Running simulations with Skywater 130nm PDK in Electric

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Arvind Gupta

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Aug 2, 2025, 5:06:30 PMAug 2
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Hi,

 

  I am new to Electric EDA tool and want to use it to make schematics and layouts using the Skywater130nm process. I had some queries regarding the same and was hoping someone will answer them:

 

 

Can I use Electric to run simulations or do I need to integrate another simulator like Ngpice with it? If yes, what is the process pls? Also what is the process of integrating LTspice (latest version) with Electric?

 

The layout editor has the option for loading the Skywater130nm layout rules. Correspondingly, can one use the various transistors available in the Sky 130 technology to make and run schematic simulations pls? Also are the spice model card(s) available with Electric for simulations?

 

 I am asking the above two queries as the Skywater PDK is available in Github (and seems to be available for Electric). However, I don’t know how to compile the PDK in Windows and integrate it with the Electric tool. Hence kindly help in this matter.

 

Thanks in advance,

Arvind Gupta. 

vikas varshney

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Aug 2, 2025, 5:08:58 PMAug 2
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Ek kaam kar mera muh main lele aur choose. Mc


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Gavin

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Aug 2, 2025, 7:53:02 PMAug 2
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Hi,

For electric-9.08.1.jar on the Electric VLSI website at [1], the JAVA Version 8 Update 461 at [2] doesn't work. It does work with JDK 24 (e.g., jdk-24_windows-x64_bin.exe) at [3].

Yes, a SPICE simulator can be needed.  The install instructions at [4] likely will still work if you just replace instances of 9.07 with 9.08.1.

I've not used the SkyWater130 nm process with Electric VLSI myself.  However, it looks like you could try following the technology file instructions at [5] (again by replacing instances of 9.07 with 9.08.1).


Kind Regards,
Gavin
Electric VLSI user

Steven Rubin

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Aug 2, 2025, 11:19:06 PMAug 2
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The latest version of Electric requires Java 17 or later, so Version 8 is not sufficient, as you have discovered.

As for simulating SkyWater, it should be sufficient to have any version of Spice, but it's possible that model cards will have to be crafted to get things right. Electric supports many version of Spice. It can write the Spice deck, then run Spice (if you tell it where Spice is located) and even read the Spice output back in and display results in a waveform window that can be cross-probed to the original schematic or layout. But getting all of these steps right takes a bit of care. The user manual will provide help (it's built into Electric) but your own experience simulating SkyWater designs with your own version of Spice will be most helpful.

   -Steven Rubin

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vikas varshney

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Aug 2, 2025, 11:26:01 PMAug 2
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Let me unsubscribe this bullshit newsletter



Alexandre Rusev

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Aug 4, 2025, 5:32:20 AMAug 4
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I am using Electric virtually for any technology. This requires only SPICE simulator + models which are supported by simulator.
NGSpice works for me fine (Unix and Windows), I also tried LTSpice.  LTSpice needs some different setup  of dialect.
NGSpice is much closer to  classical HSPICE and jas a special compatibility mode.

Independently of SPICE simulator variant, some minor corrections in models' files may be needed.

Arvid, if you send me full spice models for Sky!30 I'll try to provide you by working example of use them in Electric schematic editor for simulation.

I also can send you a legacy electric.jar with runs with Java8 if you like


To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/electricvlsi/1246221966.1327116.1754191552070%40mail.yahoo.com.

Gavin

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Aug 4, 2025, 7:08:35 AMAug 4
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Of note, at https://gitlab.com/westernsemico/com.westernsemico.vlsi , Quick Start step 1 for the pre-generated skywater130.xml seems to have an old link of:


It looks like the working direct link to the file should be:


Or link to the releases page for indirect access to the skywater130.xml file should be:


Kind Regards,
Gavin
Electric VLSI user

Alexandre Rusev

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Aug 6, 2025, 2:31:04 PMAug 6
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Sky130 support by Westernsemico is quite limited as I saw. Repository wasn't modified about 4 years yet

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