PC.

• Recent users: ccshi

Arcadia

• Licensing: FlexLM – Due to expire soon, renewal uncertain.

• Platforms: UNIX

• Tools: Mustang– Used for placing Standard Cell designs based

on Module Compiler placement hints.

• Installation: /tools/commercial/arcadia

Avanti

• Licensing: FlexLM– Uses Cory licenses

• Platform: UNIX

• Tools: Hspice

• Installation: /tools/avanti, or /tools/hspice1999.4

• Notes: Generally not supported; installed to experiment with EPIC tech file generation.

Cadence

• Licensing: FlexLM– IC443, IC445, IC446, ICC50, DP34D, PE135,

SE53

• Platform: UNIX

• Tools:– IC44x: Physical IC Design tools (icfb, spectre,

…)– ICC50: IC Craftsman, Shape based routing

(CCT router)

Cadence (cont’d)

• Tools (cont’d)– DP34D: Design Planner, Hierarchical P&R

• Separate license server

– SE53: Silicon Ensemble, Standard Cell P&R– PE135: Allegro PCB Router– LVD30– SPW: DSP, system simulation (not installed)– Ambit 3.0

• Separate license server

• Installation: /tools/cds99• Usage:

http://bwrc.eecs.berkeley.edu/Research/IC_Design_Flow/Flow/sshaft_setup.html

• Licensing: FlexLM, temp demo (see flb)

• Platform: PC

• Tools: HandelC – C-Like HW/SW description

• Installation: Maintained by Fred Burghardt

Chameleon

• Licensing: FlexLM

• Platform: PC,UNIX

• Tools: C~Side – Synthesis and Host API development

• Installation: /tools/chameleon

• Hardware support:– Development platform installed in

BWRCLABGX1

Mathworks

• Licensing: FlexLM– No port at present, individual installation

• Platform: PC, UNIX• Tools: Matlab, Simulink, Stateflow

– Several toolboxes, R11, R12

• Installation:– PC: See: \\cutler\dist\MatlabR12\Installation

– UNIX: /tools/matlabR12

• Usage:http://bwrc.eecs.berkeley.edu/Research/IC_Design_Flow/Flow/sshaft_setup.html

Mentor Graphics

• Licensing: FlexLM

• Platform: PC, UNIX

• Tools: Calibre8.7 (Verification), ModelSim5.4 (Simulation), Seamless (System spec)

• Installation:– /tools/mentor, /tools/seamless, /tools/calibre8.7,

/tools/modelsim5.4– ModelSim is available for PC

Micro Magic

• Licensing: FlexLM– (Campus licenses)

• Platform: UNIX

• Tools:– Max (Physical layout)– Sue (Schematic capture)

• Installation:– /tools/micromagic/mmi

OpNET

• Licensing:– Internal, PC- and Web-based license server– Hosted from \\BWRCVAULT

• Platform: PC

• Tools: OpNET Modeller (System Simulation), Modeller XE (RF Sim)

• Installation: CD– Uses shared files in: S:\Opnet6_0

OrCAD

• Licensing: PC-based, locked toparallel port dongle on BWRCVAULT.

• Platform: PC

• Tools: LayoutPlus (PCB Design), Capture (Schematics)

• Installation: Web page: http://bwrc.eecs.berkeley.edu/Local/ToolsLocal/Cadence/orcad92.htm

Sente

• Licensing: FlexLM

• Platform: UNIX

• Tools: WattWatcher3.1.2

• Installation: /tools/sente

Sonics

• Licensing: FlexLM

• Platform: UNIX

• Tools: FastForward-2.0

• Installation: /tools/sonics

ST Microelectronics

• Licensing: FlexLM

• Platform: UNIX

• Tools: Unicad2.4 (Submicron technology, design flow)

• Installation: /tools/unicad2.4

• Access: NDA required

• Usage:http://bwrc.eecs.berkeley.edu/Local/research/TCI/unicad/start.html

Synopsys

• Licensing: FlexLM– Synopsys Common Licensing v 1.1

• Platforms: PC, UNIX• Tools:

– Behavior Compiler, Design Compiler, Module Compiler (Design and Synthesis Tools)

– VCS (Simulation)– EPIC5.4, 5.5 (Switch-level Simulation)– FPGA Express (FPGA Synthesis)

• Installation: /tools/synopsys• Usage:

http://bwrc.eecs.berkeley.edu/Research/IC_Design_Flow/Flow/sshaft_setup.html

Telelogic

• Licensing: FlexLM

• Platform: PC (Licenses on UNIX

• Tools: Tau4.1 SDT, UML Suite

• Installation: See Fred Burghardt (flb@eecs.berkeley.edu) for media

Xilinx

• Licensing: Xilinx internal, nodelocked

• Platform: PC, UNIX

• Tools: Foundation (FPGA tools+GUI), Alliance (Batch-mode FPGA Synth), System Generator (Simulink to bitmap flow)

• Installation: Demo available for Foundation pending receipt of tools from Xilinx

Xtensa

• Licensing: FlexLM

• Platform: UNIX

• Tools: Tensilica (uP core generation, xtgcc…)

• Installation: /tools/xtensa

• Access: NDA required

Summary

• CAD Tool Installation takes time– Planning and maintenance: 90%– Installation: 10%

• Plan Ahead!– Tool Disk Space– Design Disk Space– Fabrication Runs