1) Open a terminal

2) Connect to a compute server

Command:
ssh boronxx

(xx is a number between 01 and 11, but boron06 is not accessible currently)

3) Type the name of your project (eg. ELE512ES18). This command is case sensitive. Make sure
you type the project name correctly

You will do step 4 and step 9 only when you run cadence for the first time.

4) xkit –t xh018 –n (Do this only the first time, you will not run this again)
5) It will ask you a few questions.
Press 1 to select “Low Power” for Core module. (The system may skip this
step, if it does, 1 is automatically selected)
Press 1 to select “MOS3” for MOS module (The system may skip this step, if
it does, 1 is automatically selected)
Press 4 to select “4 Thin Metals” for METALS MODULE
Press 3 to select “Top and Thick Metal: METTP & METTPL” for TOPMETALS
MODULE

When you select the correct modules, you should see:

If it is correct, press y if it is wrong press n. If the system skipped the first 2

questions and you pressed wrong number for 3rd and 4th questions, please
correct these.

6) open your home folder (/home/xxxxxxxx)

7) press ctrl+H to make hidden files visible
8) open .xfabcadrc with gedit
 9) erase all its contents and paste the contents below. Make sure all directory
addresses are in a single line. If any address is written in 2 lines, the
configurations will be wrong. Double check the final .xfabcadrc file.
10) Now you can start Cadence
Command:
Cadence
11) When cadence starts, 2 windows will appear:
Main Virtuoso window and Library manager
12) Use Library Manager to create a library.
File->New -> Library
Make sure link to the library location is correct. If it is wrong browse to the correct address.
Correct address for your directory:
/vlsi/projects/XXXXXXX/db/cadence/xfab_xh018/
XXXXXX is the name of your project (eg. ELE512ES18).
13) Write the name of the library you will create
14) Select “Attach to an existing technology library”
Select TECH_XH018_HD
After creating your Library, you can create your schematic and layout files in this library.
Select the library then use the following sequence to create a cell view (schematic of layout)
File->New -> Celll View..

15) You may get common digital gates (schematic and layout) from XFAB. Standard Libraries.
There are several digital libraries. D_CELLS_3V are 3V high
voltage cells, D_CELLSHD are 1.8V high density cells (use these), D_CELLS_HDLL are high density low
leakage cells, etc… Use D_CELLS_HD for your design.
.xfabcadrc File Contents are Below:

###########################################################################
###################
;;general defaults

;;suppress all EDA tool default settings, which are not related to PDK definitions
;;This option will activate all other general default variables
;XfabCadNoToolDefaults = t

;;suppress library manager pop-up

;XfabCadNoOpenLibManager = t

;;suppress default CIW log filter settings

;XfabCadNoSetFilter = t

;;suppress default bindkey settings

;XfabCadNoSetBindKey = t

;;##########################################################################
####################
;;XStream defaults

;; use layer mapping from <techlibname>.layermap and <techlibname>.objectmap, to support

;; hierachical loading of layer map files in an ITDB
;XfabUseLayermapForItdb = t
;;##########################################################################
####################
;;defaul web browser for XKIT library data books
;XfabDefaultWebBrowser = "konqueror")

;;##########################################################################
####################
;;;defaul run directories

;default simulation run directory

XfabAsimenvRunDir = strcat("/local/" getShellEnvVar("ITUVLSI_PROJ") "/"
getShellEnvVar("USER") "/sim")

;;default Assura DRC run directory

XfabAssuraDrcRunDir = strcat("/local/" getShellEnvVar("ITUVLSI_PROJ") "/"
getShellEnvVar("USER") "/assura/drc")

;;default Assura LVS run directory

XfabAssuraLvsRunDir = strcat("/local/" getShellEnvVar("ITUVLSI_PROJ") "/"
getShellEnvVar("USER") "/assura/lvs")

;;default PVS DRC run directory

XfabPvsDrcRunDir = strcat("/local/" getShellEnvVar("ITUVLSI_PROJ") "/"
getShellEnvVar("USER") "/pvs/drc")

;;default PVS LVS run directory

XfabPvsLvsRunDir = strcat("/local/" getShellEnvVar("ITUVLSI_PROJ") "/"
getShellEnvVar("USER") "/pvs/lvs")

;;default PVS FastXor run directory

;XfabPvsXorRunDir = strcat("local/" getShellEnvVar("ITUVLSI_PROJ") "/"
getShellEnvVar("USER") "/pvs")
;;default Calibre DRC run directory
XfabCalibreDrcRunDir = strcat("/local/" getShellEnvVar("ITUVLSI_PROJ") "/"
getShellEnvVar("USER") "/calibre/drc")

;;default Calibre LVS run directory

XfabCalibreLvsRunDir = strcat("/local/" getShellEnvVar("ITUVLSI_PROJ") "/"
getShellEnvVar("USER") "/calibre/lvs")

;;default Calibre PEX run directory

XfabCalibrePexRunDir = strcat("/local/" getShellEnvVar("ITUVLSI_PROJ") "/"
getShellEnvVar("USER") "/calibre")

;;default SiliconFrontline run directory

;XfabSFTRunDir = strcat("local/" getShellEnvVar("ITUVLSI_PROJ") "/"
getShellEnvVar("USER") "/sft")