Overview
BEEMS is a handy low cost layout editor. BEEMS was originally launched
back in 1991, and ever since then, it has been incorporated with series
of enhancement and used by many customers. In spite of its low cost, BEEMS
offers as wide variety of features as commonly used layout editors. BEEMS
X and BEEMS XP is the latest editions of BEEMS.
BEEMS X is functionally compatible with former version, BEEMS3, which provides
you with:
- layout editing including on-line DRC, command interpreter, etc.
- ＧＤＳ-II input and output
but comes up with newly designed user-friendly graphical user interface
(GUI), which will improve your design productivity significantly.
In addition to the basic functions of BEEMS X, BEEMS XP provides you with:
- OpenAccess database input and output (Note-1)
- placement and edit of PCELL references (Note-2)
These features allow you to apply BEEMS in analog circuit design much more
easily.
Note-1: OpenAccess is an open standard database offered by Silicon Integration Initiative（Si2） which is intended to be commonly used in various EDA tools to ensure interoperability
among them. Many EDA tools in the industry now adopt to the database.
Note-2: PCELL handled in BEEMS XP is an open standard PCELL offered by
Interopeable PDK Libraries (IPL) Alliance, which is now supported by many EDA tools in the industry.
Features
- User-friendly graphical user interface
- Polygon editor with unique editing functions
- Command interpreter which allows you to customize your editing operations
- Parametric elements which easily represents complex combination of shapes
- Shared database which can be used by whole team members as library
- Real time DRC
- GDS-II stream format input and output
- HP-GL Plotter support
- OpenAccess database input and output (BEEMS XP only)
- Placement and edit of PCELL reference (BEEMS XP only)
Graphical User Interface
BEEMS X/XP incorporates a new GUI to enhance user-friendliness and improve
design productivity.
- A new menu bar allows you to invoke any command with simple menu tree structure.
- A tool bar allows you to invoke frequently used commands with just one
click action.
- A new layer window guides you easily and intuitively to select the layer,
change layer mode, etc.
- Command window located on the main window allows you to directly enter
commands and show messages.
- Simplified and unified cell reference window, which used to be split for
reference mode or type of parameters, allows you to set almost all the
cell reference parameters.
Polygon Editor
User friendly interface and wide command options bring you highly efficient
design environment. Command menu and mouse operations are fully user programmable.
Command Interpreter
You can create your own command on BEEMS for complex process that may be
repeatedly used. User defined command is described in script language like
C. Flow control operations like loop and conditional branch, and wide variety
of functions such as Boolean operations like AND, OR over the multiple
layers, are supported in the command interpreter. This capability allows
you to build your own flexible and efficient design environment.
The example script shown here copies selected area repeatedly.
Parametric Cells (PCELL)
BEEMS XP offers a feature to create and edit PCELL references.
You can access PCELL libraries on OpenAccess database, place the PCELL
reference, change the parameters to modify the shape or size of the reference.
the following PCELL types are supported.
- PyCell™ proposed from Ciranova coded in Python
- OpenAccess PCELL coded in C++, TCL, etc.
 About PyCell™
Note-1: SKILL®PCELL of Cadence is not supported.
Note-2: It is not supported to create a new PCELL definition on BEEMS XP.
Any PCELL referred in BEEMS XP must be pre-defined in OpenAccess database.
Note-3: BEEMS XP handles only layout related information.
In order to place and edit PCELL on BEEMS XP, such PCELL structure must
be predefined on OpenAccess database. Some tools are available to define
PCELL, Ciranova PyCell Studio™ as an example. The figure below shows
the entire design flow using PyCell™ on BEEMS XP.
The boxed numbers in the figure indicates the steps to follow:
- Pre-define PyCell™ on OpenAccess database using Ciranova PyCell Studio™.
- Create new BEEMS database using PyCell™, or optionally import design
data using PyCell™ from OpenAccess database.
- Place and edit PyCell™ on BEEMS XP.
- Optionally export edited design data to OpenAccess database so that you
can apply other EDA tools to the design.
- GDS output and post processing.
BEEMS X does not support PCELL but parametric elements which was supported
in BEEMS3 can be used.
Any device such as a transistor, resistor and bus line can be modeled as
a parametric element so that you can edit the device as a group of polygons.
The size of the polygons are defined by parameters.
Shared Database
Library such as standard cells can be placed in the shared database, which
can be referenced from a group of database. This feature allows you a team
operation in a project.
Real Time DRC
BEEMS performs Design Rule Checking on the fly during the editing. X-CHECK,
the real time DRC implemented in BEEMS, checks External, Internal, Enclose,
Angle, Area and other design rules at the editing operation and notify
you the errors found.
GDS-II/Stream Input and Output
BEEMS inputs and outputs GDS-II version 3.0 stream files. BEEMS database
supports layer number from 0 to 65535.
HP-GL Plotter Support
BEEMS outputs HP-GL format of the layout. This allows you to use any printer
or plotter to accept HP-GL.
Operating Environment
- FLEXlm® License Server is required for floating license operations.
- Floating license is available only on Linux.
- The following external libraries are required for BEEMS X/XP operation.
GTK Library Ver.2.2 or above (above 2.4 strongly recommended): Installed
as a default in Linux
OpenAccess Library Ver.2.2 DM4 (Ver.22.04.007 or above) (for BEEMS XP only):
Download available from Si2 website or Anova FTP site.
- When you would like to use Ciranova PyCell™ on BEEMS XP, PycellStudio™ is required.
PycellStudio™ Ver.4.2.5 32bit (Other versions need to be verified;
64bit version is not supported): Download available from Ciranova website or Anova FTP site.
- Monitors supporting XGA or above, 3-button mouse or wheel-pointing mouse
are highly recommended.
- Please contact us for the availability of Windows® Vista® version.
Compatibility with BEEMS3
BEEMS X/XP incorporates a new database structure enhanced from that of
BEEMS3, but keeps upward compatibility.
Database created or edited by BEEMS3.3 or older can be input and edited
by BEEMS X/XP.
However,database created or edited by BEEMS X/XP is not readable by any
previous version of BEEMS.
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BEEMS X/XP Operating Environment
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