What’s new in NAZCA 0.5

• – changed name of pdk_template_core.py to bb_util.py
• – use layer_name as layer ID instead of (layer, datatype). Note that get_layer() will now return the layer_name string.
• – in PDKs the xsection to layer maps now use layer_name as reference key.
• – added properties dictionary in cells to store information on a cell in one place (length, width, parameter values, owner, etc.).
• – updated @hashme decorator to keep unique cellnames now also for functions without default values.
• – added raised_sine interconnect.
• – provide access to change all default Pin attribute settings when creating a new pin.
• – changed keywords in pcurve function to nazca convention, i.e. ‘radius’, ‘width’, ‘offset’.
• – added technology attribute to internal nazca layers to handle multiple technologies in a single design.
• – load_gds() can now load all gds cells at once in a dictionary of cells with asdict=True avoiding multiple loads.
• – load_gds() can now read bytestrings besides files.
• – fixed box around text with a \n linefeed in the text. It now follows the text.
• – added switch in cfg to temporarily by-pass type-checking raised exceptions in BB-generating function calls.
• – updated show_cp() to show a specific pin, not only the cp.
• – fixed bug in generic_bend for downward starting curves
• – fixed scaling option in nazca-design logo.
• – removed duplicate placements in whitebox cell replacements.
• – added check on overlapping polyline points.
• – updated BB export files generated by export_gds.
• – cleaned up parsing of put() statements.
• – lots of small improvements (docstrings, checks and small fixes).

Acknowledgements

We encourage you to put the Nazca logo in your mask layout and share a picture with us if you can.

You can show your appreciation for Nazca Design by acknowledging it in your work, publications or materials with the following sentence:

Nazca Design was used to generate the mask layout in this work.

Previous releases

Release date: 2018-07-31

Changes:

• -Implemented decomposing and rebuilding of cells at user level; Map layers and cellnames and/or change, add, delete, replace, scale and/or translate polygons, polylines, cells, annotations and/or gds array settings.
• -Added flip, flop and scale to polygon and polyline placement (put).
• -Added more methods to the polygon and polylines for simpler usage and more flexibility.
• -Improved scaling behaviour for gds loading.
• -Introduced convex hulls as basis of rotation-proof bounding box calculations.
• -Implemented option to store building block connectivity inside the GDS.
• -Improved default layer and xsection handling in Interconnects for tutorial mode.
• -Added strt_p2l interconnect.
• -Lots of small improvements (docstrings, checks and small fixes).

Release date: 2018-06-06

Features:

• -Implemented a clear separation between cell-tree iteration and layout generation, which will enable many new features (to be extended).
• -Based on the above, implemented a cell method to rebuild a cell inside Nazca before export to any available format, e.g. split a cell in a subcell per gds layer.
• -Updated range_check method with +/-inf settings.
• -Lots of small improvements (docstrings, checks, small fixes).

Release date: 2018-04-15

Features:

• -Added bb=True option to export_gds() to facilitate building block creation, sharing and loading.
• -Extended mirroring options in cell placement:
  flip=True: mirror by “rotation” in the connecting pin axis
  flop=True: mirror by “reversing the direction” of the connecting pin.
• -Provided more “predictable” ‘org’ behavior by filtering ‘org’ from raise-pins().
• -In load_gds the native=True setting can not change cell placement anymore:
  It now sets ‘org’ as default in/out pins (as it does for native=False), rather than adding ‘a0’ and ‘b0’ as default in/out.
• -A number of small fixes.

Release date: 2018-03-06

Features:

• – Implemented loading of gds files into fully native Nazca cell(s).
• – Added parametric curves.
• – Implemented direct pointer solving (at time of placement, rather than cell closure).
  It gives immediate access to pin coordinates (x, y, a).
• – Implemented automated bounding box for cells (including array’s and native loaded gds).
• – Added bounding box info to polygons and polylines.
• – Export full gds to matplotlib/png (including array’s and native loaded gds).
• – Export full gds to svg (including array’s and native loaded gds).
• – Added module for tracing path-lengths.
• – Pin, Polygon, Polyline and Annotation now all have a (mandatory) capital first letter to indicate they are classes.
• – Interconnects that can not be drawn correctly are shown in a dedicated error layer.
• – Improved stub handling, customize scaling, shapes or use cells as a stub.
• – Improved ubend to connect guides < 2*radius apart.
• – Improved doc-strings.
• – Improved messages.
• – Improved checking for cell name conflicts.
• – Added cell name filter to make cellnames comply with specific foundry restrictions.
• – Improved handling of missing xsections and layers.