Schematic Composer : : Default Instance name customisation

Hi,
In the schematic composer when the user does instantiating a symbol the
instance name is Ixxx by default. Is it possible to modify this
behaviour so that the instance name is cellName_xxx. ( here cellName is
the cellName of the instance master)

Thanks
regards,
Suresh J

 

# How to Change the default Instance Name Prefix

To change the default instance name prefix, which is the capital letter "I" Open
the composer symbol editor for the symbol for which you will change the default
instance name prefix. Select the Edit ­ Properties ­ Cellview command. The Edit
Cellview Properties form appears. Show the system properties on the form by
choosing System. Change the instNamePrefix property. The default is the capital
letter "I". The new name must be a string.
When you place new instances of this same symbol, the new prefix name appears.

I tried it with NLP labels like
[@cellName] it works, but don't know how to get
the '_' in there.

Bernd

 

You need to put the "_" as the last character in the "Instance Name
Prefix field". So an AND gate's prefix for instance could look like
"and_" and all subsequent instances will be named and_0, and_1 etc.

 

Just to clarify - you don't "need" to put a "_" at the end of the
instance name prefix to make this concept work. Just responding to
Bernd's comment about figuring out how to put an underscore at the end
of the prefix...

 

Jo,

I just mentioned the underscore because the initial poster want to have
something like cellName_xxx.

To put an underscore '_' in the instNamePrefix field works fine
if you use fixed names for your instance prefix like AND, MOS etc.
But what I wanted to explain is if you want to use the more universal
approach with NLP labels like [@cellName], then the underscore will
not be evaluated correct (it doesn't work in my environment), or
I don't know how to implement this correct ;-).

Bernd

 

Hi Bernd,

Sorry, I'm sort of confused about this. From my (very, very limited)
knowledge, the NLP Labels are for display only, right? So to display
the instance name of a cell, you would add a label on your symbol -
something like [@instanceName] and when you instantiate a cell, the
symbol would display the correct instance name.

Is there something else about the NLP label that I am unaware of? Some
way to establish a prefix WITHOUT having to go through the "Edit
Cellview properties?

Jose

 

mmm... I think I'm beginning to "get it"!! You are saying that you
could use the NLP label of [@cellName] directly in the field for the
instance name prefix. I didn't know that you could do that. Well, one
learns something new everyday....

 

I think you might have to do [@cellName:%_]
(not sure, since I didn't test this). But if my memory is correct, that's
correct NLP speak for adding the _ at the end. However, I don't think
instNamePrefix can be an NLP expression? Perhaps I'm wrong?

Andrew.