Introducing Custom IC Design Tool Tips: a new YouTube series for S-Edit and L-Edit users
The Custom IC Design (CICD) team has launched Tool Tips, a new YouTube video series delivering short, practical walkthroughs for engineers and designers working with S-Edit and L-Edit in the IC design domain.
Custom IC design sits at the heart of modern semiconductor development, where precision at both the schematic and layout level directly determines the performance, reliability and manufacturability of a chip. At the schematic level, engineers define the electrical intent of a circuit, capturing components, connectivity and hierarchy in tools like S-Edit. At the layout level, that intent is translated into physical geometry, with engineers placing and routing structures in tools like L-Edit while ensuring the design adheres to foundry-specific design rules.
The Custom IC Design Tool Tips series is built around one straightforward goal: delivering focused, technical content that helps users work more efficiently inside the tools they use every day, across every stage of that flow. With seven videos already live on the Siemens EDA IC design solutions playlist, the series covers topics spanning schematic design, layout editing, physical verification and library management. All videos are produced and presented by our Custom IC Design team.
Custom IC Design Tool Tips: the series so far
Each video is built around a specific task or workflow, keeping things focused and easy to follow. Here’s what’s available so far.
Accelerate debugging by leveraging S-Edit’s Dynamic Info
Dynamic Info in S-Edit highlights nets as the cursor moves across a schematic, surfacing tooltip information for nets, pins and instances. The video covers the difference between local net names and simulator context names, visualisation of named connections using arcs and how Zoom to Selection brings off-screen highlighted connections into view.
Editing objects in L-Edit
This video covers how the right and middle mouse buttons handle selection and editing in L-Edit across different modes. It demonstrates implicit selection, allowing engineers to edit objects, edges, vertices and wires by hovering, reducing tool switching and keeping the layout editing workflow uninterrupted throughout the session.
The basics of Instance Dialog in S-Edit
The Instance Dialog in S-Edit allows engineers to select, place and repeat component instances without breaking out of the design entry workflow. The video walks through the dialog’s modeless operation, showing how it supports sequential placement of the same instance and contributes to a faster, more consistent schematic capture process.
Running Calibre physical verification sign-off in L-Edit
This video walks through a complete DRC signoff flow launched directly from the L-Edit environment, covering rule deck loading, run recipe selection, violation review in RVE, geometry correction and verification rerun. It is a practical end-to-end reference for layout engineers working through physical verification.
Running Calibre RealTime interactively from L-Edit
This video demonstrates how to run Calibre RealTime Custom interactively within L-Edit, enabling engineers to identify, debug and fix DRC violations without leaving the layout environment. The walkthrough covers initial setup, rule deck configuration and the use of the DRC on Edit mode which provides instantaneous feedback as edits are made during manual layout.
Table view for CAD managers — Library Manager
Library Manager’s Table View presents component data in a structured, spreadsheet-like format. The video demonstrates how CAD managers can use the interface to review and update entries, compare data across components, identify inconsistencies and maintain library information consistently, making it a practical tool for managing component data at the project level.
Highlight Connected in L-Edit
The Highlight Connected feature in L-Edit allows engineers to visualise and trace connectivity within complex IC layouts. The video demonstrates how the feature works without requiring lengthy manual setup, making it a practical aid for connectivity debug and design understanding during the earlier stages of the physical design process.
Beyond the videos — what to expect
The Custom IC Design Tool Tips series does not stop at video content. Our CICD team will also be expanding the series with blogs. Whether you prefer to watch a workflow in action or read through the detail at your own pace, the two are designed to work together as a complementary resource.
New posts will be published regularly, in step with the video series. Keep an eye on this page as new content is added.
Stay tuned for more
The Tool Tips series is an growing effort from the Custom IC Design team to make practical, domain-specific knowledge more accessible to IC design engineers. With seven videos already available and more planned, the series is built to grow into a consistent resource for S-Edit and L-Edit tool users.
Head to the Siemens EDA IC design solutions playlist to explore the full series and subscribe to be notified when new videos are added.
