Introduction to the Alcyon PDK package

The Alcyon PDK package is part of the Alcyon’s Toolkit, a collection of software packages and modules that provides layout tools for the daily work of photonic integrated circuits (PIC) designers. It is highly recommended to read the Alcyon’s Toolkit documentation, available at the Downloads area, before going through this document.

The Alcyon PDK is primarily focused on streamlining the design process at the component level. It achieves this by providing tools to help users on the creation of their own libraries and serving as a channel to grant them access to the Alcyon’s IP libraries.

The set of functionalities offered by the Alcyon PDK package simplifies the process of building and managing users’ own portfolio of building blocks. Users can create libraries with just a few clicks and generate new component layouts through simple Python scripting files.

Regarding the Alcyon’s IP libraries, they are distributed separately and can be installed via the Alcyon PDK package. They contain the Alcyon’s PIP Cores, consisting of high-performance building blocks to more advanced topologies (tunable components, reconfigurable PICs, etc). They allow users to focus on developing their final applications at the system level by using Alcyon’s pre-designed components. The libraries also include compact models that accurately represent the performance of these building blocks and allow to simulate Alcyon’s components either independently or in conjunction with other compact models they may possess.

In this document you will find comprehensive documentation about the installation process as well as about the available IP libraries and tools.