How BLOCKS configuration works?

[vijayank88]

How this BLOCKS variable working?

OpenROAD-flow-scripts/flow/designs/asap7/uart-blocks/config.mk

Line 9 in 19ae71b

export BLOCKS = uart_rx

Is only one instance can be used or multiple instance can be used with BLOCKS variable?

[maliberty]

See

OpenROAD-flow-scripts/flow/Makefile

Line 186 in 19ae71b

ifdef BLOCKS

where we generate additional targets. Also

OpenROAD-flow-scripts/flow/Makefile

Line 317 in 19ae71b

$(foreach block,$(BLOCKS),$(eval $(call GENERATE_ABSTRACT_RULE,./results/$(PLATFORM)/$(DESIGN_NICKNAME)_$(block)/$(FLOW_VARIANT)/${block}.lef,./results/$(PLATFORM)/$(DESIGN_NICKNAME)_$(block)/$(FLOW_VARIANT)/${block}.lib,./designs/$(PLATFORM)/$(DESIGN_NICKNAME)/${block}/config.mk)))

You can have multiple blocks.

[vijayank88]

I was thinking to automate pdn_grid_strategy for macro grids.
For memory macros the existing macro grid works fine.

define_pdn_grid -name {CORE_macro_grid_1} -voltage_domains {CORE} -macro -orient {R0 R180 MX MY} -cells {.*}

For BLOCKS it is not connecting properly.
For example if we use right cell name define_pdn_grid -macro -cells uart_rx the grid generates properly.

[maliberty]

Is your instance in some other orientation? .* should match all cells.