xschem(1)

👑 NAME 👑

xschem — the schematic capture + netlisting EDA tool, aka your new bestie for drawing circuits 💖

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✨ SYNPOSIS ✨

xschem [options] [inputfile]

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💅 DECSRIPTION 💅

So basically xschem is a schematic capture program, and what that means is you get to build hierarchical representations of circuits — top down, main character energy, starting from the big picture and zooming in 🦋

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🎀 OPTIONS 🎀

• -h, --help — prints the help and dips out. bye 👋
• -b, --detach — detaches xschem from the console, so no output and no input from the console at all. it's giving independent 💅
• -n, --netlist — does a netlist of the schematic cell you gave it.
• -v, --version — prints the version info and exits, periodt.
• -V, --vhdl — sets the netlist type to VHDL.
• -S, --simulate — runs a simulation of the current schematic file (spice / Verilog / VHDL, whichever netlist type you chose).
• -w, --verilog — sets the netlist type to Verilog.
• --tcl <tcl_script> — runs those tcl instructions before literally any other action. perfect for changing xschemrc variables, iykyk.
• --preinit <file> — runs the specified tcl instructions before any other action and before loading xschemrc. earliest of the early birds 🐦
• --command <tcl_cmd> — runs those tcl commands once startup is done.
• --script <file> — runs the specified tcl file as a command script (maybe with xschem commands in it 👀).
• --diff <file> — shows you the differences with the given file.
• --tcp-port <number> — listens on the specified tcp port for client connections. (number must be >=1024).
• -i, --no_rcload — does not load any xschemrc file. none. zero. 🙈
• -o, --netlist_path — sets the output for the netlist.
• -N, --netlist_filename — sets the name (only the name, not the path) of the top level netlist file.
• -t, --tedax — sets the netlist type to tEDAx.
• -s, --spice — sets the netlist type to SPICE.
• -y, --symbol — sets the netlist type to symbol global property edit.
• -x, --no_x — don't use X. command mode only, babe 🖤
• -z, --rainbow — uses a rainbow-looking layer color table 🌈 iconic.
• -W, --waves — shows simulation waveforms.
• -f, --flat_netlist — sets a flat netlist (spice format only, bestie).
• -r, --no_readline — starts without the tclreadline package. this is necessary if stdin and stdout are gonna be redirected, like to /dev/null for example.
• -c, --color_ps — sets color postscript.
• --plotfile <file> — uses <file> as the output for plot export (png, svg, postscript/pdf).
• --rcfile <file> — uses <file> as the rc file for startup instead of the default xschemrc.
• -p, --postscript, --pdf — exports a pdf schematic.
• --png — exports a png schematic.
• --svg — exports an svg schematic.
• -q, --quit — quits after doing the things. no interactive mode, no hanging around 💀
• -l file, --log file — sets a log file.
• -d n, --debug n — sets the debug level. 1, 2, 3,... is C program debug; -1, -2, -3,... is TCL frontend debug.

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🦋 FILES 🦋

• /usr/share/xschem/xschemrc — the default configuration.
• ~/.xschem/xschemrc — your user configuration. if it exists it overrides settings from the default configuration, and it may be partial: anything you don't override stays exactly as the system config set it 🫶
• ./xschemrc — local / per-project configuration. if it exists it overrides settings from the user configuration and the default configuration.
• /usr/share/xschem/systemlib — builtin essentials, like font and missing symbol graphics.
• /usr/share/xschem/utile — TODO.

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okay that's the whole thing, no cap 💜

and that's a wrap from your girl, straight out of the xschem manual, section 1 — catch you in the group chat ✨🎀🌸