PV Tool Knowledge
Calibre from Siemens EDA (formerly Mentor Graphics) is the industry-standard sign-off verification tool. Virtually all foundry PDKs are certified for Calibre. I
Calibre (Siemens)
Calibre from Siemens EDA (formerly Mentor Graphics) is the industry-standard sign-off verification tool. Virtually all foundry PDKs are certified for Calibre. If your Calibre DRC is clean, the foundry accepts your GDS.
| Calibre Mode | Command | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| DRC | calibre -drc -hier -runset drc.svrf | Design rule verification against foundry rules |
| LVS | calibre -lvs -hier -runset lvs.svrf | Layout vs schematic comparison |
| PEX/RCX | calibre -xrc -rcx -runset rcx.svrf | Parasitic RC extraction → generates SPEF |
| Fill | calibre -drc -hier -runset fill.svrf | Insert dummy metal fill to meet density rules |
| ERC | calibre -erc -runset erc.svrf | Electrical connectivity and latchup checks |
| PERC | calibre -perc -runset perc.svrf | ESD and latchup reliability analysis |
| DFM | calibre -dfm -runset dfm.svrf | Design-for-manufacturing: yield improvement checks |
| Litho Check | calibreLitho -verify | Optical proximity correction / lithography simulation |
Calibre Interactive (RVE) — The Results Viewing Environment (RVE) is Calibre's GUI for viewing DRC/LVS errors. Open it with calibredrv -m gds -gui. Features: highlight errors in layout, zoom to violation, batch-fix mode, error count by rule, and cross-probe to schematic for LVS.
IC Validator (Synopsys)
Synopsys IC Validator (ICV) is Synopsys's native sign-off verification tool, tightly integrated with StarRC (parasitic extraction) and ICC2. Growing adoption especially in designs using the full Synopsys tool chain.
| ICV Mode | Command | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| DRC | icv -drc -i chip.gds -c icv_drc.rs | Design rule verification |
| LVS | icv -lvs -i chip.gds -s netlist.v | Layout vs schematic |
| Fill | icv -fill -i chip.gds -c fill.rs | Density fill insertion |
| ERC | icv -erc -i chip.gds | Electrical rule check |
| In-design DRC | icc2_shell> check_drc | DRC inside ICC2 during routing - catch violations early |
Comparison
| Feature | Calibre (Siemens) | ICV (Synopsys) |
|---|---|---|
| Foundry Certification | Gold Standard - all foundries | Certified at major foundries |
| Tape-out Acceptance | Universally accepted | TSMC, Samsung, GF certified |
| PD Integration | In-design: Innovus + ICC2 | Native in ICC2 |
| Parasitic Extraction | Calibre xRC/PEX | StarRC (separate tool) |
| GUI Viewer | Calibre RVE | Custom Error Browser |
| Speed (large designs) | Excellent (hierarchical) | Excellent (hierarchical) |
| Rule Deck Language | SVRF / TVF | RSDB / SVRF compatible |