Hierarchical Design

Overview

Designing a project without regard to hierarchy quickly creates an enormous mess.  Cadence provides a powerful hierarchy engine to enable modular design.  This tutorial teaches you the basics by using the 2:1 mux created in the previous tutorials to create a 4:1 mux.  You will learn how to create symbols from your designs and use those symbols in more complicated designs.

Create a Symbol

Open the schematic view of your 2:1 multiplexor created and simulated in the previous tutorials.

Choose Design -> Create Cellview -> From Cellview....  The Cellview From Cellview form should default to the correct values.  Verify the following:

Library Name: EE451 (or EE445)

Cell Name: mux2_1

From View Name: schematic

To View Name: symbol

Tool / Data Type: Composer-Symbol

Display Cellview and Edit Options: selected

Press OK.  A new schematic looking window will open up.  It contains a box representing your 2:1 mux with the correct input and output ports.

Modify the symbol to look like a normal 2:1 mux.

Save the symbol (f8).  Close all your schematic windows until you get back to the Library Manager.  Notice that you have a new view called symbol under the 2:1 mux in your Library Manager.  Create a new schematic cellview in your library called mux4_1.  Press i to add an instance, navigate to your library and choose mux2_1.  Place three of them in your schematic.  Finish the design of the 4:1 mux by making it look like the schematic below.  A few things about the schematic:

1. Create a bus by selecting Add -> Wire (wide) or by pressing W.  Name busses using angle brackets.  Your two bit selection bus is named S<1:0>.
2. Wires with the same name are connected.  To name a wire choose Add -> Wire Name... or press l.  Add wire names the same way you add pins.  The Bus Expansion option allows you to write a bus name, say S<1:0> in the names box and place each wire S<1>, S<0> individually.  Play with it to see how it works.

At this point you can make a symbol of your 4:1 mux or simply simulate the current view. 

Conclusion

You've successfully created a hierarchical design.  Now you just need to simulate it and verify that it works like a mux.  The next tutorial helps you run the simulator for your 4:1 mux.