Using the Electric VLSI Design System

# Chapter VIII: CREATING NEW ENVIRONMENTS

| ## 1: Introduction to Technology Editing |

Although there are many technology descriptions in Electric, there are many more in the world. To accommodate this, there is the technology editor which allows you to modify existing technologies and create new ones.

The editor works by converting a technology into a library of facets. You then edit the facets, using familiar Electric commands, and make changes to the technology. Finally, the technology editor translates the library back into a technology.

Libraries which describe a technology are called technology libraries. They use elements from the Artwork technology to describe their information. Special commands from the Technology menu aid in the manipulation of these libraries.

There are four types of facets in a technology library which describe the layers, nodes, arcs, and miscellaneous-information. The layer facets all begin with the name "layer-" and each one defines a layer in the technology. For example, the facet called "layer-Metal" defines the metal layer. The node and arc facets correspond to the primitives in the technology. Their names always begin with "node-" and "arc-". The miscellaneous information facet is always called "factors". Any other facet in the library is ignored.

| Previous |  |  | Table of Contents |  | Next |