I want to know how to speed up large layout work using Virtuoso cadence

[chanyoung]

I'm currently working on a large layout by using Virtuoso cadence.

However, the current work is too large to be slow and error-prone.

So I write because I can't find how to solve this.

Thank you.

 

[dick_freebird]

Well, one way is to drive your error generation rate to zero. But that takes exercise and learning and discipline.

There are vendors offering various layout productivity "solutions" ($$$$$ - $$$$$$) which you could probably find by scraping SemiWiki and similar EDA sites.

 

[Dominik Przyborowski]

I suppose your system is configured properly, graphic card is used in right way (i. e. proper drivers) , et cetera.

You can control hierarchy depth and which layers are used. Has your problem exists if you limit hierarchy depth to 0,1 or 2, and if you keep only routing layers?

You mentioned about 256x256 SRAM layout, it is roughly 700k transistors. It should not be problem problem to work on it (as long as you are not running it on weak dinosaur).

 

[dick_freebird]

Good point about dinosaurs and maybe even worse if you're an undergrad using shared snd throttled resources (in my distant undergrad days, local computers were 10 years outdated and mainframes badly choked if you had an undergrad account).

A shared workstation or CAD server may have resource conflicts built in, like if your circuit can't run fully in RAM you will fall back to VM swap speed limited response / execution.

Many kinds of mud to get stuck in, especially when you rely on stuff you don't own.

 

[timof]

All the comments about old computers, limited memory, shared resources, etc. are valid, and this should be the first things to check.

That being said - if you have a really big design, Virtuoso would not be able to handle it irrespective of where you run it on, on what system.
But such big layouts may be a result of work of hundreds if not thousands of people (such as application processor for a smartphone).

One easy way to check this, is to use Klayout - a free open source layout editor and viewer, that has practically unlimited capacity. Just install it, and open your layout in Klayout, and see how fast does it respond.