cicpy

cicpy is the Python frontend around ciccreator data and layout flows.

It can:

  • translate .cic data into other formats
  • generate Magic and Xschem output
  • place stacks and devices
  • generate SVG and other derived views

Install latest and greatest 

git clone https://github.com/wulffern/cicpy
cd cicpy
python3 -m pip install -e .

Root workflow

The project now has root-level test and docs commands similar to cicsim.

make test
make docs
make build

Docs

Commands

  • transpile: translate a .cic design into Magic, Xschem, SKILL, Verilog, and SPICE-family outputs. Supports extra library inputs through --I. See transpile.
  • jcell: extract one named cell from a .cic file as JSON. Supports extra library inputs through --I. See jcell.
  • place [Deprecated]: place devices from a .cic design using one of the built-in placement patterns. Supports extra library inputs through --I.
  • minecraft: emit a Minecraft build script from one layout cell in a .cic design. Supports extra library inputs through --I. See minecraft.
  • svg: render a .cic design library into SVG views. Supports extra library inputs through --I. See svg.
  • sch2mag: read a schematic-driven project, place and route it, then write .mag and .cic layout output. See sch2mag.
  • spi2mag: read a SPICE subcircuit and placed-cell library, then write .mag and .cic layout output. This is the SPICE-driven counterpart to sch2mag.
  • orc [Deprecated]: expand ORC recipes into grouped .json and .spi output files.
  • filter [Deprecated]: currently a parse-only placeholder command that loads a .cic file, optionally merges included libraries through --I, and exits.

Library Includes

Commands that read .cic data can load extra library files with --I.

cicpy svg top.cic tech/cic/sky130A.tech TOP \
  --I analog_lib.cic \
  --I digital_lib.cic

Use --I when the top-level .cic only contains one generated cell and references child cells stored in separate library .cic files.

For command help:

cicpy --help
cicpy <command> --help

Custom IC Creator Python

Python toolbox for transpiling ciccreator output to other IC design formats.

Install

Latest from git:

git clone https://github.com/wulffern/cicpy
cd cicpy
pip install -e .

Stable release from PyPI:

pip install cicpy

Commands 

cicpy [OPTIONS] COMMAND [ARGS]...
Command Description
transpile Translate .cic to SKILL layout/schematic, SPICE, Verilog, Xschem, Magic, SVG
jcell Extract a single cell from a .cic file as JSON
sch2mag Netlist an Xschem schematic to SPICE, then place and route to Magic
spi2mag Place and route a SPICE subcircuit to Magic
compile Compile a ciccreator object definition (.json) into a .cic — the job bin/cic does
svg Generate SVG views from a .cic library
gui Open a Qt viewer on a .cic file (needs pip install cicpy[gui])
checkroutes Check a cell for shorts and opens
tracks Report which routing tracks are occupied, and by what
blockers What stops a net from dropping a via column in a box
findroute Search a path for a net and report it without drawing anything
stackorder Which columns are interleaved, and what reordering them would cost
cost What a cell’s routing costs: wire length, vias, pieces
minecraft Emit a Minecraft build script from a layout cell
place (Deprecated) Place transistors by pattern
orc (Deprecated) Orchestration runner
filter (Deprecated) Parse-only placeholder

For full option lists: cicpy --help and cicpy <command> --help

Common transpile options 

cicpy transpile SAR9B.cic.gz demo.tech SAR9B \
  --layskill    # Cadence SKILL layout
  --schskill    # Cadence SKILL schematic
  --spice       # ngspice + CDL netlists
  --xschem      # Xschem schematics
  --magic       # Magic .mag layout
  --verilog     # Verilog (experimental)

Compiling and transpiling in one pass

compile accepts the same output flags as transpile and runs them on the design it just built, so there is no write-then-reload round trip:

cicpy compile --I cic cic/ip.json cic/sky130.tech MYLIB --spice --xschem --magic

This writes MYLIB.cic and the outputs together. The result is byte-identical to running compile and then transpile over the file it wrote.

Where output goes

Diagnostics go through the standard logging machinery, rendered with rich — level, logger name, and colour. Data a command was asked for (reports, listings, netlists) goes to the console object on stdout, so it stays pipeable. cicpy-mcp logs on stderr, keeping stdout a clean protocol channel. Nothing in the package prints directly.

Extra library includes

Commands that read .cic data accept multiple --I flags to merge library cells:

cicpy svg top.cic tech/cic/sky130A.tech TOP \
  --I analog_lib.cic \
  --I digital_lib.cic

Changelog

Version Comment
0.0.1 First version
0.1.5 First PyPI release
0.1.8 Added cicspi dependency and subpackages
0.1.9 Routing, Magic layout, and connectivity improvements
0.3.1 compile gained the transpile outputs, running them from memory; the spice banner no longer names the Python class
0.3.0 rich is the default terminal output: one logger module, a console for data, no bare print()
0.2.0 Declarative routing: paths/blocked on sidecar cells, anchored stories with no coordinates, the search emits paste-ready path entries, stacked supply rings, trustworthy checkroutes, MCP server