1.

To get a list of unplaced instances in the design:

dbGet [dbGet -p top.insts.pStatus unplaced].name

2. To list all the placed instances in the design:

dbGet [dbGet -p top.insts.pStatus placed].name

3. To list all the fixed instances in the design:

dbGet [dbGet -p top.insts.pStatus fixed].name

4. To see what metal layers your block's IO pins are on:

dbGet top.terms.pins.allShapes.layer.name

5. To get a list of NONDEFAULT rules in the design:

dbGet head.rules.name

6. To get NDR applied on a specified net:

dbGet [dbGet -p top.nets.name netName].rule.name

7. To get the placement status of an instance:

dbGet [dbGetInstByName instName].pStatus

8. To get the points of a rectangular routing blockage:

dbGet top.fplan.rBlkgs.shapes.rect

9. To get the points of a rectilinear routing blockage:

dbGet top.fplan.rBlkgs.shapes.poly
10. To get a list of all cell types used in the design:
dbGet -u top.insts.cell.name
(The "-u" filters out duplicate objects.)

11. To get the size of block placement halos:

dbGet [dbGet -p2 top.insts.cell.subClass block*].pHaloTop
dbGet [dbGet -p2 top.insts.cell.subClass block*].pHaloBot
dbGet [dbGet -p2 top.insts.cell.subClass block*].pHaloLeft
dbGet [dbGet -p2 top.insts.cell.subClass block*].pHaloRight

12. To get the size and top/bottom layers of block routing halos:
dbGet [dbGet -p2 top.insts.cell.subClass block*].rHaloSideSize
dbGet [dbGet -p2 top.insts.cell.subClass block*].rHaloBotLayer.name
dbGet [dbGet -p2 top.insts.cell.subClass block*].rHaloTopLayer.name

13. To make sure all your tiehi/lo connections have tie cells (and are not connected to a rail
instead):
dbGet top.insts.instTerms.isTieHi 1
dbGet top.insts.instTerms.isTieLo 1
(Should return "0x0" if all connections have tie cells.
If "1"s are returned, use the following to find the terms that still need a tie cell:)
dbGet [dbGet -p top.insts.instTerms.isTieHi 1].name
dbGet [dbGet -p top.insts.instTerms.isTieLo 1].name

14. To get all insTerm names which are tied to tieLo cells:
dbGet [dbGet -p [dbGet -p2 top.insts.cell.subClass
coreTieLo].instTerms.net.allTerms.isInput 1].name

15. To change the routing status of a net (for example, from FIXED to ROUTED):
dbSet [dbGet -p top.nets.name netName].wires.status routed

16. To get the status of your design:

dbGet top.statusIoPlaced
dbGet top.statusPlaced
 dbGet top.statusClockSynthesized
dbGet top.statusRouted
dbGet top.statusRCExtracted
dbGet top.statusPowerAnalyzed

17. To find out which layers are used in a net:

dbGet [dbGet -p top.nets.name netName].wires.layer.name

18. To find all the instances of a certain cell type:

dbGet [dbGet -p2 top.insts.cell.name cellName].name

19. To get the size of a cell in the library, but not necessarily in the current design:
dbGet [dbGetCellByName cellName].size

20. To get nets that are marked in the db as clock net:

dbGet [dbGet -p top.nets.isClock 1].name

** Users need to run timeDesign before the above command to build a timing graph. Then
users will get the desired data by querying like above.

21. To set all instances with a particular pattern in its name to fixed status:
dbSet [dbGet –p top.insts.name *clk*].pStatus fixed

22. To get database units:

dbGet head.dbUnits

23. To get manufacturing grid:

dbGet head.mfgGrid

24. To get physical only cells like filler cell, end cap cell etc:
dbGet [dbGet -p top.insts.isPhysOnly 1].name
25. To filter all the PG pins with direction bidi of a specific instance:
dbGet [dbGet -p [dbGet -p top.insts.name instName].pgCellTerms.inOutDir bidi].name

26. To get class and subClass of a cell:

dbGet [dbGetCellByName cellName].baseClass
dbGet [dbGetCellByName cellName].subClass

27. To find out the instname/cellname of the driver driving a specific net.

set netName <netName>

set inst [dbGet [dbGet -p [dbGet -p top.nets.name $netName].allTerms.isOutput 1].inst]
Puts "Net: $netName, driving inst name: [dbGet $inst.name], driving cell name: [dbGet
$inst.cell.name]"

28. To list all layers for the pin of a cell:

dbGet [dbGet -p selected.cell.terms.name pinName].pins.allShapes.layer.extName

29. Report points of polyon that forms the die area:

dbShape -output polygon [dbGet top.fPlan.boxes]

30. To query the max_cap for a list of cells

set cellPtrList [dbGet -p head.allCells.name BUF*]

foreach cellPtr $cellPtrList {puts "[dbGet $cellPtr.name] [dbFTermMaxCap [dbGet -p
$cellPtr.terms.name <termName>] 1]"}

31. To find all instances with a specify property name "myProp" (string property type) and value
"xyzzy"

set inst_ptrs [dbGet -p top.insts.props {.name == "myProp" && .value == "xyzzy"]

Puts "Instances with property myProp and value xyzzy: [dbGet $inst_ptrs.name]"
32. To find non-clock ports in a design

dbGet [dbGet -p [dbGet -p2 top.terms.net.isClock 0].isInput 1].name

33. To identify ‘physical only’ types of cells (Well Tap, Tie hi/lo, Filler, Endcap/Decap)
You can query the subclass for a cell to check whether it is welltap, tiehigh, tielow or end cap :
dbGet [dbGet -p head.libCells.subClass <subClassName>].name
e.g. to get names of well tap cells (specified as ‘CLASS CORE WELLTAP ‘ in lef) , you can
use :
dbGet [dbGet -p head.libCells.subClass coreWellTap].name
Similarly, to get names of tie high/ tie low cells names (specified as ‘CLASS CORE TIEHIGH’
or ‘CLASS CORE TIELOW’ in lef), use :
dbGet [dbGet -p head.libCells.subClass coreTieHigh].name
or
dbGet [dbGet -p head.libCells.subClass coreTieLow].name
To report endcap cells (specified as ‘CLASS ENDCAP’ in lef) :
dbGet [dbGet -p head.libCells.subclass coreEndCap*].name
Similarly, to query filler cells with ‘CLASS CORE SPACER’ in lef syntax, you can use
following (similar to other physical only cells) :
dbGet [dbGet -p head.libCells.subClass coreSpacer].name

34. To print all the module names in a design loaded in EDI

foreach module_name [dbGet top.hInst.treeHInsts.cell.name] {

Puts "$module_name"
}

This will not include top module name. To get the top module name use

dbGet top.name

35. To get all the leaf cells used in the design, use

foreach leaf_name [dbGet -u top.insts.cell.name] {

Puts "$leaf_name"
}
For example, you could create a path group to all the D inputs of SRAM
instances using wildcards
:
clearClockDomains
setAnalysisMode
-
honorClockDomains false
group_path
-
name to_srams
-
to top/inst_sram*/D*
setPathGroupOptions to_srams
-
slackAdjustment 1000
-
slackAdjustmentPriority 10
optDesign
-
preCTS [
-
incr]
####to place iso cells

set mylist [dbGet top.insts.name *ISO*]

#foreach myin [dbGet top.insts.name *LVL*] { lappend mylist $myin }

set myfile [open ISOCellPlacement.place.eco w]

foreach myinst $mylist {

set myinstPtr [dbGetInstByName $myinst]

puts "$myinstPtr"

set myNet [dbNetName [dbTermNet [dbGetTermByInstTermName ${myinst}/A]]]

set myx [lindex [dbu2uu [dbTermLoc [dbGetFTermByName $myNet]]] 0]

set myy [lindex [dbu2uu [dbTermLoc [dbGetFTermByName $myNet]]] 1]

puts $myfile "placeInstance $myinst [expr $myx +2 ] $myy -placed"

close $myfile

source ISOCellPlacement.place.eco

refinePlace

foreach myinst $mylist {

setInstancePlacementStatus -name $myinst -status fixed