# Command Line Interface

CACE can be run directly from your command line:

```console
$ cace [<datasheet>] [<output>] [options]
```

Where `<datasheet>` is an input specification in YAML (`*.yaml`) and `<output>` is an optional file path under which the output datasheet is to be saved (useful for conversion into a newer format). If `<datasheet>` is not specified, CACE searches for a file with the same name as the current directory under `cace/` with the file extension `.yaml`.

When run from the top level, this program parses the CACE characterization file, runs simulations for the specified parameters or all if none are given, and (optionally) outputs a modified file annotated with characterization results.

The option `--source`, restricts characterization to the specific netlist source, which is either schematic capture,
layout extracted, C parasitic extracted or full R-C parasitic extracted. If not specified, then characterization is run on the full R-C
parasitic extracted layout netlist if available, and the schematic captured netlist if not (option "best").

```console
positional arguments:
  datasheet             input specification datasheet (YAML)
  output                output specification datasheet (YAML), used to convert
                        a datasheet to a newer format

options:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  --version             show program's version number and exit
  -j JOBS, --jobs JOBS  total number of jobs running in parallel
  -s {schematic,layout,pex,rcx,best}, --source {schematic,layout,pex,rcx,best}
                        choose the netlist source for characterization. By
                        default, or when using 'best', characterization is run
                        on the full R-C parasitic extracted netlist if the
                        layout is available, else on the schematic captured
                        netlist.
  -p PARAMETER [PARAMETER ...], --parameter PARAMETER [PARAMETER ...]
                        run simulations on only the named parameters, by
                        default run all parameters
  --parallel-parameters PARALLEL_PARAMETERS
                        the maximum number of parameters running in parallel
  -f, --force           force new regeneration of all netlists
  --max-runs MAX_RUNS   the maximum number of runs to keep in the "runs/"
  --run-path RUN_PATH   override the default "runs/" directory
                        folder, the oldest runs will be deleted
  --no-plot             do not generate any graphs
  -l {ALL,DEBUG,INFO,WARNING,ERROR}, --log-level {ALL,DEBUG,INFO,WARNING,ERROR}
                        set the log level for a more fine-grained output
  --sequential          runs simulations sequentially
  --no-progress-bar     do not display the progress bar
  --nofail              do not fail on any errors or failing parameters
```

This is an example output of CACE running the characterization for a simple OTA:

![CACE CLI Screenshot](img/cace_cli.png)