DALI(1ICD)

NAME
dali - an interactive layout editor

SYNOPSIS
dali [-r] [-g graphics] [-d device] [cellname]
Xdali [-r] [-h host:dnr[.snr]] [=geo] [cellname]

OPTIONS

-r  Read-only mode. With this option one may run dali in projects where only `read' access is permitted. Dali will not allow edited cells to be written to the project database.

cellname
    Name of cell that is to be read at start-up. For dali (GKS-version) one of the following options can be specified:

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

-d  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. For Xdali (Xwindow-version) the following options can be specified:

-h  The display to be used by Xdali. The display must be identified by a hostname together with a display number, and optionally a screen number.

If this option is not used the environment variable DISPLAY is used to identify the display.

=geo
    To specify the window geometry <width>x<height>{+-}<xoffset>{+-}<yoffset>. For example, =+0 to get a default window at xoffset 0, or =1000x800+0 to get a rather big window in the upper left corner.

DESCRIPTION
Dali (the Delft Advanced Layout Interface) is a program for layout editing of integrated circuits. It can be used for the creation / manipulation of hierarchical layouts containing orthogonal and 45 degrees mask geometries. Dali interacts with the ICD / NELSIS database for storage and retrieval of the layout descriptions. To use the program the project directory must be chosen as the current working directory. Dali 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, polygons or centre-lines of wires have to be entered, dali switches to rubber-box / line cursors after the first point has been fixed. Dali is menu driven, with the commands to be used appearing on the left side of the screen. The commands are selected by moving the cursor into the command area on the screen and pressing the stylus. On occasions where dali expects the user to specify a point in the design area it is often allowed to select a command instead, thereby cancelling / interrupting the command in progress. Dali 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 commands belonging to the cluster are shown, and one may choose one of them. The clusters and their commands are:

dm_menu
    Commands to interact with the data manager (database). Also commands to expand (on the screen) the instance(s) are given here, as well as commands to clear the data patterns.

inst_menu
    Commands to manipulate instances (calls from the edited cell to son-cells), including the manipulation of arrays of instances and the possibility to add instances of cells that have previously been imported from other projects.

term_menu
    Commands to manipulate the terminals, including the manipulation of a terminal-buffer as well as the possibility to "lift" terminals of instances.

box_menu
    Commands to manipulate the primitive mask geometries of the cell being edited. This includes the manipulation of polygons containing 45 degrees edges, buffer operations, wire editing and a fast integrated design-rule checker performing single-layer checks.

visible
    In this cluster one may set layers/names visible/not_visible on the screen.

aux_menu
    In this cluster some auxiliary commands are gathered. For instance, commands to control the display grid and snap grid or to ask for information about (parts of) the design.

chk_menu
    Contains the commands to do design-rule checking and to show the results on the screen. Dali contacts the dimcheck(1ICD) package to perform the actual check.

Various commands (e.g. append, wire) operate only on the mask layers
that have been selected by the designer. (De)activation of these mask layers can be done by toggling the corresponding areas at the bottom of the screen. Messages from the program to the user will be displayed in a window at the top of the screen.

AUTHORS
P. van der Wolf, J. Liedorp, H. Fasotte

FILES
proj_dir/.dmrc	(input file)
proj_dir/layout/cell/box	(in/output file)
proj_dir/layout/cell/info	(in/output file)
proj_dir/layout/cell/mc	(in/output file)
proj_dir/layout/cell/term	(in/output file)
proj_dir/layout/cell/nor	(in/output file)

LIMITATIONS
The editor will only fit for cells with Manhattan and 45 degrees shapes.

SEE ALSO
P. van der Wolf, "STAR: An Interactive Silicon Layout Editor", Delft University of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering, Network Theory Section, Report nr. 84-64. P. van der Wolf and J. Liedorp, "DALI: User's Manual", Delft University of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering, Network Theory Section.