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was last updated.
Besides the upstream changes listed below, also add DESTDIR support
(which is enabled by better upstream support for it).
4. Version 7.5 Release Notes:
---------------------------------
Version 7.5 is the development branch. Version 7.5.0 is the same as
7.4.2, which is essentially the same as 7.3.123, plus some
documentation updates. Intended development is as follows:
1) Use a finely spaced grid for the database, but keep the concept
of "lambda" for layout. Keep backwards compatibility, and resolve
issues with layout that does not work well on the lambda grid.
Item #1 implemented in 7.5.1 by allowing a DRC "scalefactor" line,
which declares that all DRC rules are in units of (lambda /
scalefactor). Rules "in use" are scaled to lambda and rounded to
the nearest integer. The original value is retained, however, so
that any call to "scalegrid" will recompute the DRC distances based
on the current internal grid. Thus, we can define DRC rules in
fractional lambda and therefore match vendor DRC rule distances
while still maintaining magic's concept of "lambda". This means
that users working entirely within magic have scalable CMOS rules,
but if a "vendor cell" (3rd party GDS or CIF) is loaded, the DRC
rules will be correct with respect to it.
2) Create tile-based DRC functions that work like cifoutput: perform
tile operations, for which the resulting plane, instead of being
output as a file like CIF or GDS, simply becomes an error result
plane. This will become an extra built-in plane. Try to keep the
plane numbers down by removing the built-in routing planes when they
are not used.
Basically, this means that the top of the DRC section defines a set
of "templayer" blocks just like "cifinput" and "cifoutput" (but at the
same scaling as the layout (thus the main reason for item #1 above)),
where the templayer types can be used in the DRC section.
3) Add "cifoutput" operators as needed to form a complete DRC. Add DRC
rule types as needed to form a complete DRC (for example, it needs a
"copy" function that declares that the templayer itself represents the
error condition).
4. Version 7.4 Release Notes:
---------------------------------
Version 7.4 is the new stable distribution version of magic.
Apart from changes to the release notes, it is identical to
the last revision (123) of development version 7.3. Revisions
of 7.4 will be made as necessary to fix bugs in the code. All
new additions and major changes will be done to the new
development distribution, version 7.5. Therefore there will
not be a "What's new in 7.4" section, as there is not supposed
to be anything new in version 7.4.
5. Version 7.3 Release Notes:
---------------------------------
Magic release 7.3 incorporates a stacked contact model which is,
for the most part, backwardly compatible with Magic releases
7.2 and earlier. Information about this developmental release
can be found at:
http://opencircuitdesign.com/magic/magic7_3.html
What's new in 7.3:
------------------
Provided by Tim Edwards (MultiGiG, Inc.):
1) Stacked contact model allowing arbitrary stacking of
contact types.
2) A separate "undo/redo" method for network selection, to
remove the memory overhead associated with selecting and
unselecting large networks. Also removes some time overhead
as well, especially when unselecting networks.
3) Much improved "plot pnm" function.
4) Improved transistor and resistor extraction.
5) LEF format reader; improved LEF/DEF input/output handling
6) New style and colormap file formats
7) Vendor GDS read/write capability
8) "wire segment" drawing function
9) Handling of path records in CIF and GDS input
10) Handling of cell scaling in GDS input
11) Pi-network device extraction for resistors
12) Option to write contacts as cell arrays in GDS output
13) New "widespacing" and "maxwidth" DRC algorithms.
14) "polygon" command
15) New cifoutput operator "bloat-all"
16) Backing-store for 24-bit and OpenGL graphics
17) New "pick" tool for interactive selection move and copy
18) New interactive "wire" tool
19) Crosshair
20) New cifoutput operator "slots"
21) New fcntl-based file locking mechanism
22) "angstroms" units supported in cifinput/cifoutput
23) Non-Manhattan device extraction support
24) New "feedback" mechanism
25) Proper support for > 32 planes (up to 64)
26) Fixed array interaction CIF/GDS generation
27) Added executable "magicdnull" for streamlined batch-mode use
28) New method for crash backups, including restore with "magic -r"
29) A number of other technology file additions and enhancements
6. Version 7.2 Release Notes:
---------------------------------
Magic release 7.2 incorporates the capability to run magic from the Tcl
interpreter with graphics handled by Tk. Instructions for compiling
and installing this version are in README.Tcl. Information about
this release can be found at:
http://opencircuitdesign.com/magic/magic7_2.html
What's new in 7.2:
------------------
Provided by Tim Edwards (MultiGiG, Inc., and JHU Applied Physics Lab):
1) Tcl interpreter extension option
2) Cygwin compile option
3) Memory resources cleaned up
4) GUI interface to Tcl version of Magic
5) Readline update to version 4.3
6) OpenGL fixes and refinements
7) Nonmanhattan geometry fixes and extensions
8) Threaded graphics in non-Tcl environments
9) Inductance extraction
10) CIF and GDS input/output support for deep submicron technologies
11) Different internal and lambda grids, including automatic or
induced ("scalegrid" command) grid subdivision and expansion.
"snap" and "grid" functions and extensions aid layout when
lambda and internal units differ.
12) Removed commands "list", "listall", "parent", and "child",
replacing them with the more general-purpose "cellname"
and "instance" commands.
13) Added command "tech", and re-loadable technologies.
14) Revamped the "dstyle" files and updated the dstyle version
15) Added "element" types for layout annotation.
16) Extended extract section of techfile to include "device"
keyword and devices "mosfet", "bjt", "capacitor", and "resistor".
New model resistor and mosfet use width/length instead of area/
perimeter.
17) Added 3D rendering window invoked by command "specialopen wind3d",
for the Tcl version compiled with OpenGL graphics.
18) Added "height" keyword to tech file for height/thickness values
19) Added "windowname" command for managing multiple wrapper windows
under Tcl.
20) Added extraction extension for annular (ring) MOSFETs.
21) Added "widespacing" DRC rule.
22) Added GNU autoconf compile
23) New command "property" for setting key:value pair properties
in cell definitions that can be interpreted by other routines
(such as LEF/DEF).
24) General-purpose subcircuit method using the "port" command to
declare a cell to be a subcircuit and to mark the position and
orientation of connections into the subcell. This replaces a
method previously built into version 7.2 using a "subcircuit"
layer; that method is now considered obsolete.
25) LEF and DEF format readers, LEF format writer.
26) Improved techfile format with asterisk-notation and DRC
"surround", "overhang", and "rect_only" statements.
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Magic is an interactive system for creating and modifying VLSI circuit
layouts. With Magic, you use a color graphics display and a mouse or
graphics tablet to design basic cells and to combine them
hierarchically into large structures. Magic is different from other
layout editors you may have used. The most important difference is
that Magic is more than just a color painting tool: it understands
quite a bit about the nature of circuits and uses this information to
provide you with additional operations. For example, Magic has
built-in knowledge of layout rules; as you are editing, it
continuously checks for rule violations. Magic also knows about
connectivity and transistors, and contains a built-in hierarchical
circuit extractor. Magic also has a plow operation that
you can use to stretch or compact cells. Lastly, Magic has routing
tools that you can use to make the global interconnections in your
circuits.
Magic is based on the Mead-Conway style of design. This means that it
uses simplified design rules and circuit structures. The
simplifications make it easier for you to design circuits and permit
Magic to provide powerful assistance that would not be possible
otherwise. However, they result in slightly less dense circuits than
you could get with more complex rules and structures. For example,
Magic permits only Manhattan designs (those whose edges are vertical
or horizontal).
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