PhotoCAD Introduction

PhotoCAD is a Python-based computer-aided design platform for photonics chip layout design. fnpcell and link are the two main tools of PhotoCAD, which correspond to the parametric cell layout and circuit-level layout in photonics chip layout design.

fnpcell

fnpcell is a tool for parametric component layout design in PhotoCAD platform, covering active and passive components commonly used in current photonics chips, and the waveguides used in the devices cover FWG (Full etch waveguide), MWG (Medium etch waveguide) and SWG (Shallow etch waveguide). The parameterizable devices (i.e. Parameterized Cell) in fnpcell are generated by Python scripts, and the user has the flexibility to adjust the variable parameters in the python scripts to achieve custom single components.

link

link is a design tool for automatic routing of devices in the PhotoCAD platform. The user can not only call the device and set the device position in the script, but also finish the automatic routing of the device through a simple port connection function link.

link will first call the corresponding waveguide transition unit automatically according to the waveguide type of the device port to achieve the transition of the waveguide type at the port, and then call the corresponding straight, bend waveguide according to the location of the device port to complete the connection between the device ports.

In addition, link also supports the automatic routing of the metal pins of the device and the metal layer transition in the process of implementation.