* Bug: In cumulus/plugins.chip.Chip.save(), now completely delegate the
saving procedure to the base class (i.e. Block.save() which is
BlockConf.save()).
* Bug/Change: In cumulus/plugins.block.configuration.BlockConf.save(),
Now manage all the configutation, whether it is a simple block or
a whole chip.
In the case of a whole chip we must force the saving on both
chip and corona as the later, being P&R will be seen as a terminal
block and not recursively saved.
* Change: In cumulus/plugins.block.configuration.Configuration.save()
and cumulus/plugins.chip.Chip.save(), according to the kind of
routing gauge we are using (symbolic or real), either recursively
save all the layouts (AP symbolic files) or only the top-level
GDSII (which embed all the hierarchy) one.
* Bug: In cumulus/plugins.block.block.py, always import Python modules
using the exact same path. Otherwise the module may get imported
twice and static variables are duplicated, generating a big mess.
This was causing problem for the LUT in macro.py, and got SRAMs
blocks encapsulated twice.
* New: In cumulus/plugins.block.block.Block.addPlaceHolder(), create
a "place holder" instance over a given area to prevent the placer
from using it. Allow to make space reservation.
* New: In cumulus/plugins.block.configuration.BlockConf, copy the
toXPitch() and toYSlice() methods from spare in order to share
them between modules. Still have to remove some other local copies.
* New: In cumulus/plugins.block.spare.QuadTree, keep a list of all
the X centers of the partitionned areas. For yse by the power lines.
* New: In cumulus/plugins.chip.chip, move doPowerLayout() call from
doChipFloorplan() to doConnectCore(), this is to delay the call
until *after* the spare QuadTree has been created and we can
align the power lines to the centers of the QuadTree.
* New: In cumulus/plugins.chip.pads.Corona.doPowerLayout(), if a
spare QuadTree has been created, align the power lines on the
X center of the leaf areas. This is a cheap way to avoid DRC
errors between the power BigVias and the wires from the various
clock trees (on METAL5).
* New: In cumulus/plugins.block.macro, add an ad-hoc patch for Staf's
SRAMs. The blockage areas are slightly too narrow. We enlarge
them by one pitch.
* Change: In NetBuilder::getPositions(), ordering of source/target points
is now integrated to this function instead of left to the caller.
In case of real (non-symbolic) routing gauge, skrink the ends of
half the wire width.
* Change: In NetBuilderHV::doRp_AutoContacts(), in case of non-METAL1
RoutingPad, put the axis of the segment on the nearest track.
Issue a warning if we have to shift, as it may be a potential
source of routing problems.
* New: Anabatic::Session::getNearestTrackaAxis(), proxy to compute
track positions, knowing the design abutment box.
* Bug: In Katana::PreProcess::propagateCagedConstraints(), when
looking at all the slave components anchoreds on a RoutingPad,
if they do not have an AutoSegment lookup, skip them instead
of crashing.
* New: In cumulus/plugins.block.Block.placeMacro(), new method to
place a macro cell, partly delegating to the Macro block wrapper.
Must be called *after* both core and corona abutment boxes have
been set.
Adjust the macro block position so the METAL2 & METAL3 pins
are exactly on pitch regarding the full routing grid. The reference
being the corona.
A shift, less than one pitch may be applied, leading in some
cases of overlapping abutment boxes. But this shouldn't be a
problem.
The macro to place is designated through a path of instances
names, rooted at the *core* (not the corona). Meaning that the
head instance must be one of the core.
* Change: In cumulus/plugins.chip.Chip, the complete chip I/O pads
plus corona and core placement is moved out from doPnR() and
put into doChipFloorplan(). It is now mandatory to call this
method *before* doPnR().
Those methods are now cleanly separated so we can perform macro
block placement or any inner core floorplaning operations between
them.
* Change: In cumulus/plugins.macro.Macro, instead of creating large
pads for the I/O pins so whatever the block position, they will
be under a grid point, create a simple dogleg to put them on
grid.
To ensure that they are "on grid", the block pins must be
in METAL2 (horizontal E/W) or METAL3 (vertical N/S) and the block
is assumed to be placed so the bottom left corner of it's
abutment box is exactly on one grid point for M2/M3.
This should be done by Block.placeMacro().
* New: In cumulus/plugins.chip.powerplane, build the overall power
grid when there is a dedicated supply layer. Makes vertical
supply stripes and connect them the *horizontal* power rails
inside the blocks (could be in *any* layer).
Stripes positions are determined by the pins createds by
the pads module.
* New: In cumulus/plugins.chip.chip, use the powerplane builder
if the RoutingGauge provides a PowerSupply kind.
* New: In cumulus/plugins.block.configuration, add support for
PowerSupply gauges.
* New: In cumulus/plugins.block.pads, if the gauge provides a
PowerSupply, create north/south border pins for power & ground
to direct the corona to make vertical power strips.
This assume that we are using LibreSOC like I/O pads that
can be connected straight from everywhere in the corona.
First and last 2 stripes are "cap end" and narrower.
Positions and width of the sripes are set through the
configuration parameters:
* "chip.supplyRailWidth"
* "chip.supplyRailPitch"
* Change: In cumulus/plugins.block.spares, now take into account
the "placeArea" parameter.
* Change: In cumulus/plugins.block.bigvia, now have a per metal layer
area that *may* be expanded if it is too narrow to put at least
one cut. Add flags to allow controlled expansion of the metal
plates.
As a security, now raise an exception if no cut can be created.
* Change: In cumulus/plugins.block.configuration.BlockConf.save(),
cumulus/plugins.block.Block.save(),
cumulus/plugins.chip.Chip.save(),
cumulus/plugins.core2chip.core2chip.CoreToChip.buildChip(),
Add a "flags" parameter to control the way logical views (aka "vst")
are saved. Mainly allowing to pass on the VstUseConcat option in
order for Alliance tools to be able to read them back (lvx, asimut).
* Change: In cumulus/plugins.core2chip.core2chip.CoreToChip.buildChip(),
don't stop at the first I/O pad signal missing on the core, but
display all the missing ones (LKCL proposal).
Integrate new features and bug fixes so the Arlet 6502 benchs successfully
passes real DRC with reference industrial tools. Short summary:
* Manage minimum area for VIAs in Katana::Tracks.
* Allow different wire width for wires perpandicular to the prefered
routing direction.
* StackedVIAs used in the clock tree no longer assume an uniform
routing grid (same offset & pitch all the way up).
* Some hard-coded patches in PowerRails for FlexLib.
* New: In CRL/symbolic/cmos/kite.py & cmos45/kite.py, update the
RoutingLayerGauges by adding the new PWireWidth parameter.
Always zero in case of symbolic layout (too fine tuning).
* New: In CRL::RoutingGauge, add accessor to PWireWidth parameter.
Modify the clone method.
* New: In CRL::RoutingLayerGauge, add new parameter "PWireWidth"
to give the width of a wire when it not drawn in the prefered
routing direction. If it is set to zero, the normal width is
used.
* New: In CRL::PyRoutingGauge, export the updated constructor
interface. It is *not* backward compatible, one must add the
PWireWidth parameter in the various kite.py configuration
files (in etc/).
* Change: In AnabaticEngine::_gutAnabatic(), disable the minimum
area detection mechanism, replaced by a more complete one in
Katana::Track. Left commented out for now, but will be removed
in the future.
* Change: In Anabatic::AutoContact::updateLayer(), now systematically
calls setLayerAndWidth() to potentially resize the VIAs. This is
needed in real mode as VIAs are *not* macro-generated but have
their real final size.
* Change: In Anabatic::AutoContact::setLayerAndWidth(), select the
width and height of the contact using the gauge wire width *and*
perpandicular *wire width*.
* Change: In Anabatic::AutoSegment::_initialize(), the "VIA to same cap"
to PWireWidth/2, this will be the size of the VIA in the
non-preferred direction at the end cap (non-square in real mode).
* Change: In Anabatic::AutoSegment::getExtensionCap(), makes different
cases for symbolic and real. Use raw length in real, add half the
wire width in symbolic.
Add a flag to get the extension cap *only*, not increased of
half the minimal spacing.
* Change: In Anabatic::AutoSegment::bloatStackedStrap(), enhanced,
but finally unused...
* New: In Anabatic::AutoSegment::create(), use the PWireWidth when
the segment is not in the preferred routing direction (and of
minimal width).
* New: In Anabatic::Configuration, add new getPWirewidth(),
DPHorizontalWidth() and DPVerticalWidth() accessors.
* Change: In AnabaticEngine::setupPreRouteds(), skip components in
in "cut" material. We are only interested in objects containing
some metal (happens in real mode when VIAs cuts are really there).
* New: In Katana::PowerRailsPlanes::Rail::doLayout(), add an hard-coded
patch that artificially enlarge the *wide wire* so the spacing for
wide wire is enforced. For now, two pitches on each side for
"FlexLib" gauge.
* New: In Katana::Track, add support to find and correct small wire
chunks so they respect the minimum area rules.
Two helper functions:
* ::hasSameLayerTurn(), to find if a a TrackElement as non-zero length
perpandicular is same layer connected to it.
* ::toFoundryGrid(), to ensure that all coordinates will be on the
foundry grid (may move in a more shared location).
* ::expandToMinArea(), try to expand, *in the routing direction*
the too small wire so it respect the minimal area. Check for the
free space in the track.
Track::minExpandArea() go through all the TrackElements in the track
to look for too small ones and correct them.
* Change: In Katana::RoutingPlane, add an accessor to get the tracks.
* New: In KatanaEngine::finalizeLayout(), add a post-treatment to find
for minimal area violations.
* Change: In cumulus/plugins.block.configuration.GaugeConf, add a
routingBb attribute that will serve as a common reference to all
the functions calculation track positions. We must not have two
different reference for the core and the corona. The reference
is always the corona when we working on a complete chip.
* New: In cumulus/plugins.block.configuration.GaugeConf.getTrack(),
Simplified and more reliable way of getting tracks positions.
Use the routingBb.
* New: In cumulus/plugins.block.configuration.GaugeConf.rpAccess(),
Make use of getTrack() to get every metal strap on the right
X/Y position.
* New: In cumulus/plugins.block.configuration.GaugeConf.expandMinArea(),
As those wires are left alone by the router, it is our responsability
to abide by the minimal area rule here. Hence the code duplication
from the router (bad).
Mainly wires made for the clock tree, I mean.
* Bug: In cumulus/plugins.chip.configuration.ChipConf.setupICore(),
the core instance must be placed on the GCell grid, defined by the
slice height (X *and* Y).
* Bug: In cumulus/plugins.chip.corona.Builder(), forgot to use bigvia
for the corners of the inner ring.
* Bug: In cumulus/plugins.chip.pads.corona._createCoreWire(), hard-coded
patch for LibreSOCIO, the power/ground connectors toward the core
are too wide and can create DRC errors when put side by side.
Shrink them by the minimal distance.
* New: In cumulus/plugins/core2chip/, support for the FlexLib I/O cells
symbolic abstracts ("niolib"). More flexible way of specifying the
number and positions of the various power pads, both I/O power and
core power.
For niolib (FlexLib I/O abstract), support for multiple clocks,
that is, clock become ordinary pad (with signals typed as CLOCK).
* New: In cumulus/plugins/chip/, added support for niolib and final
integration of multiple clocks (only for niolib).
Note: The previous strategy was not fully coherent in chip mode.
Everything added, net and components must be added at
corona level and not separated between corona and core.
* New: In cumulus/plugins/block.configuration, new FeedsConf object
to handle the feeds and provide a filling area helper.
* New: In cumulus/plugins/block.spares.removeUnusedbuffers() to
remove unused buffers in the pools and replace them by feedthrough.
* Change: In cumulus/plugins.block.spares, unify coordinate/slice
computation. If we are in chip mode, the coordinates are
expressed in the corona *but* aligned on the slices of the
*core* model.
* Change: In cumulus/plugins.block.Block.rsave(), add the '_r' suffix
to the routed cells.
* Change: In cumulus/plugins.clocktree.ClockTree, when in chip mode
create everything at corona level. Also forgot to set type of
clock subnet as clock.
Note: The port is not complete. Integration of LKCL patches will
follow shortly.
* Change: In cumulus/plugins/alpha/block, more simple inheritance
scheme. Use classic inheritance instead of @classdecorator.
BlockConf (renamed from BlockState) now inherit from GaugeConf,
Double inheritance tree, for Block/Chip and BlockConf/ChipConf.
Allow an uniform syntax for configuration parameters.
* New: In cumulus/plugins/alpha/chip, port of the chip plugin and
integrate with the block plugin. It is now a derived class of
Block. ChipConf is also a derived from BlockConf.
Obsolete "./coriolis2/ioring.py", all informations are given
though the ChipConf state class.
* New: In cumulus/plugins/alpha/core2chip, only Alliance/pxlib is
ported yet.
Jean-Paul Chaput