Exporting Library Parts from Mentor Graphics

This chapter describes the procedure for exporting Library Management System (LMS) library parts into IFF files that can be read in by Advanced Design System (ADS). Agilent Technologies is not responsible for writing or maintaining the code that is used to export LMS library parts from Mentor Graphics. Further information can be found on this process by referring to Mentor Graphics RF Design Tools User's and Reference Manual , which is provided with Mentor Graphics release C.4 or greater. This information in this chapter is provided as a courtesy, and is not guaranteed to be up to date or correct.

Note The LMS library shown in this chapter is from the $MGC_HOME/shared/examples/lms directory. The lms_Xpress library was set up.

LMS Librarian Tool

Mentor Graphics provides a tool that is used to manage LMS parts. This tool is LMS Librarian, and is executed by typing the command lms_libr. As part of the RF Architect product, Ample code is provided that extends lms_libr so that it can export LMS parts into IFF format files. It is crucial that your environment is set up properly for Mentor Graphics. Refer to Setting up the LMS Toolkit Software for Mentor Graphics if you are not sure whether your environment is set up correctly.

Procedure for Exporting LMS Parts to an IFF File

The following steps must be followed in order to export one or more LMS parts to an IFF file:

1. Execute the LMS librarian tool by typing in the command lms_libr, or, alternately, by selecting the lms_libr in the design manager. You should get a window that looks like LMS Librarian window.
   

   LMS Librarian window

2. Change to the appropriate library, by choosing the Change Library... option on the popup menu. The Library Browser window will be updated to reflect the available directories for the library you have selected.
3. In the Library Browser window, select the catalogs entry. This will display the list of catalogs that are available for the currently selected library in the right half of the window.
4. Double click on one of the available categories. This will open a Catalog Browser window, which will show all of the available parts in the catalog.
5. In the Catalog Browser window, choose the parts you wish to transfer to ADS. Multiple parts can be selected by clicking with the control key pressed down.
6. When you have chosen the parts you wish to transfer to ADS, select the Add To Part Development Window option in the popup menu, or press the Add to Part Development Window button on the icon line of the Catalog Browser. A Part Development Window will be opened, with the parts you have selected in it.
7. In the Part Development Window, select the Select/Filter > Select All option. The IFF exporter will only export the parts you currently have selected in the Part Development Window. If you do not wish to export all of the parts into the same IFF file, you can alternately select individual parts by clicking on them with the control key depressed. When the appropriate parts are selected, use the main menu Create > eesof Data menu option. This will bring up the Export MGC LMS Parts to EEsof menu.

Geometry Search Vector : This is an optional list of paths where the LMS geometries reside. If the value is left empty, a dialog will prompt for the value when the export is started. It is recommended that the value be left blank, as the prompt will give library choices, which will contain the geometry paths.
Output Directory Target : This is the directory where you wish to have the layout and schematic IFF files created. This directory must already exist. The files will be put into a ltk.hpxfer subdirectory within the directory that is selected. The ltk.hpxfer directory will be created automatically if it does not already exist.
MGC to EEsof Layer Map : This is a text file that contains information on how to translate the Mentor Graphics layer names and number to their EEsof equivalent. The default value is $MGC_HOME/pkgs/pcb_rf/data/ads/mgc_to_hpeesof_layer.map. The layer mapping file can also be specified as an environment variable using MGC_RF_LAYER_MAP. This variable must be set prior to invoking lms_libr. If this environment variable is set, the default value for this field will be the value of the environment variable.
When the dialog has been filled out properly, press the OK button. If the geometry search vector was not set, the Geometry Search Choice dialog will be displayed (Geometry Search Choice dialog). Select the appropriate geometry path choice. Pressing OK will then begin the export.

Geometry Search Choice dialog

The export process will create three files, LMSgeoms.iff, LMSsymbols.iff, and parts_mapping_file.txt. These files will all be placed in a directory called ltk.hpxfer, in the output directory that was specified in the Export MGC LMS Parts to EEsof Dialog (see Geometry Search Choice dialog).

LMSsymbols.iff - This file contains the symbols associated with the LMS parts.
LMSgeoms.iff - This file contains the geometries associated with the LMS parts.
parts_mapping_file.txt - This file contains a single entry for each part that was exported to IFF. Each entry contains information about which symbols and which geometries are associated to each LMS part.

Limitations for LMS Parts in EEsof

LMS parts that contain multiple symbols in the mapping file and have distinct COMP properties, are not supported in this release. During export of these LMS parts, LTK generates errors for parts, which cannot be correctly translated to EEsof.