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How to get info about all utilized layers ?

by Toby Mangold - 5 Jun 2009, 9:29 CEST

Hi,

when opening layouts (GDS files) from external sources, I'm very often confronted with a basic problem: I don't know about the used layers.

Now, when opening these kind of files, I have to run a technology macro enabling/configuring all 255 layers to get access to all possible layers.

If I miss to add utilized layers to the layer list, I can turn everything on/off (show / hide all layers), but I still don't know about the layers, since they are not added to the layer list automatically. (Something I'd expect to happen. Is there a reason, why not ?)

Is there a easy way to figure out which layers are utilized, even if these layers are not part of the layer list ? Is there an easy way to extend the layer list automatically, maybe by a macro ?

Any suggestions ?

Toby

by Juergen Thies - 5 Jun 2009, 9:51 CEST

In the menu 'Layer/Technology' you will find some useful features for this task. There are functions to hide and to disable all unused layers. See the manual for details.

by Toby Mangold - 19 Jun 2009, 13:45 CEST

You're talking about a 2009 version, released after you've split the codebase and removed a lot of features from the GPL variant, right ?
Further, I cannot find the mentioned command in the latestest 2009 GPL version. Should I ?

I'm still working with 20080925, because I want/have to stay with a GPL version and cannot give away all the features dropped from the later GPL releases. (By the way - just out of curiosity - no complain: Is it in line with the GPL to pull back code fragments published under the GPL and turn them into a closed source product ? Again, this is no allegation - just wondering ....)

Look's like I'm doomed and have to implement any missing features into the old 2008 GPL codebase on my own ... which should be in line with the GPL, right ... :-)

Toby

by Juergen Thies - 19 Jun 2009, 14:20 CEST

The mentioned feature was added in February 2009 and is of cause not available in any release of 2008.

Sine many years the LayoutEditor is published in two versions: one compiled version with all features and additional in a GPL version with selected features, which have been changed multiply times within the last years.

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The LayoutEditor™ is a program to design and edit layouts for MEMS/IC fabrication and CMOS IC design .Designing these layouts require a high precision. In IC design a sufficient resolution and a possibility of a high scaling is required. The resolution of the LayoutEditor can be set in a wide range and is normally set to 1 nano meter. A higher resolution makes no sense due to atomar structures. With this resolution the LayoutEditor can draw elements up to 4 meters. In many IC design houses this is enough for IC/MEMS which extend usually less than 0.1 meters. The productions of MEMS/IC is done in many layers. For each of these physical CAD layers a belonging layer had to exist in the drawing. Additional logical layers are required for describing/naming purpose. So a lot of layers are needed. By default the LayoutEditor is limited to 128 layers. But it can easily be adjusted, if more layers are required. IC Designs often contain a plenty of repeating structures. Essential for micro fabrication of these designs is therefor a hierarchical design. This means, that the complete repeating structure only exists once in a single cell. These cell is then referred multiple times in the main drawing.
Beside the above mems packaging mentioned IC design fundaments it is important to have sophisticated functions to handle all drawing elements. The layout handler has all required functions: all basic design functions, all angle elements, boolean operations, macros, fontgenerator, design rule checker, mems tools, supported format: GDSII, DXF, OASIS, CIF. If you still missing a function, you are free to write a feature request

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