Step 2: Design Your First Circuit¶
Create a schematic file¶
In the Visual Studio Code sidebar, select the GF+ tab.
At the top of the list of components, click on + New. This time select Create Schematic and type rings1 for the name, then press enter. This will create a new schematic file named rings1 and open its Schematic View in a new tab.
Note
Components are built when needed. In other words, they are lazy loaded. When a component is greyed out, you can click the play button at the top of the Components menu to load it.
For the components in the GF+ tab, a single checkmark means that the component has only a layout, and a double checkmark means that the component has both a layout and a simulation model associated with it.
Note that some hierarchical components may not show a double checkmark, but you might still be able to simulate them if their components with models are used in the hierarchy.
Add components and connect them¶
Once in the Schematic View of our new schematic file, press i to select the Add Instance tool (or select it in the tool bar), then click anywhere in the tab to add a new instance. In the pop-up menu, select ring_single as the component and type r1 as the name.
Repeat the process to create a second ring, and name it r2.
In the right top bar of the tab, click the eye button. Then click Show GDS to open the GDS View.
You should see something like the following image, where the Schematic View is on the left, and the GDS View is on the right.
If you want to move the position of the second ring before you place an auto-route, you can use the move tool:
Press b or click Route tool (or select it from the tool bar). Link port o2 from r1 with port o1 from r2 to place an automated route.
Right click each of the outer ports and then press Expose port:
Advanced routing (optional)¶
When you right click a link and press edit, you can select Route as the type of link (press enter for it to take effect). Routes are shown in light purple color. See image below.
Now you can move the second ring in the layout (the GDS View) by using the move tool, clicking on the ring that you want to move and moving it to the top right.
See video below for learning about more complex routing functions (some elements of the Visual Studio Code extension have been updated since the recording of this video).