Calibre Leveraging Calibre RealTime Custom for Faster and Accurate Verification

Q&A  
 
Note: 
1. Thank you all for the questions during the webinar! Below is the transcript of the questions and answers.
2. If more support is needed for any of the issues you are facing, please open a support case at  https://support.sw.siemens.com/en-US/support-case/open

 

Q: What are the differences between setup and integration for Calibre RealTime Custom vs. Calibre RealTime Digital?

A: While there are many similarities in the setup and integration processes between Calibre RealTime Custom and Calibre RealTime Digital, it's important to note that each integrates with distinct sets of design tool environments. Additionally, each specific design tool has its unique requirements for enabling integration with Calibre RealTime. For more detailed instructions, please refer to the Calibre RealTime Custom/Digital User’s Manual and consult the documentation provided by your specific design tool.

 

Q: When is it beneficial to invoke a Calibre nmDRC batch run in place of using the Calibre RealTime Custom interface?

A: The Calibre RealTime Custom interface is designed for use on cell/block layout designs containing up to 3 million geometries, not an entire design. Above that number, efficiency declines, and the value of using the Calibre RealTime Custom interface in place of a batch DRC run diminishes. However, to better bridge the gap between cell/block verification and macro/full chip design verification, there is an option in the Calibre RealTime Custom interface that automatically enables batch DRC when you exceed the user-defined verification limit.

 

Q: Are you able to use the design tool while executing a Calibre RealTime DRC run?

A: You can use the design tool at this point, but the Calibre RealTime toolbar is unavailable (greyed out) during the run.

 

Q: What Calibre licenses are required for Calibre RealTime Custom?

A: The Calibre RealTime Custom or Calibre RealTime Custom Lite product license. Additional Calibre licenses are required for some Calibre features.

 

Q: If I have defined multiple run configurations that I would like to run in sequence, can I do that?

A: Yes, you may define multiple run configurations with different options (such as the rule file, check recipe, and other options), then quickly switch between the different run configurations. To do so, open the “Calibre RealTime Options Dialog Box” and select the ‘Serial’ Run mode option. This will run each configuration selected in the Configuration Run Control dialog box in order.

 

Q: You didn’t mention the ‘Halo size’ option in the Calibre RealTime Options, what is it and what is it used for?

A: A halo expands the area around a region selected for a DRC run so that surrounding geometries are included. Halos ensure that new errors caused by changes in the geometry are reported, and false errors caused by edge effects are not reported. You may use the ‘Halo size’ option field to specify the size of the halo, in user units.

 

Q: You briefly discussed how to view your DRC results using the highlight controls from the Calibre RealTime toolbar. Are there any other methods/ways to view these results?

A: Yes, you can also view results from a Calibre RealTime run in the Calibre RealTime Results window, which is similar to Calibre RVE for DRC. The window includes a tree view, a details view, a check text pane, and controls for highlighting. Clicking on the appropriate toolbar button will open the Calibre RealTime Results Window.

 

Q: For the recipe editor, is the layer selection done with the rule name or the content of the rule itself?

A: The layer selection is done within the context of the rule itself. Consider the following sample rule: ruleA { EXT M2 < val … }  and M2 is a visible layer in the current window. If we were to select “Visible layer checks”, for example, then ruleA would be included in the current check recipe based on the rule logic implementation and not the rule name.

 

Q: What does "Custom" mean in the tool name "Calibre Realtime Custom"?  We use Calibre RealTime but I've never seen the term "Calibre Realtime Custom", or "Calibre Realtime Digital" as in the poll question.

A: Calibre RealTime “Custom” and Calibre RealTime “Digital” are essentially two different tool interfaces. The naming convention difference is used to signify which design tool environment each integrates with. For example, Calibre RealTime Custom is tailored for supported custom design environments such as Cadence Virtuoso or Synopsys Custom Compiler. On the other hand, Calibre RealTime Digital integrates with supported place and route tools such as Siemens Aprisa or Cadence Innovus.

 

Q: Is it possible to rerun a single violation from the results we got? Instead of rerunning the whole recipe?

A: No, it is not possible to rerun only a single violation instead of the whole recipe. However, you may create a check recipe that selects only the single rulecheck that generated the violation and re-run RealTime DRC in the same window context. Doing so will achieve a similar functionality, while significantly reducing the runtime as we are only executing a single rulecheck.

If your intention is to rerun the entire check recipe, you may also choose to highlight and zoom to the single violation of concern to be visible in the current window context and rerun RealTime DRC to verify the results and confirm the violation has been fixed.

 

Q: Can I fill (DFM FILL) small cells with RTC?

A: RTC SmartFill can fill the whole cell. RTC SmartFill won’t support Fill by region.

 

Q: I learned about this webinar from the Calibre newsletter and there was a text that said if you are interested in trying Realtime Custom Smart Fill reach out to our team. Could you elaborate on this much such as the application method, where to apply etc.?

A: Contact the customer support center, so we can be able to help to proceed accordingly.

 

Q: In which Calibre revision we can try RealTime with Smart Fill?

A: Push-button Fill flow is now enabled in Calibre RealTime Custom (beta 2023.3). Please reach out to our team for an evaluation.

 

Q: Calibre RealTime Custom (RTC) offers a push-button Smart Fill flow to generate DRC-clean fill shapes and back-annotate them into the Virtuoso design environment.

A: Yes, RTC supports push-button Smart Fill flow to generate DRC-clean fill shapes and there is an option to back annotate the fill shapes into the Virtuoso design environment.

 

Q: Can we use Calibre RealTime to run the FILL deck?

A: Yes