Electric plug-ins are additional pieces of code that can be downloaded separately
to enhance the system's functionality.
Currently, these plug-ins are available:
- IRSIM
The IRSIM simulator is a gate-level simulator from Stanford University.
Although originally written in C, it was translated to Java so that it could plug into Electric.
The Electric version is available from Static Free Software at
www.staticfreesoft.com/electricIRSIM-8.10.jar.
- Bean Shell
The Bean Shell can be added to Electric to enable Java scripting and parameter evaluation.
Advanced operations that make use of cell parameters will need this plug-in.
The Bean Shell is available from www.beanshell.org.
- Jython
Jython can be added to Electric to enable Python scripting.
Jython is available from www.jython.org.
Build a "standalone" installation to create a JAR file that can be used with Electric.
- 3D
The 3D facility lets you view an integrated circuit in three-dimensions.
It requires the Java3D package, which
is available from the Java Community Site, www.j3d.org.
This is not a plugin, but rather an enhancement to your Java installation.
- 3D Axis Controller
Once the 3D facility is installed, there is one extra part that
can be added to enhance the display: a 3D axis controller.
The 3D axis controller is available from Static Free Software at
www.staticfreesoft.com/electricJava3D-8.10.jar
- Animation
Another extra that can be added to the 3D facility is 3D animation.
This requires the Java Media Framework (JMF) and extra animation code.
The Java Media Framework is available from Sun Microsystems at
java.sun.com/products/java-media/jmf
(this is not a plugin: it is an enhancement to your Java installation).
The animation code is available from Static Free Software at
www.staticfreesoft.com/electricJMF-8.10.jar.
- Russian User's Manual
An earlier version of the user's manual (8.02) has been translated into Russian.
This manual is available from Static Free Software at
www.staticfreesoft.com/electricRussianManual-8.10.jar.
To attach a plugin, it must be in the CLASSPATH.
The simplest way to do that is to invoked Electric from the command line, and specify the classpath.
For example, to add the beanshell (a file named "bsh-2.0b1.jar"), type:
java -classpath electric.jar:bsh-2.0b1.jar com.sun.electric.Launcher
Note that you must explicitly mention the main Electric class (com.sun.electric.Launcher)
when using plug-ins since all of the jar files are grouped together as the "classpath".
On Windows, you must use the ";" to separate jar files,
and you might also have to quote the collection since ";" separates commands:
java -classpath "electric.jar;bsh-2.0b1.jar" com.sun.electric.Launcher
The above text can be placed into a ".bat" file to make a double-clickable Electric launch.
You can also add Java switches and special Electric controls mentioned in Section 1-3.
For example, to add in IRSIM and extend the memory to 1GB, you can put this line in the ".bat" file:
java -classpath "electric.jar;electricIRSIM.jar" -mx1000m com.sun.electric.Launcher