Sonnet 13.54 Release Notes
Known Issues
Below are the known issues when version 13.54 was released.
Agilent’s ADS2011: Agilent’s ADS2011 was released too recently to incorporate changes to the ADS software into Sonnet’s Agilent ADS Interface, so this release (13.54) is not compatible with ADS2011. This release is compatible with ADS2009 Update1 and earlier versions of ADS. Compatibility with ADS2011 will be included in a future release.
PDF Documents do not open on Linux Platforms: You receive an error message that the document is missing when you click on links in the Sonnet Manuals interface when using Adobe Reader. This is due to an Adobe known bug in opening links in Acrobat Reader 8.0 and 9.0 on Linux platforms.
Workaround: There are two possible
workarounds for
this problem. Either revert back to Acrobat Reader version 7.0 as all
the links operate correctly in that release. Or you may choose to use
another reader. To use a PDF viewer other than the system default, you
must set a variable in the
sonnet.ini
file:
Unix_Adobe_Reader=<PDF
Reader Name> where <PDF Reader Name> is the path to the reader
you wish to use.
XPDF, another PDF reader for Linux platforms,
is downloadable through the update/package management software on the
following operating systems: Red Hat Linux 4.0, Red Hat Linux 5.0, and
SUSE. See below for the command to download
xpdf for each of the supported OS.
RHEL 4.0: up2date install xpdf
RHEL 5.0: yum install xpdf
SUSE: yast install xpdf
Once the program is installed, edit the sonnet.ini file and set Unix_Adobe_Reader=xpdf
New Features
This is the only new feature for release 13.54. For a list of what's new in release 13.52 from release 12, please see Chapter 2, "What's New in Release 13" in the Sonnet User's Guide, available in PDF format through the Sonnet task bar.
New Layout Scale Factor control in Sonnet's Cadence Virtuoso Interface: In the Cadence Virtuoso Interface, a new control for the Layout Scale Factor is available in the Create SonnetEM View dialog box (Sonnet => Create SonnetEM View) as shown below. This control allows you to scale the layout and change the size of all the polygons contained within in it when translating to a SonnetEM view. You enter the scaling factor in the Layout Scale factor text entry box. The scale factor is a floating point number. Any value less than 1.0 reduces the size of the translated polygons, 1.0 maintains the same size and any value greater than 1.0 increases the size of all polygons.
Bug Fixes for Release 13.54
The following is a list of the known bugs in release 13.52 which were fixed in the 13.54 release. For details on the fixed bug, please click on the link.
New schematic view for Cadence Virtuoso IC5.141 configured incorrectly
64-bit Linux Analysis Engine is slower when using Conformal Mesh
Physical size of component is displayed incorrectly in Project Editor
Diagonal fill not allowed in the Level 2 Basic Suite
Ideal component is difficult to select in the Project Editor
Cannot create a SonnetEM cell view in the Cadence Virtuoso Interface from only a section of a layout
Opening a 3D view in the Project Editor or the Response Viewer on a Redhat 6 OS crashes program
New schematic view for Cadence Virtuoso IC5.141 configured incorrectly
Release 13.52 of Sonnet's Cadence Virtuoso Interface introduced a new schematic “ schematic-sonnet-bbspice-spectre” that is generated for the broadband spice model and utilizes the scasubckt instance from Cadence, as shown below.
This schematic is created when you select the Spectre checkbox under Broadband Spice in the Model Options section of the Options dialog box in Sonnet's Cadence Virtuoso Interface and appears in your cell as " schematic-sonnet-bbspice-spectre."
In IC5.141, when Spectre netlists the schematic, it ignores the connection of the reference pin of the scasubckt instance. This corrupts the data produced in Sonnet 13.52. Note that the schematic is configured correctly for IC6.14 and produces reliable data. This bug has been fixed in release 13.54.
KNref - TT8320
64-bit Linux analysis engine is slower when using Conformal Mesh
In version 13.52, the analysis engine on 64-bit Linux systems slowed down for circuits using conformal mesh. The bug has been fixed in release 13.54 and the 64-bit analysis engine does not slow down when conformal mesh is used.
KBref - TT#8255
Physical size of component is displayed incorrectly in Project Editor
In the project editor, the physical size of the component is displayed as a gray box, as shown below. The gray box is displayed with an incorrect orientation when the component is connecting diagonal feed lines.
Note that the physical size is only for display and does not affect the analysis of your circuit.
Pictured below is a component whose length is 22 mils and whose width is 10 mils. When used with orthogonal feedlines, the component is oriented correctly with the length along the x axis. However, when the same length and width are used for a component connecting diagonal feed lines, the gray box representing the physical size is not displayed as expected, with the length being extended between the two feedline.
The bug has been fixed in release 13.54 and the appearance of the physical component placement in your circuit is now correct as shown below.
KBref - TT#8287
Diagonal fill not allowed in the Level 2 Basic Suite
When using the Level 2 Basic Suite, the project editor will not allow you to apply "Diagonal" cell fill to any metal polygons in the Metal Properties dialog box. (Modify => Metal Properties). Diagonal fill should be an enabled feature in the Level 2 Basic suite, but a known bug prevented the feature from being used in release 13.52. This bug has been fixed in this release and diagonal fill may now be used in the Level 2 Basic suite.
KBref - TT#8279
No vias are mapped in the . matl file when importing a PDK Technology file into the Cadence Virtuoso Interface
When importing a PDK technology file in Sonnet's Cadence Virtuoso Interface, the resulting . matl file created by the import does not contain mapped vias. This affects the loading of an Assura or Helic file to generate a . matl file also. PDK technology files can use one of two formats: string or list. A known bug in the software prevented the list format from being read correctly. This bug has been fixed in release 13.54 and PDK technology files are now read in correctly.
KBref - TT#8365
Ideal component is difficult to select in the Project Editor
After you have moved the port of an ideal component in your circuit, it becomes difficult to select the component. There was a known bug in the project editor that caused the focal point for selection of the component to be placed incorrectly. This bug has been fixed in release 13.54 and no problem occurs when the ports of a component are moved.
KBref - TT#8326
Cannot create a SonnetEM cell view in the Cadence Virtuoso Interface from only a section of a layout
If you zoom in on a section of a layout window, or define a region of the layout window and attempt to create a SonnetEM cell view, the SonnetEM view is blank and the following error message appears in the CIW:
*Error* eval: unbound variable – theCellView
This bug has been fixed in release 13.54 and you may now create a SonnetEM cell view from only a part of a layout in Cadence Virtuoso.
Exiting Cadence Virtuoso also shuts down any running Sonnet programs launched from the Cadence Virtuoso Interface
If you launch a Sonnet program from the Cadence Virtuoso program, then exit Cadence Virtuoso, the Sonnet program is also shut down. For example, if you are running a Sonnet simulation and exit Cadence Virtuoso while the simulation is still running, the simulation is aborted. Sonnet programs were launched as a child process, so that when the parent program (Cadence Virtuoso) is closed, then the child program (Sonnet) is also closed. This bug has been fixed in release 13.54 and Sonnet programs will continue running when a user exits Cadence Virtuoso.
KBref - TT#8274, 8275
Merge planar polygons during simplification option does not work in the Cadence Virtuoso Interface, the AWR Microwave Office Interface or the Agilent ADS Interface
Even if the Merge Planar Polygons during Simplification option is selected for via array simplification in the Advanced Translation Options dialog box in the Cadence Virtuoso Interface, the AWR Microwave Office Interface, or the Agilent ADS Interface, the option is not applied. Multiple polygon pads at the top of via arrays are not merged, so that more than one simplified via is created, rather than merging the pads and creating a single via out of the via arrays. This bug has been fixed in release 13.54.
KBref - TT#8274, 8275
Solver Information dialog box in AWR Microwave Office Interface does not update correctly when switching tabs
In the AWR Microwave Office Interface, when switching between tabs in the Solver Information dialog box, the dialog box is incorrectly updated, displaying a mixture of information from the tabs. This bug has been fixed in release 13.54 and the correct information is displayed when you select a tab.
Opening a 3D view in the Project Editor or the Response Viewer on a Redhat 6 OS crashes program
Opening a 3D view in either the project editor or response viewer when running the programs on a Redhat 6 operating system, causes the program to crash. There is a known bug in the 3D view software that caused this crash. The bug has been fixed in release 13.54 and opening the 3D view no longer causes the programs to crash.
KBref - TT#8278
