Switching between different technology setups

edited July 2010 in General

I have received some requests about allowing to save and load net tracer configuration, since it's tedious to enter every time.

Basically, there is a concept of "technology setups" already but it's not active yet. For a short-term solution, I have prepared a script which adds a "Technology" menu with two entries: Save and Remove. "Save" will ask for a technology name and save certain settings (grids, layer default table, net tracer setup) under the name. A new menu item will appear in the "Technologies" menu with the technology name with which the settings can be restore.

Multiple settings can be saved (they are persisted in $HOME/.klayout_tech_info.txt) and selected with the menu item.

"Remove" allows to remove a setting.

The script is available for download here: tech_manager.rbm.

The script is rather a blueprint for similar scripts: it can be changed to allow to easily switch between different display settings and similar. Please note, that this is just a temporary solution. Later, there will be some technology info management within core KLayout.

I hope that it useful,

Matthias

Comments

  • edited November -1
    Hi Matthias-

    I'm trying to do net tracing on two different techonolgies.
    In order to do that, i created two setups (one per each tech') and each one has different connectivity layer stack scheme.

    However, when i select certain tecnology (using the icon with "T") and then go to Trace Net and check the layer stack, it just shows the "default" technology stack.
    The stack does not change when i select different techonolgies, although it is defined differently in Technology Manager.

    Do I need to run the above tech_manager.rbm to solve that?

    Thanks!
  • edited January 2014

    Hi,

    Maybe the technology isn't attached to the layout yet.

    Let me explain:

    The "T" icon is just a selector for a technology out of a list. It indicates the technology a new layout or a layout which is loaded will be attached to.

    A layout which is already loaded is also attached to a technology, but maybe a different one. This technology is indicated by the text next to the "T" character in the left bottom corner of the status bar for the current layout. In addition, you can check it in the layout properties ("File/Layout Properties").

    The "T" icon and the technology attached to the current layout are not synchronized! I had it this way before, but that lead to strange inheritance effects, hence I disconnected the icon and the technology information of the current layout.

    When you run the net tracer, it will use the technology attached to a layout, not the one selected in the "T" icon. To change the technology of the current layout, either

    • click(!) on the "T" icon (not the drop-down part, but the icon itself)
    • or assign a new technology in "File/Layout Properties"

    The new technology will be indicated in the "T" field in the status bar then and the net tracer will use that technology. I assume in your case the layout still is attached to "Default".

    I admit the scheme is slightly confusing, but keep in mind that you can load multiple layouts with different technologies, even into the same panel. A single icon wasn't simply enough to reflect that multitude of attributes. Hence the icon was designed to be the "default" rather than "current" technology and the technology information is somewhat sticky to the layout. In order to change it you'll have to select a technology plus push the "T" button.

    By the way, if you run KLayout from the command line, you can pass a technology name with the "-n" option, i.e.

    klayout -n MYTECH mylayout.gds
    

    Hope that solves your problem.

    Regards,

    Matthias

  • edited November -1
    Hi Matthias

    It solved my issue!
    "File/Layout Properties" is exactly what I was looking for.

    Thanks
  • edited February 2014
    It seems that the file tech_file_manager.rbm is no more reachable.
    How to load a technology file .lyt file and make it active ?
    I use the menu [tools][manage technolgy] to save it. But when I try to select a technology to select a net, no way, and I cannot figure out the way to load it.

    Thanks,
    Laurent
  • edited February 2014

    Hi Laurent,

    the script moved to a public SVN repository. I updated the URL above - you can download the script again.

    Did you read the documentation about technology management? It says that .lyt files are intended to import and export technology definitions from or to other installations, but unless you maintain technologies across installations, you won't need them.

    There is also a description of the usage a few inches above.

    Matthias

  • edited November -1
    Hi Matthias,

    My issue is to find a way to change the layer stack for the net tracer by loading or changing the technology.
    I use the drop-down technology button to select the technology, but it does not change the layer stack, even if I select the technology before loading the GDS layout file.
    So far, my only way to change the layer stack for the net tracer is to resetup manually all the layers each time I change it.
    As I work under windows-7, the "-n" switch is not a good solution for me, but maybe the only one ?

    Thanks for your advise, Rgds,
    Laurent
  • edited February 2014

    Hi Laurent,

    just changing the drop-down selector does NOT change the technology assigned to a layout. You'll have to PUSH that button too or select the technology in the layout properties (File/Layout Properties). See the description above.

    If a technology is assigned to a layout properly, the layer stack will change as well.

    Matthias

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