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RUN XSCHEM

Assuming xschem is installed in one of the ${PATH} search paths just execute:

user:~$ xschem
 

the xschem window should appear. If xschem is not in the search path then specify its full pathname.

XSCHEM COMMAND LINE OPTIONS

xschem accepts short (-h) or long (--help) options:

   usage: xschem [options] [schematic | symbol ]
Options:
  -h  --help          print this help
  -n  --netlist       do a netlist of the given schematic cell
  -v  --version       print version information and exit.
  -V  --vhdl          set netlist type to VHDL
  -S  --simulate      run a simulation of the current schematc file 
                      (spice/Verilog/VHDL, depending on the netlist 
                      type chosen).
  -w  --verilog       set netlist type to Verilog
  -i  --no_rcload     do not load any xschemrc file
  -t  --tedax         set netlist type to tEDAx
  -s  --spice         set netlist type to SPICE
  -3  --a3page        set page size for pdf export to A3
  -x  --no_x          dont use X (only command mode)
  -z  --rainbow       use a raibow-looking layer color table
  -W  --waves         show simulation waveforms
  -f  --flat_netlist  set flat netlist (for spice format only)
  -r  --no_readline   start without the tclreadline package ( this is
                      necessary if stdin and stdout are to be redirected
                      for example to /dev/null).
  -c  --color_ps      set color postscript
  --rcfile file>      use <file> as a rc file for startup instead of the
                      default xschemrc.
  -p  --postscript    export pdf schematic
      --png           export png schematic
      --svg           export svg schematic
  -q  --quit          quit after doing things (no interactive mode)
  -l <file>
  --log <file>        set a log file
  -d <n>
  --debug <n>         set debug level:  1,  2,  3,..  C program debug
                                       -1, -2, -3...  TCL frontend debug

 

CREATING A NEW SCHEMATIC

To create a new schematic one possible approach is to delete the whole drawing window and save with a different name (Save As). If you hit <ctrl>a all elements will be selected (select All function).

Use the Delete key to delete all selected objects. Now press the '<ctrl shift>s' key or use the menu 'Save As' function, use the TCL fileselector to go to a XSCHEM library (we will cover libraries more in detail later, XSCHEM libraries are just directories where schematic files (.sch) or symbol files (.sym) are stored). in XSCHEM all design libraries are placed in the locations specified by XSCHEM_DESIGN_PATH defined in the xschemrc file. Choose for example ~/xschem_library/mylib and write test.sch as the schematic name.

Now a new empty schematic file is created. You can use this test.sch for testing while reading the manual. After exiting XSCHEM you can load directly this schematic with the following commands, they are all equivalent.

# xschem defaults its search to the 
# XSCHEM_DESIGN_PATH root path
# .sch may be omitted, it is added by default ...
xschem mylib/test
# or ...
xschem mylib/test.sch
# full paths are OK
xschem ${HOME}/xschem_library/mylib/test.sch
 

you can load test.sch when xschem is running by using the load command '<ctrl>o' key or by menu Open command. Use the file selector dialog to locate the schematic and load it in. When loading a new file XSCHEM asks to save the currently loaded schematic if it has been modified.