I am new to Cadence AMS simulators. I have some circuits for which  the connect modules which are supplied with cadence distribution in affirma_ams is not sufficient. I need to customize that rules. I have customized it properly. But whenever I try to compile and elaborate the design by "netlist and run" cadence complains and says that it is unable to find the customized connect rules. But I have kept the customized rules in the same connectLib in my project directory...I am using spectre as analog solver..please help and please suggest suitable solutions..

Hi there,


there are few steps that you need to follow to create a customized connect module for AMS in ADE:

1. Create the verilogAMS files for your connect Modules. Say I want to create a 1V connect module with following spec: Vsup=1.0, Vthi=0.666, Vtlo=0.333, Vlow=0
I copy the 1.8V connect module from my IUS stream , i.e $IUSHOME/tools/affirma_ams/etc/connect_lib/connectLib/ConnRules_18V_full_fast/co
nnect/verilog.vams

The ConnRules_1V0_full_fast I'm about to create needs the following
files :

Bidir_2.vams
ConnRules_1V0_full_fast.vams
E2L_2.vams
E2R.vams
ER_bidir.vams
L2E_2.vams
L2E_2_CPF.vams
R2E_2.vams

All these files have been copied form :
$IUSHOME/tools.lnx86/affirma_ams/etc/connect_lib

2. Prepare the environment:
You need to have a correct hdl.var and cds.lib to compile the libraries.
- An example of hdl.var is:

##########
softinclude $AMSHOME/inca/files/hdl.var
define ncuse5x
define cdslib ./cds.lib
Define WORK rkLib
##########

- An example of cds.lib is

------
softinclude $AMSHOME/tools/inca/files/cds.lib
DEFINE analogLib $CDSHOME/tools/dfII/etc/cdslib/artist/analogLib
DEFINE basic $CDSHOME/tools/dfII/etc/cdslib/basic
DEFINE sample $CDSHOME/tools/dfII/samples/cdslib/sample
Define rkLib ./rkLib
Define myconnectLib ./rk_connect_lib/rkConnectLib
------

3. Compile the above connect modules using the following commands:

ncvlog -ams -use5x -work myconnectLib ./rk_connect_lib/
ConnRules_1V0_full_fast.vams
ncvlog -ams -use5x -work myconnectLib ./rk_connect_lib/L2E_2.vams
ncvlog -ams -use5x -work myconnectLib ./rk_connect_lib/E2L_2.vams
ncvlog -ams -use5x -work myconnectLib ./rk_connect_lib/Bidir_2.vams
ncvlog -ams -use5x -work myconnectLib ./rk_connect_lib/E2R.vams
ncvlog -ams -use5x -work myconnectLib ./rk_connect_lib/R2E_2.vams
ncvlog -ams -use5x -work myconnectLib ./rk_connect_lib/ER_bidir.vams
ncvlog -ams -use5x -work myconnectLib ./rk_connect_lib/L2E_2_CPF.vams

4. Create a connectRules.il file with the above connect modules using
the following command:
genConnRulesFile -destpath ./rk_connect_lib/rkConnectLib  -lib
rkConnectLib ./rk_connect_lib/*.vams

5. copy over rk_connect_lib into your cadence working dir and update
your cds.lib by adding:
DEFINE rkConnectLib ./rk_connect_lib/rkConnectLib

6. Fire up Cadence and the ADE and load the created connect module. they must come in the list of available connect modules.

I have assumed you have created the necessary UNIX directories and file to go through the flow. Also, make sure that you put the 'connectRules.il' file in the connectLib library.

There is a snapshot of the directory tree

.
|-- cds.lib
|-- compileConnect (sh script for step3)
|-- createConnectRulesFile (sh script for step4)
|-- hdl.var
|-- rk_connect_lib
|   |-- Bidir_2.vams
|   |-- ConnRules_1V0_full_fast.vams
|   |-- E2L_2.vams
|   |-- E2R.vams
|   |-- ER_bidir.vams
|   |-- L2E_2.vams
|   |-- L2E_2_CPF.vams
|   |-- R2E_2.vams
|   `-- rkConnectLib
|       |-- Bidir_2
|       |-- E2L_2
|       |-- E2R
|       |-- ER_bidir
|       |-- RK_CONNRULES_10V_FULL_FAST
|       |-- L2E_2
|       |-- L2E_2_CPF
|       |-- R2E_2
|       |-- connectRules.il
|       `-- inca.lnx86.172.pak
|-- ncvlog.log
`-- tree


Cheers,
Riad.