Links to other Projects

The LayoutEditor™ is a program to design and edit layouts for MEMS/IC fabrication.

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Beside the LayoutEditor there are some other projects relating to IC/MEMS tools. The following list gives an overview of free tool in this area. If the freedom of a project is limited, it is marked via an icon. If you know additional projects, have comments or have anything which will improve this page/project, please let me know. Here are links related to the LayoutEditor.

First class Projects:

(active and potential useful Projects)

Alliance (Tools, Library, Editor) Alliance is a complete set of free CAD tools and portable libraries for VLSI design. The supplied editor is designed for semiconductor layouts and cannot be used in other applications. sourceforge project page of Alliance
Anuvad (Library) A library for reading/writing GDS and OASIS files. A two way converter is included. Anuvad is open source, but there are a plenty restriction in the license.
CIF File Format Description (File Format Documentation) A pdf-file with a detailed description of the CIF-Format.
Boolean (Editor, Library, File Format Documentation) A excellent tool for boolean operation. This tool is integrated in the layout editor. A basic viewer/editor around the boolean tool above. Supports GDSII, EMASK, KEY and FLASH format. Triangles and path of type 4 is not working. A html-page with a detailed description of the GDS-Format.
CleWin (Viewer) Free viewer of a commercial editor. Runs only on windows. Path of type 4 is not displayed correctly.
DXF File Format Description (File Format Documentation) A detailed description of the DXF-Format in various formats (pdf, html).
electric (Editor) A complete editor designed for semiconductor layouts. Other semiconductor specific tools are integrated. A couple of formats are supported. It is a GNU project.
EVTView (Viewer) ETVView is a limited demo version of a commercial product. It is close source and limited to 2 month.
GDS File Format Description (File Format Documentation) There are a couple of sites on the GDSII-file format: SPIE Handbook of Microlithography, Micromachining and Microfabrication Jim Buchanan Computer Aids for VLSI Design
GdsDump (Tool) GdsDump is a converter of GDSII files to an ascii format.	62: 0004 0800 BOUNDARY 66: 0006 0d02 002a LAYER 42 6c: 0006 0e02 0001 DATATYPE 1
GDSII to OASIS Translator (Tool) This tool translate GDSII file to the OASIS format. It didn't use all the possibilities that the Oasis format offers. A reverse translation is not possible.
GDSViewer (Viewer) A simple GDS viewer with either limited to GDS files smaller than 20kB or limited to 30 days. The test layout was displayed correctly.
gds2pov (Tool) GDSII file can converted with this tool to a povray compatible format.
Glade (Editor) Cell-reference-array with non orthogonal spacings are displayed wrong.
IC-Editor (Editor) Demo without the possibility of saveing the layout. Cell reference with negative spacing are not displayed correct.
ipkiss (Tool) A python plugin for gds files.
KLayout (Viewer/Editor) A viewer for GDSII and OASIS files. Basic editor functions are available, if started as an editor.
Lasi (Editor) A complete layout editor for windows. Uses a own format (TLC), but it can import/export DXF and GDS files. It is close source and a donation is requested. A full version can downloaded without any registration. Some special path elements (zero length, type 4 without extension, ...) are not displayed correctly.
Layed (Editor) It was no possible to open the test layout. Limited to manhattan and 45º geometry.
LinkCad (Converter) LinkCad is a commercial Convert of common CAD-Formats. GDSII path type 4 elements are not supported.
L-Edit (Editor) Demo limited to 30 days and 20 GDS-Imports. Path type 4 and cell reference with negative spacing are not displayed correct.
LDTViewer (Viewer) Demo limited to 20 days. No automatic registration possible.
Magic (Editor) A editor limited to manhattan geometry. Further Links: Magic Magic Magic sourceforge project page of Magic
MGEN (Library with Editor) A library for layout editing, editor included. Path type 4 is not supported. Cell-reference-array with non orthogonal spacings are displayed wrong.
Microwind (Editor) A editor limited to manhattan geometry and the free demo is limited to the CIF-format.
OASIS File Format Description (File Format Documentation) A pdf-file with a detailed description of the OASIS-Format. The same document can downloaded (for purchase) at semi.org.
OwlVision (Viewer) A java based viewer. Some gds elements like cellrefarray are not jet supported. A gds->ascii and ascii->gdsii converter is also included.
P2m (Tool) P2m is a plug-in for gimp. It converts any pixel-graphics to the CIF-format.
Simple GDS View (Viewer) As the name says, this is a simple viewer for GDS files. Path of type 4 is not displayed correctly. sourceforge project page of Simple GDS View
SoC GDS (Viewer) Free viewer of a commercial editor. Triangles and cellrefarrays with negative spacings are not displayed correctly.
Uncle (Editor) An Universal Circuit Layout Editor. Academic members can get Uncle free of charge.

Second class Projects:

(inactive or upcoming Projects)

CADnex (Editor) A layout editor for DOS. Operates in a DOS window in Windows 95/98/2000/me/XP. Don't run under WINE.
findhier (Tool) A simple tool to output topcells, celllists, etc. of GDSII files.
GDS2 stream module (Library, Tool) A Library to read/write GDSII files. A GDSII to ascii tool is included.
gdsreader (Tool) A tool to convert GDS-File in PostScript or HPGL-2 format.
gdsviewer (Viewer) This Project has not released any code files.
Java GDS (Viewer, Tool, Library) Some projects (belonging together) are using Java GDS API Java GDSII Browser Java GDSII Parser
Kic (Editor) A quite old editor. It seems that this program is a predecessors of the commercial program Xic.
Koala (Viewer) A free closed source viewer. It open the test-file without any problem. Due to license problems no code is available in the moment.
simple_display (Viewer) It was not possible to open the test-layout the this program.
SF Viewer (Viewer) It was not possible to open the test-layout the this program.
TopCell (Viewer) This Project has not released any code files.
Toped (Editor) The development status is still pre-alfa. Some essential function are still missing or need to be improved.

Third class Projects:

(former Projects with potential interest)

CoolView, (broken link) (Editor) CoolView is a commercial close source product with a short free evaluation period. The product is no longer available.
GDS File Format Description, (broken link) (File Format Documentation) A pdf-file with a detailed description of the GDS-Format. A nice GDS overview, (broken link) and link list is also available.
Stream Utils, (broken link) (Tool) Stream Utils are two converters. The first is a converter of GDSII files to an ascii format. The second tool converts a ascii file to an GDSII format. On the same side you can also find a description of the GDS Format.
Streamvista, (broken link) (Viewer) GDSII viewer for windows. Path extensions are not supported and display not correct.

Source Code is not available.

For a download a registration is required.

Usage is limited to a period.

Functions set is reduced.

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