Previously, the relevant NetBuilder and routing strategies where
directly guessed from the RoutingGauge traits. This is no longer
doable as the combinations increases. Now to configure both the
global and detailed router we need three "parameters" :
1. The routing gauge itself (tells which layers are in which
directions) and how to make the VIAs.
2. The NetBuilder to use, they are identified by strings.
Currently we support:
* "HV,3RL+", for all SxLib derived standard cells.
* "VH,2RL", for hybrid routing (over the cell, but terminals
are also in the first RL).
* "2RL-", for strict channel routing.
* "VH,3RL+", an attempt for FreePDK 45, not optimized enough
to be considered as usable.
3. The routing style, mostly affect the way the GCell grid will be
built.
* VH : first RL is V.
* HV : first RL is H.
* OTH : Run in full over-the-cell mode (needs at least 3RL).
* Channel : Run in *strict* channel routing mode (no routing over
the standard cells).
* Hybrid : Create channels, but can use H tracks over the
standard cells.
Thoses three parameters are partly overlapping and must be sets in
a consistent manner, otherwise strange results may occurs.
* New: CRL::RoutingGauge::getFirstRoutingGauge(), to get the lowest
layer available for routing (not a PinOnly, not a PowerSupply).
* Change: In CRL::RoutingGauge::isHV() and isVH(), were previously
always returning false when the gauge was 2RL only. Now, check
on the first usable RL.
* Bug: In cumulus/plugins.block.configuration._loadRoutingGauge(),
there was a bad computation of the deep RLs when the top layer
was not defined. Occured for 2RL gauges only.
* Bug: In Anabatic::RpsInRow::slacken() (LayerAssign), forgotten curly braces
in the test to skip METAL2 terminals.
* Change: In Etestian::BloatChannel::getDx(), adjust the bloating
policy to converge on Arlet6502. Always ensure that there is
a 50% ratio between terminal used V-tracks and free ones.
If there is more than 80% of terminals, add one more track.
* Bug: In AnabaticEngine & KatanaEngine, KatanaEngine is a derived
class of AnabaticEngine. They uses Anabatic::Configuration
and Katana::Configuration that also derives from each other.
I though I had made one configuration attribute in the base
class that was using the right Configuration. But no. I did
have two configurations attributes, one in AnabaticEngine and
one in KatanaEngine, the later "shadowing" the former. As a
results, parameters modified in AnabaticEngine, *after* the
initial creation of the tool *where never seen* at Katana
level (due to it's own duplicate). What a mess.
Now there is only one attribute in the *base* class Anabatic,
which is created through a new virtual function _createConfiguration()
called in _postCreate() which allocate the right Configuration
according to the dynamic type of the tool (KatanaEngine).
In KatanaEngine, access the configuration through the
attribute (_configuration) and not the accessor (getConfiguration()).
* Bug: In KatanaEngine, no longer directly use the _configuration attribute
(which is not accessible anyway) but the getConfiguration() accessor.
The accessor perform a static_cast from the Super::getConfiguration()
into Katana::Configuration.
Complete cleanup of the various configuration accessors.
* New: AnabaticEngine::setupNetBuilder(), perform an early check
of the requested NetBuilderStyle. The NetBuilderStyle is just a
string that will be matched against the (hard-coded) supported
NetBuilders. Then check the topological characteristics against
the capabilities of the gauge (HV, VH and so on).
Still a bit too hard-coded for now.
This function has been split from AnabaticEngine::_loadGrByNet().
* Change: AnabaticEngine::isChannelStyle() renamed from isChannelMode().
* New: In Anabatic::Configuration, two new attributes to select the
topology and routing style:
- _netBuilderStyle to explicitely select the NetBuilder to use.
It's a string, which is provided by each NetBuilder.
- _routingStyle to define how the overall routing will work.
It's a set of flags (StyleFlags):
* VH : first RL is V.
* HV : first RL is H.
* OTH : Run in full over-the-cell mode (needs at least 3RL).
* Channel : Run in *strict* channel routing mode (no routing over
the standard cells).
* Hybrid : Create channels, but can use H tracks over the
standard cells.
* New: In anabatic/Constants, add StyleFlags to define how the router
should operate (see above).
* Bug: In Anabatic::GCell, in CTOR, no reason to set up the HChannelGCell flag.
* Bug: In Anabatic::GCell::updateDensity(), when computing layers non contiguous
saturation, do not systematically skip RL 0, but only if it's PinOnly.
* Change: In Anabatic::NetBuilder, rename isTwoMetal by isStrictChannel.
* Change: In Anabatic::NetBuilderHV, rename doRp_AccessNorthPin() in
doRp_AccessNorthSouthPin(). More accurate.
* Bug: In NetBuilderHV::_do_1G_xM1_1PinM2(), the wires to connect the M1
terminals where created *twice*. Uterly stupid, there where placed in
overlap by the router!
* New: In AnabaticEngine, new accessors to the NetBuilderStyle and
RoutingStyle, proxies towards Configuration.
* Bug: In Manipulator::relax(), if there are two doglegs to be done, but
they are in the same GCell, only do one (the conflicting interval)
is short.
* Change: In Katana::Session, rename isChannelMode() into isChannelStyle().
* Change: In TrackSegment::isUnbreakable() and isStrap(), return false
when the base segment is a *weak global* (aligned with a global one).
* Change: In Katana::Row::createChannel(), correctly distinguish between
*strict channel* style and *hybrid* style. Tag the GCells as std cells
row or channels only in the former case.
* Change: In AutoSegment::canReduce(), allow reduction, when in channel
mode, for bottom connected jumpers at depth 1. Forbidden otherwise
as it may cause problems with the terminals (in OTC).
* Change: In TrackSegment::canRealign(), allow realignement of reduced
segments. What really needs to be checked is that it do not have
perpandiculars in reduced state.
* New: In Katana::NegotiateWindow::_negociate(), if the realign stage is
enabled, perform a second stage of repair after it. To do this we
need to reverse the state of events marked as FailedRepair to Repair.
We isolate the repair stage in a new dedicated function,
NegociateWindow::_negociateRepair(). Maybe should do the same for
each other negociate stage.
* New: Hurricane::ErrorWidget, new widget exported to Python to replace
helpers.io.ErrorWidget.
* New: Hurricane::AboutWindow, new window exported to Python to replace
cumulus/plugins.aboutwindow.AboutWidget.
* Change: In cumulus/plugins.sram.sram_256x32, add a new parameter to
__init__() so the user can choose the model name of the generated
SRAM.
* Change: In cumulus/plugins.sram.sram.BaseSRAM.placeInstance(),
placement status must be FIXED instead of PLACED so the placer do
not "unplace" them.
The Cell.updatePlacedFlag() method must also be called once
the model if fully built.
* New: In CRL::DefExport, checkStatus() has a second argument to display
a more comprehensive error message.
Applied throughout all the DEF callbacks.
* Bug: In CRL::DefExport, the UNIT statement and associated toDefUnits()
functions where wrong. Now always use a UNITS of 1000 in microns.
Then toDefUnits() converts DbU into microns and multiply by 1000.
* Change: In CRL::defExport::_netCbk(), enable the net name renaming
only when the ProtectNetNames flag is set.
* New: In CRL::PyDefExport, also export the flag values to Python.
* Change: In CRL::LefImport::LefParser, layers defined in the LEF file
are matched *in order* to the ones from the technology *in order*
(not by name matching). But if there is a mismatch, that is more
layers in the techno than in LEF, we got a shift. Now we can tell
the parser to ignore a set of layers by setting up the configuration
variable:
LefImport.unmatchedLayers = 'DIFFP,POLY2,SMURF'
* In CRL::GdsStream::_staticInit(), all the layers where added to the
translation table, whether or not they where configured for the
GDS stream. So the non GDS configured layers got a GDS layer
id of 0 and were using this case. Either overwriting the legit
layer or creating a new one while it should have been invalid.
Now we check for the hasGds() predicate of the layers.
* In CRL::GdsStream, add a new option to tell that, layer id 0,
if undefined, may be used as the definition of the boudary of
the cell (abutment box).
* In CRL::PyGds, now also export the flags to the Python interface.
* New: In Hurricane::RoutingPad, added support if the supporting component
is a Pad. The source/target positions are computed according to the
most likely direction.
Change the _getEntityAsComponent() function into an inline template
_getEntityAs<T>().
Change the flags from an enum to static const uint32_t.
* Change: In Anabatic::Configuration, use _getEntityAs<T>.
* Change: In Anabatic::Dijkstra, use _getEntityAs<T>.
* Change: In Anabatic::NetBuilder, use _getEntityAs<T>.
* Change: In Katabatic::LoadGrByNet, use _getEntityAs<T>.
* Change: In Katana::ProtectRoutingPads, use _getEntityAs<T>.
* Change: In Bora::AnalogDistance, use _getEntityAs<T>.
* Change: In Etesian::EtesianEngine, use _getEntityAs<T>.
* Change: In CRL/helpers.io, the ErrorWidget requires PyQt5 to execute but
is not mandatory to run Coriolis/cgt. In order to be more portable,
if it is not availble just evert to text display on the console.
This widget will be directly supplied by Coriolis in the future
completely removing the need for PyQt.
*Change: In cumulus/plugins/aboutwindow, same as above.
* Bug: In Anabatic::AutoSegment::canReduce(), when looking at a fixed
segment we were unconditionally flagging it as reduced if it was
a "jumper", regardless of it's length.
It was wrong, now also check for a length below the P-Pitch.
This was introduced when implementing the channel routing.
* Update: In CRL/node600/phenitec/kite.py, update the routing gauge to
the new format. So now we can use again SxLib-2M (channel routing
SxLib for two metal technologies).
* Change: In CRL::BlifParser, if a master cell is not found in the
AllianceFramework, then try in the Blif supplied libraries.
This is used to load the zero, one and tie cells.
Add a Blif::getCell() static function to look into the Blif
supplied libraries.
* Change: In CRL::LefImport, sometimes there can be discrepencies between
the LEF ROUTING layers and the Coriolis routing gauge. Now ignore
routing layers that are *not* presents in the Coriolis gauge.
* Change: In AnabaticEngine, moved routingMode attribute from KatanaEngine,
as some setup operations needs it.
* Change: In AutoSegment::canReduce(), allow fixed segments to be reduced
if they are "jumpers" (turn+turn and top+top or bot+bot).
This case arise on the edge of routing channels for fixed wires
to connect terminals.
* Change: In AutoSegment::getTopologicalinfos(), compute differently the
(leftBound,rightBound) interval when in channel mode.
In over-the-cell mode, this interval is the one of the whole
GCells under the wire. In channel mode, for fixed wires (that is,
verticals connecteds to cells) this interval is reduced to half
the GCell height, on the connected side of said channel.
This allows Manipulator::_insertToTrack() to issue disantangling
requests (push left/push right) for fixed segments that are face
to face in the channel.
* Change: In Anabatic::Configuration CTOR, allow the cellGauge to have a
different name from the routingGauge. Now if the cell gauge that
should match the routing gauge is not found, fallback to the
name set in "anabatic.cellGauge" parameter.
Case occur when we try to match with CORE sites from LEF files.
* Change: In Etesian::Configuration CTOR, same change as in the
Anabatic configuration.
* Change: In Anabatic::GCell::updateDensity(), never set the GoStraight
flag in channel mode. This flag makes sense when there is at least
4 routing layers (so we have 2 contiguous free of blockages).
* Bug: In Anabatic::Session::_getNearestGridpoint(), sometimes the nearest on
grid point is outside the constraint box. Now force the point
to remains inside constraints even if offgrid.
* Change: In Katana::DataNegociate::update(), perpandiculars that are
either reduced or in non-preferred routing direction should not
trigger a bug message.
* Change: In KatanaEngine::_check(), do not check for fixed, horizontal
non-prefs AutoSegments in channel mode (avoid false bug display).
* Bug: In Manipulator::_forceToTrack(), slighty shrink (-1) the interval
to free. The intersection function of intervals returns true when
the two intervals *exactly* touches (1.vMax == 2.vMin). But in
this specific case, they are not *overlapping* and no action
should be taken...
* Bug: In Manipulator::_insertInTrack(), do not reject the track when
we are overlapping a fixed vertical segment in channel mode.
(Hmm, maybe already corrected by the previous one).
* Change: In Katana::NegociateOverlapCost(), in channel mode, do
not put two overlaping vertical fixed segments into infinite cost.
This happens when two cell connected verticals are face to face in
a channel. We want them negociated the track (by shrinking their
length) instead of excluding it right away.
* Change: In NegociateWindow::createTrackSegment(), in channel mode,
do not attempt to create a track segment over a fixed and reduced
AutoSegment.
Do not attempt to put a non-preferred AutoSegment on a Track
either.
* Bug: In RoutingEvent::revalidate(), the number of availables tracks
was badly computed when in the pure constraint case, when there
was only one it was reporting zero.
* Change: In TrackElements::TrackElements_Perpandicular::Locator,
do not issue a bug when an non-pref or reduced AutoSegment do not
have an associated TrackElement.
* Change: In TrackSegmentCost::update(), do not issue a bug when a
perpandicular is reduded or non-pref and do not have a TrackElement.
* New: In cumulus/plugins/sram_256x32.py, build the output mux using a
NAND2/NOR2 binary tree instead of mux2/mux3. Use more, but much
smaller cells. The reduction of wirelength (from Yosys) goes
from 4% to 15% for the non-folded variant.
Uses a specially placed tree to minimize wire length.
* New: In cumulus/plugins/sram.py, extend StdCellConf to convert names
accross library flavors (FlexLib_TSMC_C180, FlexLib_Sky130 and
generic SxLib).
The generator as been build in two parts:
1. A genereric sram.BaseSRAM class to provides support for all kind of
SRAM (grouping column tree, headers, folding).
2. The specific SRAM_256x32 (256 words of 32 bits) suited for the
ethmac.
The sram has been simulated with genpat+asimut and gives identical
results to the Yosys one (at gate level). No timing though.
* Bug: In Katana::GlobalNetTable::getRootNet(), when tracking up the
net through the plug (to look if it's connected to a top level
clock), we may encounter an *unconnected* plug.
We where not checking that case, and went crashing. Now issue
a warning and return NULL.
This indicates that, up until now, we didn't encounter any
unconnected Plug in our netlists. This did show up due to a
building error in the SRAM Standard Cell generator.
Build DAG then create an ordered list of gates from it. DAG starting
points could be Net or Instances (we take the output of the Instance).
Multiple DAG can be created, but once an Instance is part of a DAG,
it connot be part of another and is conidered as "reached" by all
subsequent DAG run. The ordered list build from a DAG contains both
Net and Instances.
A new property has DagProperty, accessible through DagExtension
has been created to store relevant information of the DAG on each
Instance or Net (work in progress).
Robert Taylor
Jean-Paul Chaput
HoangAnhP