Luceda IP Manager

Luceda IP Manager enables photonic design teams to automate the creation and validation of photonic design IP libraries and process design kits (PDKs).

PDK Workflow in Luceda IP Manager


PDK Creation

With IP Manager you can easily kickstart the creation of your PDK by using the “New Design Kit Project” button available in the Luceda Control Center, which helps you generate a first working version of your PDK. From there, you can follow the guides available in this section to define your technology, layers and purposes, parametric component library and waveguides.

PDK Testing

IP Manager helps avoid costly mistakes by testing various aspects of photonic IP building blocks and circuits, such as layout, connectivity and simulation.

It provides the following testing and validation features:

  • Predefined tests that enable to

    • Test the layout, netlist and circuit model of components against known good references, to capture desired or undesired changes.

    • Test a netlist extracted from layout against the formal netlist of a component.

    • Test the virtual fabrication definition.

  • Regeneration of known-good reference files.

  • Definition of own custom tests, including tests on S-parameters such as passivity, free spectral range, etc.

  • Easy setup for testing example code files for training or documentation.

  • Multiple ways to visualize test results, which can be printed into the console, visualized inside most Python IDEs (such as PyCharm), or exported into an HMTL file.

The test routines in IP Manager are based on the Python framework pytest, which gives powerful ways to define tests using the Python programming language. In this way, IP Manager provides the benefit of using a standard software tool while adding crucial features for photonic design automation and validation.

PDK Building & Deployment

The IP Manager function ip_manager.pdk.build() provides functionality to:

  • Bundle PDKs for distribution.

  • Automatically generate PDK documentation, including components and trace templates.

  • Generate layer files, specifically layermap.txt and .lyp (KLayout Layer Properties).

  • Automatically generate symbols for use in IPKISS Canvas.

  • Generate an OpenAccess library

  • Generate symbols

The IP Manager function ip_manager.pdk.inspect() provides functionality to quickly inspect the content of PDKs.

IP Manager can be used from your favourite Python IDE such as the recommended PyCharm IDE, or from the Python command line.