A Python application to visualize DEF and LEF macro placements and I/O pins for ASIC/SoC designs. The tool uses Tkinter for GUI and Matplotlib for plotting, providing an interactive way to inspect the chip layout during backend design stages.
During VLSI backend design, understanding the placement of macros and I/O pins is critical for timing closure, routing, and physical verification. This tool allows engineers to:
- Load DEF (Design Exchange Format) and LEF (Library Exchange Format) files.
- Visualize placed, fixed, and unplaced macros.
- Inspect I/O pin locations and directions.
- Export the visual layout as a PNG image for documentation or analysis.
It is lightweight, cross-platform (Windows/Linux), and ideal for quick physical layout checks.
- Parse DEF and LEF files to extract component placements and macro sizes.
- Visualize die area, macros, and pins interactively.
- Distinguish between PLACED, FIXED, and UNPLACED macros with color coding.
- Identify pin types: INPUT, OUTPUT, and INOUT.
- Scroll to zoom, right/middle mouse drag to pan the layout.
- Export the visualization as high-resolution PNG.
- Python 3.x
- Tkinter (usually included with Python)
- Matplotlib
Install Matplotlib if needed:
pip install matplotlib
- Clone this repository:
git clone [https://github.com/yourusername/DEF_LEF_Viewer.git](https://github.com/yourusername/DEF_LEF_Viewer.git)
cd DEF_LEF_Viewer
- (Optional) Create a virtual environment:
python -m venv venv
# Linux/Mac
source venv/bin/activate
# Windows
venv\Scripts\activate
- Install dependencies:
pip install -r requirements.txt
Run the application:
python viewer.py
You can also specify DEF and LEF files via command-line:
python viewer.py --def path/to/design.def --lef path/to/library.lef
- Use the GUI entries to load different DEF/LEF files dynamically.
- Click Save PNG to export the current view.
-
DEF (Design Exchange Format):
- Extracts the die area, macro instances, and pins.
- Supports
UNPLACED,PLACED, andFIXEDmacros.
-
LEF (Library Exchange Format):
- Extracts macro sizes for correct scaling in the layout view.
| Action | Control |
|---|---|
| Zoom | Scroll wheel |
| Pan | Right or middle mouse drag |
| Reset View | Press r key |
| Save as PNG | Click "Save PNG" button |
| Load new DEF/LEF | Enter paths in text boxes and click "Load" |
- Load your DEF/LEF files in the GUI.
- Placed macros appear in green, fixed macros in blue, and unplaced macros in red.
- Pins are visualized as triangles with different colors: orange = INPUT, purple = OUTPUT, black = INOUT.
- Labels show instance and cell names for each macro and pin.
Sample screenshot :
Contributions are welcome! You can:
- Add new visualization features.
- Support additional DEF/LEF variations.
- Improve GUI interactivity.
Please fork the repository, create a feature branch, and submit a pull request.
This project is released under the MIT License.
For questions or suggestions, open an issue in this repository or contact the maintainer.
