Cadence

Simple Cadence Design with VirtuChip.AI

8 min read

Step-by-step guide to importing VirtuChip.AI symbols into Cadence Virtuoso and running your first Spectre simulation.

Overview

VirtuChip.AI provides Cadence Virtuoso–compatible symbol libraries for every model we sell. This guide walks you through adding them to your library manager, placing a component on a schematic, and wiring up a Spectre simulation testbench.

Prerequisites

  • Cadence Virtuoso IC 6.1.8 or IC 23.1
  • Spectre simulator (bundled with Virtuoso)
  • A downloaded VirtuChip.AI course package (.zip)

Step 1 — Add the library to cds.lib

Unzip the package to a permanent location, e.g. ~/virtuchip/AnalogIC. Open your cds.lib file and append:

DEFINE virtuchip_analogic ~/virtuchip/AnalogIC/cds_lib

Restart Virtuoso. The library should appear in the Library Manager under virtuchip_analogic.

Step 2 — Place a symbol on a schematic

Open a new schematic cellview in your own library. Press I to open the Add Instance dialog. Select virtuchip_analogic as the library, then choose your component (e.g. OPA_2stage_sym). Click Hide and place the symbol.

Step 3 — Run a Spectre simulation

Create an ADE session (Launch → ADE L), add the SPICE netlist path under Setup → Model Libraries, configure a DC or AC analysis, and hit Run. Spectre will use the bundled model parameters automatically.

Troubleshooting

If you see "cannot find model", confirm the .scs model file path matches your unzip location. All paths in the package are relative to the cds_lib root.

← All resourcesBrowse courses →