


IPP(1ICD)		     5/22/87			IPP(1ICD)



NNNNAAAAMMMMEEEE
     ipp - an interactive placement program

SSSSYYYYNNNNOOOOPPPPSSSSIIIISSSS
     iiiipppppppp [----gggg graphics] [----dddd device]

OOOOPPPPTTTTIIIIOOOONNNNSSSS
     One of the following options can be specified:

     ----gggg   The name of a graphics terminal.
	  The following graphics terminals are supported:
	  apollo_15_color, hp2397, hp98700, hpgp, rast10.

     ----dddd   The pathname of the graphics device.	Normally only
	  used in combination with the hpgp graphics device.

	  If no options are used the environment variable TERM is
	  used to obtain the name of the graphics terminal.

DDDDEEEESSSSCCCCRRRRIIIIPPPPTTTTIIIIOOOONNNN
     _I_p_p is an interactive program for the generation of a place-
     ment from a given circuit description.  To use the program
     the project directory must be chosen as the current working
     directory.

     _I_p_p uses a cursor to select a point or an area on the
     screen.  To select a point a cross is used, which is moved
     around with the aid of the stylus (or mouse).  Upon pressing
     the stylus (pushing the rightmost button of the mouse) the
     point is selected.  When rectangular areas have to be
     entered, _i_p_p switches to rubber-box / line cursors after the
     first point has been fixed.

     _I_p_p is menu driven, with the commands to be used appearing
     on the left and bottom sides of the screen.  The commands
     are selected by moving the cursor into the command area on
     the screen and pressing the mouse.  On occasions where _i_p_p
     expects the user to specify a point in the design area it is
     often allowed to select a command instead, thereby cancel-
     ling / interrupting the command in progress.

     _I_p_p has a hierarchical menu structure.  Upon starting the
     main menu is shown on the screen from which one may choose
     one of the command clusters.  Upon doing so the set of com-
     mands belonging to the cluster are shown, and one may choose
     one of them.

     A brief description of the commands are given below:

     ddddmmmm mmmmeeeennnnuuuu	 This cluster contains all the commands to
		 interact with the data manager (database).  When
		 the program is started, _i_p_p commences in the



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IPP(1ICD)		     5/22/87			IPP(1ICD)



		 rrrreeeeaaaadddd cccciiiirrrrccccuuuuiiiitttt command of this cluster to get a
		 circuit description for which a placement can be
		 assembled.  To generate a placement, the
		 instances of the circuit-description must have
		 an equivalent description in the layout-view.
		 After the circuit description is read, one can
		 input a (partial) placement using the
		 "read_floorplan" command or one can place indi-
		 vidual instances using the "add_inst" command.
		 The terminals of the father cell can be placed
		 with the "add_io" command.  Note the "add_inst"
		 and "add_io" commands can also be found in the
		 instance menu and the io_menu, respectively.
		 When the placement must be saved in the data-
		 base, the write_floorplan command must be
		 selected.  One may store the placement with the
		 old name (if it had one) or store in with a new
		 name.	One must remember which circuit descrip-
		 tion belongs to a floorplan cell.


     iiiinnnnssssttttaaaannnncccceeeessss	 In this menu, the commands associated with
		 instances are contained.  Instances may be added
		 according to the circuit description, or mir-
		 rored, moved, rotated, etc.  The program will
		 refuse the command, if an instance overlaps
		 another element (an instance, a channel or a
		 terminal) by a move or rotate command.

     iiiioooo____mmmmeeeennnnuuuu	 This menu contains the commands associated with
		 io_terminals.	Io_terminals can be added accord-
		 ing to the circuit description, or deleted,
		 resized, moved, etc.  One dimensional array of
		 terminal (either in x direction or in y direc-
		 tion) may be used by setting the repetition and
		 offset array parameters.  A special command is
		 bbbboooorrrrddddeeeerrrr____iiiioooo which moves all the io-terminals to
		 their closest border, when invoked.  This is
		 necessary if this program is used as a prepro-
		 cessor for _g_l_r_o_u_t_e(1ICD) and _s_e_q_u(1ICD).

     cccchhhhaaaannnnnnnneeeellllssss	 This cluster of commands contains all the com-
		 mands for the construction and manipulation of
		 routing channels.  A command to note is
		 iiiinnnniiiitttt____cccchhhhaaaannnnnnnneeeellllssss with which the outmost four chan-
		 nels can be generated.  Note that the terminals
		 of the father cell must be placed outside the
		 outmost channels.  An inner channel can be gen-
		 erated by selecting two points on its parent
		 channels using the "add_channel" command.  A
		 channel can be deleted using the "delete_chan"
		 command.  Note that all channels that are



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IPP(1ICD)		     5/22/87			IPP(1ICD)



		 descendants of the selected channel are also
		 deleted.

     ffffllllaaaaggggssss mmmmeeeennnnuuuu  This menu contains commands with which the draw-
		 ing of subterminals or white text can be dis- or
		 enabled.

     ggggrrrriiiidddd____mmmmeeeennnnuuuu	 In this menu, the grid size can be set interac-
		 tively.

     bbbboooottttttttoooommmm mmmmeeeennnnuuuu This is the permanent menu on the bottom side of
		 the screen.  It operates independently from the
		 vertical menus.  "Bottom menu" commands can be
		 invoked within "vertical menu" commands, without
		 cancelling them.  They can be terminated by
		 invoking any other command or by executing the
		 "return" command, in which case, control will
		 return to the current "vertical menu" command.
		 The "repeat" command can be used to put the
		 repeatable commands of the bottom menu in auto-
		 repeat mode.  The menu contains commands for the
		 manipulations of windows and commands for the
		 display of nets connected to objects on the
		 screen.  Connections can be displayed for an
		 individual net, all connections to a selected
		 instance or all connections of the circuit.  The
		 program displays the connections in the form of
		 (parts of) the minimum spanning tree for each
		 net.

AAAAUUUUTTTTHHHHOOOORRRR
     A. van der Hoeven

SSSSEEEEEEEE AAAALLLLSSSSOOOO
     dali(1ICD), gcr(1ICD), glroute(1ICD), sequ(1ICD).




















		   The Nelsis IC Design System			3



