[SOLVED] Cadence instance custom prefix suffix

[martinKP]

I am adhering to a convention to use following notation for all schematic (non primitives) instance names "U[%]_[cellName]" -> "U0_MY_OPAMP", so that my netlist and extractors become more readable, instead of something like /I0/I22/I14/I1/MN0.

Instead of writing all instance names manually in all schematics, I would like to automate this, so that the name is generated, when I drop the instance in schematic.
I can hit Shift+Q in symbol editor and here I can edit instNamePrefix, and here I can put "U".
Is there a way to also define the instance suffix "_[cellName]", and what would be the syntax for this, since I cannot use NLP or IL?
Further, is there a way to change this across an entire library and also make it the "new default" for future symbols generated, so that I don't have to edit all symbols either?

 

[dick_freebird]

Instance name is a fill-field in the instantiation popup. If you enter nothing then you get auto-number. Enter more than one name separated by spaces and those names will be laid down in order. But only against the same master.

I do what you mention, the regular tedious way (or just mop up later).

 

[martinKP]

Instance name is a fill-field in the instantiation popup. If you enter nothing then you get auto-number. Enter more than one name separated by spaces and those names will be laid down in order. But only against the same master.

I do what you mention, the regular tedious way (or just mop up later).

So in short it is not possible to add a suffix to the autogenerated instance name at all ?

 

[dick_freebird]

I imagine that you could make some sort of SKILL script
which concatenated "stuff about the master" to the auto
generated prefix (which, seems to be PDK-idiosyncratic;
I am seeing "T" for MOSFETs in one kit currently but more
often "M"; "U" vs "I" for instances is another, and so this
must be set "somewhere in the monstrous code pile").

Native, dumb-user-with-GUI, all I've got is what I got.
What's theoretically possible, for someone with CAD
chops, I would not know.

But in the end there's always time whilst watching Spectre
dry paint, to do that kind of finger-poking, so ....

 

[Dominik Przyborowski]

Yes, it is possible to set default lt behavior of schematic editor to name instance as <fixed_prefix>_cellname_index. It is controlled by proper variable in cdsenv.

 

[martinKP]

Yes, it is possible to set default lt behavior of schematic editor to name instance as <fixed_prefix>_cellname_index. It is controlled by proper variable in cdsenv.

Thanks for your help Dominik,

Sharing the solution:
Adding following to cdsinit:
envSetVal("cdba" "dbInstNamePrefix" 'string "U")
envSetVal("cdba" "dbAddCellNameToInstNamePrefix" 'boolean t)

Or from CIW running "startCdsencEditor()" and then changing "dbInstNamePrefix" and "dbAddCellNameToInstNamePrefix"

This way all future instances added to a schematic will have "U_<cellName>_<number>", this works for me.