LVS and Netlist Extraction with ICStation

Setup

• From the directory where you want to run the tutorial, setup and invoke ICStation

source /usr/local/src/idea/.mentor_d1
setenv MGC_WD .
adk_ic &

• Using main menu MGC > Design Management > Copy Object, copy the folder /usr/local/courses/cse/cse462.01/ic/ic_tutorial to your working directory.  Do not just copy using the Unix cp command--you must use the Mentor design management tools to copy or move any files that are part of a Mentor design database. 
  
  Inside the ic_tutorial directory, you'll find two subdirectories, netlist and physical.  netlist contains the file inverter.sp, which contains a subcircuit for an inverter.  physical contains an inverter cell, as well as cells for various contacts.
  
• Open the inverter cell in IC Station

Layout vs. Schematic Comparison (LVS)

• Select ICtrace (M) from the palette.
  
• Select LVS
  
• In the popup window, enter:

Source Name: $MGC_WD/netlist/inverter.sp
Source Type: spice. 
Subckt Name:  inverter.

• Click OK to run the LVS.
  
• From the palette, select Report > LVS.  You should see a clear indication that the comparison was correct.
  
• Break something in the layout (like moving a contact off to the side).  Rerun LVS and look at the report.
  
• From the palette, select Discreps > First to see the first discrepancy.  Continue to scan through discrepancies.
  
• Fix the layout and rerun LVS.

Netlist Extraction

• From the root ICtrace (M) palette, select Netlist.
  
• In the popup window, enter inverter_ext.sp as the Name.  Click OK to run the extraction.
  
• In your physical directory, you should now have an inverter_ext.sp file.  Move this file to your netlist folder.  Compare this file with inverter.sp.