NCSU CDK Menu Customizations

This document describes the CDK menu customizations and contains the following sections:

The NCSU Menu

Note: $cdk_dir == toplevel directory of NCSU CDK

The following entries appear in the NCSU menu (which is attached to the current graphical editor window using menu triggers -- see $cdk_dir/skill/menus/triggers.il). All SKILL files in the table below are found in $cdk_dir/skill/menus/ncsu/.

Menu entry Notes SKILL file
Hilite Object... Highlight an object (net, instance, or label) in the current cellview. Valid in schematic, layout and extracted views. selobj.il
Modify LVS Rules... Change LVS settings regarding e.g. combining parallel FETs. Valid in schematic, layout and extracted views. makeLVSRules.il
Create publication schematic... Create a ``publication quality'' schematic from a working schematic. NCSU libraries provide ``visually clean'' symbol.publication views of common symbols. Valid in schematic view only. makePubSchem.il
Align Objects... Align layout shapes to a common edge. Valid in layout view only. align.il
Import JPEG Picture... Import JPEG picture into layout. Valid in layout view only. (Also uses $cdk_dir/skill/menus/p2m/imager.c and $cdk_dir/skill/menus/p2m/xlator.c. The CDK includes symlinks in $cdk_dir/bin that point to excutables named imager and xlator in the p2m directory; you need to compile these executables after installing the CDK.) You can check out the P2M homepage for more info. p2m/p2m.il
Import text... Import text into layout using X fonts. Valid in layout view only. Also uses $cdk_dir/skill/menus/t2m/txt2skill.c, which is based on code by Jeff Gealow and others at MIT. The CDK includes a symlink in $cdk_dir/bin that points to an excutable named txt2skill in the t2m directory; you need to compile this executable after installing the CDK. t2m/t2m.il

CIW Menu Customizations

CIW menu customizations are done in $cdk_dir/menus/ciw.menus. All SKILL files are found in $cdk_dir/skill/menus/ciw/.

Menu entry Notes SKILL file
File->New->Library... Create a new library using the NCSU customized form. Handles attaching to MOSIS tech libs or compiling new tech libs. createLib.il
File->Import->Stream... and File->Import->CIF... Opens the ``Stream In'' or ``CIF In'' form with SCMOS layer map set automatically setPIPOform.il
File->Export->Stream... and File->Export->CIF... Opens the ``Stream Out'' or ``CIF Out'' form with SCMOS layer map set automatically setPIPOform.il
Technology File->Attach To... Attach a design library to one of the precompiled MOSIS tech libs, or a user-specified lib attachTech.il

Virtuoso Layout Editor Menu Customizations

The layout editor has one menu customization, set in $cdk_dir/skill/menus/triggers.il. All SKILL files are in $cdk_dir/skill/menus/virtuoso/.

Menu entry Notes SKILL file
Create->Label Bring some of the Composer schematic editor label creation capabilities (e.g. labeling buses, multiple labels at once) to Virtuoso createLabel.il

Analog Artist Menu Customizations

Analog Artist menu customization is done in $cdk_dir/menus/simui.menus. All SKILL files are in $cdk_dir/skill/menus/artist/.

Menu entry Notes SKILL file
Setup->Stimulus->Run BitGen... Run BitGen digital-to-analog stimulus creation tool. Uses $cdk_dir/bin/bitgen.pl. runBitgen.il
Setup->Model Corner... Sets the model path to use the correct HSPICE or Spectre corner models. Models are found in $cdk_dir/models. setSimCorner.il

Library Manager Menu Customizations

In DFII versions 4.4.2.100.22 and above, you can customize the Library Manager menus. The file $cdk_dir/cdssetup/cdsLibMgr.il contains the CDK Library Manager customizations. (Note that this file must be at least world-readable using the standard UNIX permissions for the customizations to load -- AFS permissions don't seem to matter!) The DFII functions referenced in that file are located in $cdk_dir/skill/misc/libmanFunctions.il. If you are running an earlier DFII version, edit $cdk_dir/cdssetup/cdsLibMgr.il and set the variable NCSU_modifyLibMgrMenus to nil.

Site Menu Customizations

The CDK provides hooks for site administrators and individual users to easily add their own menus to schematic and layout windows. Documentation on how to do this is in the SKILL programming section.

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