Run Pt

Safety

• Backup existing PT reports:

  if [ -d "$PROJECT_PATH/pt/report" ] && [ "$(ls -A $PROJECT_PATH/pt/report 2>/dev/null)" ]; then
      cp -a $PROJECT_PATH/pt/report $PROJECT_PATH/pt/report_backup_$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S)
  fi
  

• NEVER modify FC outputs or StarRC SPEF files.

Execution

PrimeTime DMSA runs 4 scenarios (func_tt_cmax, func_tt_cmin, func_ss_cmax, func_ss_cmin). This typically takes 5-15 minutes.

cd $PROJECT_PATH/pt && mkdir -p report result work temp

Use background execution:

cd $PROJECT_PATH/pt/temp && nohup pt_shell -multi_scenario -f ../scripts/dmsa.tcl > dmsa.log 2>&1 &
echo $! > /tmp/.pt_pid

Poll for completion:

1. Check if process is still running: kill -0 $(cat /tmp/.pt_pid) 2>/dev/null
2. Tail the log: tail -20 $PROJECT_PATH/pt/temp/dmsa.log
3. Check for completion markers in the log (e.g., write_changes output)

Alternatively for smaller designs:

cd $PROJECT_PATH/pt/temp && pt_shell -multi_scenario -f ../scripts/dmsa.tcl 2>&1 | tee dmsa.log

Completion Verification

1. Verify report files exist:
   • $PROJECT_PATH/pt/report/${DESIGN_NAME}_allvios.rpt
   • $PROJECT_PATH/pt/report/${DESIGN_NAME}_fix_all_vios.report
2. Check for errors in work dir: cat $PROJECT_PATH/pt/work/error_log.txt
3. Check ECO convergence: Read $PROJECT_PATH/fc/scripts/eco_changes.tcl:
   • If the file is empty or contains only comments/whitespace -> CONVERGED (no ECO needed)
   • If it contains size_cell or insert_buffer commands -> ECO changes needed

Report Parsing

Violations Report (*_allvios.rpt)

Count lines containing (VIOLATED) and categorize:

• Setup timing violations
• Hold timing violations
• max_transition violations
• max_capacitance violations
• min_capacitance violations

Post-ECO Violations (*_fix_all_vios.report)

Same parsing -- these show residual violations after ECO fixes.

Noise Reports

Check *_report_noise_all_viol_*.report for noise violations.

Annotated Parasitics

Check *_report_annotated_parasitics_*.report for annotation coverage -- should be close to 100%.

Report Format

=== PrimeTime DMSA Summary ===

| Category         | Pre-ECO Violations | Post-ECO Violations |
|------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
| Setup Timing     | N                 | N                 |
| Hold Timing      | N                 | N                 |
| max_transition   | N                 | N                 |
| max_capacitance  | N                 | N                 |
| Noise            | N                 | N                 |

ECO Changes Generated:
- Cell sizings: N
- Buffer insertions: N
- Convergence: YES/NO

Safety Rules

• NEVER modify the FC netlist or SPEF files.
• PrimeTime may require multiple licenses. If license errors appear in the log, report to user.
• Check pt/work/error_log.txt for any worker errors.