OpenAccess

OpenAccess is a community effort to provide interoperability, including unified data exchange among integrated circuit design tools through an open standard data API and reference database supporting that API for IC design. It is coordinated by the OpenAccess Coalition of EDA industry leaders. OpenAccess can store layout data, schematics, symbols, netlists and any other application specific data. These information are stored into many files in a directory tree. Each directory tree is call a library. OpenAccess can access many library concurrently. A design can be splitten into multiply libraries. A list of all ever used libraries is store in a 'lib.defs' file. This file is ether located in the application folder or in the home folder of the user.

Using OpenAccess in the LayoutEditor

Within the LayoutEditor you can directly open a OpenAccess view via file/open. To do so just point to the .oa file containing the cell view you want to load. A registration of the library into the 'lib.defs' file and loading of all required cells is done automaticly. Alternatively you can access a OpenAccess library via OpenAccess Tools. The file/open will only load the design data. A netlist will not be loaded. To load it, please use Load OpenAccess Netlist. The file/save feature will save a design to the OpenAccess library. Only the current displayed cell will be saved. If a netlist for that cell is present it will be saved as well. Within the schematic window you can load/store any schematic to a OpenAccess library. As well existing symbols within a library can be used as components. To load it simply use the Add Library feature. Or as well the OpenAccess Tools. It will always be loaded the complete library and not just a single cell. IPL&iPDK extension are supported including TCL callback which are located at "../scripts/callbacks" relative to the library. This default path can be modified within the SetupDialog OpenAccess schematic components or cell can be edited via the component editor. Any modification except the symbol will be saved as application specific data into the OpenAccess database and did not effect the setup for any other application using that database. Also 'removing' that component will only affect the LayoutEditor schematic.

Installing OpenAccess PlugIns

OpenAccess can be extended via plugins. With a plugin you can add new scripting languages or add new parametric cell interfaces. The most popular plugin is probably Ciranovas PyCell. To use a plugin you need just add a *.plg file to the 'data/plugin/' folder. The *.plg files is generally suppliered by the plugin creator. In some cases (e.g. on windows) the plugin requires a specific version of the OpenAccess code library. Deleting/exchanging these files will usually work for the LayoutEditor. Using PyLayout with plugIns using a different version of python requires a very careful set of environment variable.

CategoryFileFormat CategoryFileFormatLayout CategoryFileFormatSchematic