NETEX Functionality and Flow

To run NETEX the user must create the needed config file, technology file (stackup) and command line. NETEX is very flexible so it is important to understand how to get the desired behavior out of the program.

The Technology File

The technology file defines the vertical stackup of conductor (including poly if desired) and via layers. Without this information NETEX could not follow eletrical conductors from layer to layer. It is a simple ASCII file.

The tech file can also be used if multiple GDSII layers are mapped to the same physical layer (i.e. layer 28 and 58 are combined to create the mask for Metal 3)

An annotated technology file is shown below.

The METAL section is of course, mandatory. The LAYERMAP section is optional and is used if:

(a) you want to use a text layer(s) in the GDSII file to label your nets. In this case, the LAYERMAP indicates which text layer is used to label which conductor layer.

(b) you wish to indicate that several GDSII layers are to be treated as a single physical layer.

Since the technology file is tied to your process, you generally create it once and it never changes unless you completely change your process and the meaning of the GDSII layers.

Next Up - the Configuration File