API reference - Class Connectivity

Notation used in Ruby API documentation

Module: db

Description: This class specifies connections between different layers.

Connections are build using connect. There are basically two flavours of connections: intra-layer and inter-layer.

Intra-layer connections make nets begin propagated along different shapes on the same net. Without the intra-layer connections, nets are not propagated over shape boundaries. As this is usually intended, intra-layer connections should always be specified for each layer.

Inter-layer connections connect shapes on different layers. Shapes which touch across layers will be connected if their layers are specified as being connected through inter-layer connect.

All layers are specified in terms of layer indexes. Layer indexes are layout layer indexes (see Layout class).

The connectivity object also manages the global nets. Global nets are substrate for example and they are propagated automatically from subcircuits to circuits. Global nets are defined by name and are managed through IDs. To get the name for a given ID, use global_net_name. Starting with version 0.29, soft connections are supported. Soft connections attach to high-ohmic substrate or diffusion layers (the 'lower' layer) are upon netlist extraction it will be checked that no wiring is routed over such connections. See soft_connect and soft_global_connect for details.

This class has been introduced in version 0.26.

Public constructors

new Connectivity ptrnewCreates a new object of this class

Public methods

void_createEnsures the C++ object is created
void_destroyExplicitly destroys the object
[const]bool_destroyed?Returns a value indicating whether the object was already destroyed
[const]bool_is_const_object?Returns a value indicating whether the reference is a const reference
void_manageMarks the object as managed by the script side.
void_unmanageMarks the object as no longer owned by the script side.
voidassign(const Connectivity other)Assigns another object to self
voidconnect(unsigned int layer)Specifies intra-layer connectivity.
voidconnect(unsigned int layer_a,
unsigned int layer_b)
Specifies inter-layer connectivity.
unsigned longconnect_global(unsigned int layer,
string global_net_name)
Connects the given layer to the global net given by name.
[const]new Connectivity ptrdupCreates a copy of self
unsigned longglobal_net_id(string global_net_name)Gets the ID for a given global net name.
[const]stringglobal_net_name(unsigned long global_net_id)Gets the name for a given global net ID.
voidsoft_connect(unsigned int layer_a,
unsigned int layer_b)
Specifies a soft connection between layer_a and layer_b.
unsigned longsoft_connect_global(unsigned int layer,
string global_net_name)
Soft-connects the given layer to the global net given by name.

Deprecated methods (protected, public, static, non-static and constructors)

voidcreateUse of this method is deprecated. Use _create instead
voiddestroyUse of this method is deprecated. Use _destroy instead
[const]booldestroyed?Use of this method is deprecated. Use _destroyed? instead
[const]boolis_const_object?Use of this method is deprecated. Use _is_const_object? instead

Detailed description

_create

Signature: void _create

Description: Ensures the C++ object is created

Use this method to ensure the C++ object is created, for example to ensure that resources are allocated. Usually C++ objects are created on demand and not necessarily when the script object is created.

_destroy

Signature: void _destroy

Description: Explicitly destroys the object

Explicitly destroys the object on C++ side if it was owned by the script interpreter. Subsequent access to this object will throw an exception. If the object is not owned by the script, this method will do nothing.

_destroyed?

Signature: [const] bool _destroyed?

Description: Returns a value indicating whether the object was already destroyed

This method returns true, if the object was destroyed, either explicitly or by the C++ side. The latter may happen, if the object is owned by a C++ object which got destroyed itself.

_is_const_object?

Signature: [const] bool _is_const_object?

Description: Returns a value indicating whether the reference is a const reference

This method returns true, if self is a const reference. In that case, only const methods may be called on self.

_manage

Signature: void _manage

Description: Marks the object as managed by the script side.

After calling this method on an object, the script side will be responsible for the management of the object. This method may be called if an object is returned from a C++ function and the object is known not to be owned by any C++ instance. If necessary, the script side may delete the object if the script's reference is no longer required.

Usually it's not required to call this method. It has been introduced in version 0.24.

_unmanage

Signature: void _unmanage

Description: Marks the object as no longer owned by the script side.

Calling this method will make this object no longer owned by the script's memory management. Instead, the object must be managed in some other way. Usually this method may be called if it is known that some C++ object holds and manages this object. Technically speaking, this method will turn the script's reference into a weak reference. After the script engine decides to delete the reference, the object itself will still exist. If the object is not managed otherwise, memory leaks will occur.

Usually it's not required to call this method. It has been introduced in version 0.24.

assign

Signature: void assign (const Connectivity other)

Description: Assigns another object to self

connect

(1) Signature: void connect (unsigned int layer)

Description: Specifies intra-layer connectivity.

This method specifies a hard connection between shapes on the given layer. Without specifying such a connection, shapes on that layer do not form connection regions.

(2) Signature: void connect (unsigned int layer_a, unsigned int layer_b)

Description: Specifies inter-layer connectivity.

This method specifies a hard connection between shapes on layer_a and layer_b.

connect_global

Signature: unsigned long connect_global (unsigned int layer, string global_net_name)

Description: Connects the given layer to the global net given by name.

Returns the ID of the global net.

create

Signature: void create

Description: Ensures the C++ object is created

Use of this method is deprecated. Use _create instead

Use this method to ensure the C++ object is created, for example to ensure that resources are allocated. Usually C++ objects are created on demand and not necessarily when the script object is created.

destroy

Signature: void destroy

Description: Explicitly destroys the object

Use of this method is deprecated. Use _destroy instead

Explicitly destroys the object on C++ side if it was owned by the script interpreter. Subsequent access to this object will throw an exception. If the object is not owned by the script, this method will do nothing.

destroyed?

Signature: [const] bool destroyed?

Description: Returns a value indicating whether the object was already destroyed

Use of this method is deprecated. Use _destroyed? instead

This method returns true, if the object was destroyed, either explicitly or by the C++ side. The latter may happen, if the object is owned by a C++ object which got destroyed itself.

dup

Signature: [const] new Connectivity ptr dup

Description: Creates a copy of self

Python specific notes:
This method also implements '__copy__' and '__deepcopy__'.

global_net_id

Signature: unsigned long global_net_id (string global_net_name)

Description: Gets the ID for a given global net name.

global_net_name

Signature: [const] string global_net_name (unsigned long global_net_id)

Description: Gets the name for a given global net ID.

is_const_object?

Signature: [const] bool is_const_object?

Description: Returns a value indicating whether the reference is a const reference

Use of this method is deprecated. Use _is_const_object? instead

This method returns true, if self is a const reference. In that case, only const methods may be called on self.

new

Signature: [static] new Connectivity ptr new

Description: Creates a new object of this class

Python specific notes:
This method is the default initializer of the object.

soft_connect

Signature: void soft_connect (unsigned int layer_a, unsigned int layer_b)

Description: Specifies a soft connection between layer_a and layer_b.

layer_a:The 'upper' layer
layer_b:The 'lower' layer

Soft connections are made between a lower and an upper layer. The lower layer conceptually is a high-ohmic (i.e. substrate, diffusion) region that is not intended for signal wiring. The netlist extraction will check that no routing happens over such regions.

Soft connections have in introduced in version 0.29.

soft_connect_global

Signature: unsigned long soft_connect_global (unsigned int layer, string global_net_name)

Description: Soft-connects the given layer to the global net given by name.

Returns the ID of the global net. See soft_connect for a description of the soft connection feature. The global net is always the 'lower' (i.e. high-ohmic, substrate) part of the soft connection.

Soft connections have in introduced in version 0.29.