MARCO GSRC Calibrating Achievable Design Bookshelf

Executable Placement Utilities

last updated on 03/08/05

(see other slots )

Saurabh Adya , Igor Markov

Contents

I.  Introduction 
II.  Executable Utilities
III. Literature
I. Introduction

This slot includes executable placement utilities for CAD research.

II. Executable Placement Utilities
WireLengthCalculator (Intel Lnx32) (Intel Lnx64) (Intel Win32) (Sparc Sol32)  (a.k.a. RBPlaceTest1.exe)
computes center-to-center and pin-to-pin HalfPerimeter wirelength given .nodes/.nets/.wts/.scl/.pl files. May also be used to check that a set of placement files meets the standard.
CongestionMaps Plotter (Intel Lnx32) (Intel Lnx64) (Intel Win32) (Sparc Sol32)  (a.k.a. CongestionMapsTest0.exe)
congestion evaluation and congestion-map plotting for placed designs.
   Use '-help' or '-f filename.aux'
   Other options:
   -noProb (do not use Probabilistic congestion map)
   -plotCongMap base_filename  (plot congestion map in matlab format)
   -plotCongMapGP base_filename (plot congestion map in gnuplot format)
   -plotCongMapXPM base_filename (plot congestion map in xpm format)
RowIroning Detailed Placer (Intel Lnx32) (Intel Lnx64) (Intel Win32) (Sparc Sol32) (a.k.a. RowIroningTest1.exe)
Simple Detailed Placer for placed designs. Uses sliding windows and optimal placement of a small group of cells.
  Use '-help' or '-f filename.aux'
   Other options:
  SmallPlacer Parameters
    -smPlSkipInitSoln
    -smPlAlgo {Branch | DynamicP}
    -smPlMinWL {None | HalfRowHeight | RowHeight | TwiceRowHeight}
    -subsetBound <bool>
    -smPlStart {Random | Analytic}
    -smPlSplit {Random | Even | All}
    -plot <filename>
   -verb 1_1_1 | silent
  Row Ironing Parameters:
   -ironPasses <unsigned>
   -ironWindow <unsigned>
   -ironOverlap <unsigned>
   -ironTwoDim
   -ironMixed    (1D and 2D)
   -ironCluster

Placement Utilities (Intel Lnx32) (Intel Lnx64) (Intel Win32) (Sparc Sol32)   (a.k.a. RBPlaceTest4.exe)
converts from Bookshelf format to LEF/DEF / Plato / CPlace(IBM)  format.
utility for legalizing a placement by removing overlaps and snapping cells to site boundaries.
utility for plotting a placed design in gnuplot format.
   Use '-help' or '-f filename.aux'
   Saving options:
    -saveAsNodes     base_filename                 (save in Bookshelf format)
    -saveAsCplace    base_filename                  (save in Cplace / IBM format)
    -saveAsPlato     base_filename                    (save in Plato / Kraftwerk format)
    -saveLEFDEF      base_filename                  ( save in LEF/DEF format)
    -markMacrosAsBlocks (for saveLEFDEF)
    -savePl  filename                                          (save the placement in .pl format/bookshelf)
   Misc options:
    -legal  (Use to remove any overlaps in existing placement)
    -snapToSites  (Use to snap cells to sites in existing placement)
    -spaceCellsEqually   (for each subrow, space cells equally)
   Plotting options:
    -xmin,-xmax,-ymin,-ymax  (for plotting range. Default means all)
    -plotNets        base_fileName
    -plotNodes       base_fileName
    -plotNodesWNames base_fileName
    -plot            base_fileName   (plots nodes and nets)
    -plotWNames      base_fileName   (the above + node names)
    -plotSites      base_fileName   (plots the site map)
    -plotNodesWSites base_fileName   (the above + nodes)
    -plotRows        base_fileName   (plot the rows)
LEF/DEF to Bookshelf format converter (Intel Lnx32) (Intel Lnx64) (Intel Win32) (Sparc Sol32)   (a.k.a. RBPlFromDBTest0.exe)
converts from LEF/DEF format to Bookshelf format.
  Use '-help' or '-f filename.aux'
  Other options:
  -saveAsNodes base_filename                       (save in Bookshelf format)                 
AutoLayoutGenerator (Intel Lnx32) (Intel Lnx64) (Intel Win32) (Sparc Sol32) (a.k.a. RBPlaceTest2.exe)
produces a layout (.scl and .pl for pads) having specified aspect-ratio and whitespace. Produces a rectangular layout with vertically abutting equal-length rows of alternating site orientations (i.e N, FS, N, FS...)
BLIF to Bookshelf format (Generic PERL script)  (Improved version for Linux)  (Improved version for Solaris)  (Improved version for Intel Win32) 
converts from BLIF (SIS) format to Bookshelf format. You can use the AutoLayout generate to generate a floorplan for the generated netlist.
  usage of generic version:     perl blif2book.pl <blif file> <output file>
  usage of improved version:     blif2book.exe <blif_file> <output_file> [-options]
Options for the improved versions
  -real_size: use more realistic sizes for cells instead of 1x1.
Cell sizes will be generated according to the following rules:
Miscellaneous Scripts
  1. Filler Cell Flow (All Platforms)
This script runs the filler cell flow for low-utilization designs. The placer used in this script is Capo(MetaPlacer). Disconnected filler cells are added to the design to reduce the available whitespace to the placer to 10 %. This parameter can be changed by modifying the parameter "addDummyNodesPercent" in the script. The script expects all the benchmark files in bookshelf format and in the same directory
   usage:    runFillerCellFlow basefile_name
  
  2. Mixed-size placement flow by macro-shredding (All Platforms)
This script runs the mixed-size placemene flow by using the concept of shredding big macros into small std-cells. The placer used in this script is Capo(MetaPlacer). The script expects all the benchmark files in bookshelf format and in the same directory
   usage:    runMacroShredFloorplan basefile_name

  3. Convert Bookshelf format placement file to DEF format (All Platforms)
This script converts bookshelf format placement file to DEF format. Requires an initial def file with proper information. The script just replaces the placement information for each node in the components section.
    usage:    perl    convertPlToDef orig.def placed.pl complete.def

  4. Convert Plato(.spc) format placement file into bookshelf format (All Platforms)
This script converts Plato/Kraftwerk(.spc) format placement file into bookshelf format.
    usage:    perl    convertPlatoPl2CapoPl.pl orig.place final.pl

III. Literature

Saurabh N. Adya, Mehmet C. Yildiz, Igor L. Markov, Paul G. Villarrubia, Phiroze N. Parakh and Patrick H. Madden, "Benchmarking For Large-scale Placement and Beyond", International Symposium on Physical Design (ISPD), pp. 95-103, Monterey, CA, April 2003. (pdf)

Saurabh Adya and Igor Markov, ”On Whitespace and Stability in Mixed-size Placement and Physical Synthesis”, International Conference on Computer Aided Design (ICCAD), San Jose, 2003. (pdf)

Saurabh Adya and Igor Markov, "Consistent Placement of Macro-Blocks using Floorplanning and Standard-Cell Placement", International Symposium of Physical Design (ISPD), pp.12-17, San Diego,2002. (pdf)