12.11Optimising with UDO

Parametric representation of variables in UDO objects, combined with command line operation of QW-Editor, opens way to automatic circuit design by running QW-3D within an external optimisation loop. Interested users may either apply an optional QW‑OptimiserPlus module or try to couple QW-3D with their own optimising procedures. In the latter case, the project to be optimised must comply with following rules:

1.       The project must contain at least one UDO object.

2.       The object must be of the same name as the project. This (and only this!) object will be reconstructed whenever the QW-Editor is called with –m parameter of command line option of QW-Editor.

3.       There are two basic possibilities of actually modifying the object between successive iterations of the optimisation process:

·       The first is to directly modify the corresponding *.udo file. Remember that *.udo files are text files of strictly defined structure. Therefore this way of operation is possible but highly prone to any operator’s mistakes related to finding / replacing appropriate fragments of the *.udo file.

·       The other possibility, safer and thus recommended, is to prepare the relevant *.udo file in such a way that the values of variables taking part in the optimisation process are read (via READF function) from *.txt files. The external optimiser will only need to modify or replace these *.txt files, which may be short and simple. Note that for this operation to be effective, all variables to be modified in the optimisation process must be declared as parameters in the object header (via PAR function). The object can also contain additional parameters, not used in the optimisation process.

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