qCS (quantum Circuit Studio) is a tool to analyze and alter component values of superconductor-based logic families including RSFQ and AQFP cells. It also helps generate critical margin/yield-optimized variants of designed cells by utilizing the following built-in capabilities such as critical margin calculation, parametric yield analysis and critical margin range optimization.
- The current application version has been tested on CentOS 7, Ubuntu 22.04.2 LTS, macOS Big Sur (Version 11.6.1), Windows 10 and Windows 11.
- Mustafa Altay Karamuftuoglu (karamuft@usc.edu)
- Haolin Cong (haolinco@usc.edu)
- Faculty advisor: Massoud Pedram (pedram@usc.edu)
- Certificates (non-Windows OS): If the installer doesn't start and the error is about certificates, use the following command:
sudo ln -s /etc/ssl/certs/ca-bundle.trust.crt /etc/ssl/certs/ca-certificates.crt
- JoSIM (non-Windows OS): It is user's responsibility to satisfy JoSIM requirements (setting up the environment and installing packages). For details, visit official JoSIM github page.
- MATLAB Compiler Runtime (MCR) 9.13: The qCS installer will automatically download MCR from Mathworks website. If it is already installed, the system will detect the installed path (Windows OS only). Minimum 2 GB of disk capacity is required to accommodate MCR installation. Any installation directory is permitted for MCR.
- Create a parent folder for qCS installation directory since qCS deletes its parent folder upon uninstallation. The recommended directory is an appropriate location where the user has read/write permissions.
- Extract tar.gz file
- R-click
- Open with Archive Manager
- Select folder
- L-click [Extract]
- Select location
- L-click [Extract]
- Open folder (example: "qCS_CentOS_2-1")
- R-click "qCS_installer.install"
- Properties
- Tab: Permissions
- Check: Allow executing file as program
- Close
- Open folder which contains the installer (example: "qCS_CentOS_2-1")
- R-click
- Open Terminal and write the following:
sudo ./qCS_installer.install
- Installation wizard appears
- Install to a directory (example: /home/userName/qCS_x-x where "x-x" is the version number)
- Read/Write Permissions: (if there is a permission restriction while trying to open or run the tool after the installation)
- Open Terminal on (the installed path/application)
- Put the following commands which will allow you to change the permissions of the files
sudo chown userName qCSsudo chown userName run_qCS.shsudo chown userName jsimsudo chown userName jsim_nsudo chown userName josim-cli
- Make sure that they have read and write permissions by checking their properties
- There is an alternative method for setting the permissions altogether.
- Open Terminal in /userName (Home) directory
- Run one of the following commands using the installation directory
sudo chmod -R a+r+w+x /home/userName/qCS_x-x/(note: "x-x" is the version number)sudo chmod 777 -R /home/userName/qCS_x-x/
- If Terminal is open in the folder that contains the tool folder qCS_x-x, run one of the following commands instead
sudo chmod -R a+r+w+x qCS_x-x/sudo chmod 777 -R qCS_x-x/
- Go to the installed path/application folder and locate the "run_qCS.sh" file.
- To run qCS after making sure the permissions are set, the following command will set the path to open the app. This information is given in additional readme file located in "application" folder after the installation. The last part of the command is the path of the installed compiler and its released version. qCS 2.1 uses R2022b (9.13) MATLAB Runtime Version.
sudo ./run_qCS.sh /usr/local/MATLAB/MATLAB_Runtime/R2022b
- qCS application opens after a few seconds of delay
- qCS user guide is located under Manual Tab on qCS application.
- To use a qCS output file as data input, in the netlist, comment out: *.FILE
- Extract tar.xz file
- R-click
- Open with Archive Manager
- Select folder
- L-click [Extract]
- Select location
- L-click [Extract]
- Open folder (example: "qCS_Debian_2-1")
- R-click "qCS_installer.install"
- Properties
- Tab: Permissions
- Check: Allow executing file as program
- Close
- Open folder which contains the installer (example: "qCS_Debian_2-1")
- R-click
- Open Terminal and write the following:
sudo ./qCS_installer.install
- Installation wizard appears
- Install to a directory (example: /home/userName/qCS_x-x where "x-x" is the version number)
- Read/Write Permissions: (if there is a permission restriction while trying to open or run the tool after the installation)
- Open Terminal on (the installed path/application)
- Put the following commands which will allow you to change the permissions of the files
sudo chown userName qCSsudo chown userName run_qCS.shsudo chown userName jsimsudo chown userName jsim_nsudo chown userName josim-cli
- Make sure that they have read and write permissions by checking their properties
- There is an alternative method for setting the permissions altogether.
- Open Terminal in /userName (Home) directory
- Run one of the following commands using the installation directory
sudo chmod -R a+r+w+x /home/userName/qCS_x-x/(note: "x-x" is the version number)sudo chmod 777 -R /home/userName/qCS_x-x/
- If Terminal is open in the folder that contains the tool folder qCS_x-x, run one of the following commands instead
sudo chmod -R a+r+w+x qCS_x-x/sudo chmod 777 -R qCS_x-x/
- Go to the installed path/application folder and locate the "run_qCS.sh" file.
- To run qCS after making sure the permissions are set, the following command will set the path to open the app. This information is given in additional readme file located in "application" folder after the installation. The last part of the command is the path of the installed compiler and its released version. qCS 2.1 uses R2022b (9.13) MATLAB Runtime Version.
sudo ./run_qCS.sh /usr/local/MATLAB/MATLAB_Runtime/R2022b
- qCS application opens after a few seconds of delay
- qCS user guide is located under Manual Tab on qCS application.
- To use a qCS output file as data input, in the netlist, comment out: *.FILE
- Extract zip file (example: "qCS_MacOS_2-1.zip")
- R-click
- Extract using any installed Zip program
- Open folder which contains the installer (example: "qCS_MacOS_2-1")
- L-click twice on "qCS_installer"
- Installation wizard appears
- Install to any directory that does not require administrator permissions
- Read/Write Permissions: (if there is a permission restriction while trying to open or run the tool after the installation)
- Open Terminal and go to the installed path/application
- Put the following commands which will allow you to change the permissions of the files altogether
sudo chmod 777 -R qCS_x-x/
- Go to the installed path/application folder and locate the "run_qCS.sh" file.
- To run qCS after making sure the permissions are set, the following command will set the path to open the app. This information is given in additional readme file located in "application" folder after the installation. The last part of the command is the path of the installed compiler and its released version. qCS 2.1 uses R2022b (9.13) MATLAB Runtime Version.
sudo ./run_qCS.sh /usr/local/MATLAB/MATLAB_Runtime/R2022b
- qCS application opens after a few seconds of delay
- qCS user guide is located under Manual Tab on qCS application.
- To use a qCS output file as data input, in the netlist, comment out: *.FILE
- Extract zip file (example: "qCS_Windows_2-1.zip")
- R-click
- Extract using any installed Zip program
- Open folder which contains the installer (example: "qCS_Windows_2-1")
- L-click twice on "qCS_installer.exe"
- Click "Yes" if a permission pop-up window appears
- Installation wizard appears
- Install to any directory that does not require administrator permissions
- Remove the tick in the checkbox for a shortcut if it is initially selected
- Read/Write Permissions: Make sure that the files stated below have read and write permissions on the installed path/application directory.
- qCS.exe
- jsim.exe
- jsim_n.exe
- josim-cli.exe
- qCS.exe is located in the installed path/application folder. Run qCS.exe to start the tool.
- To run qCS after making sure the permissions are set, use the main executable file rather than its shortcut. Running the app via shortcut will access to the wrong directory and the simulations will fail. Running on the administrator for Windows OS is recommended.
- qCS application opens after a few seconds of delay
- qCS user guide is located under Manual Tab on qCS application.
- To use a qCS output file as data input, in the netlist, comment out: *.FILE
- There are two papers and a book chapter for qCS. One paper and the book chapter are for its algorithm with performance metrics and the second paper is for the tool itself. The related links for them will be provided here once they are published.
- Book chapter: Karamuftuoglu, M.A., Nazar Shahsavani, S., Pedram, M. (2023). Margin Optimization of Single Flux Quantum Logic Cells. In: Topaloglu, R.O. (eds) Design Automation of Quantum Computers. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-15699-1_6
- Algorithm paper: M. A. Karamuftuoglu, S. N. Shahsavani and M. Pedram, "Margin and Yield Optimization of Single Flux Quantum Logic Cells Using Swarm Optimization Techniques," in IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 1-10, Jan. 2023, Art no. 1300110, https://doi.org/10.1109/TASC.2022.3223883
- Tool paper: Mustafa Altay Karamuftuoglu, Haolin Cong and Massoud Pedram, "qCS: Design Analysis and Optimization Tool for Superconductor Circuits", in preparation.
- ColdFlux
- SPORT Lab
- JSIM and JSIM_n (1) or JSIM and JSIM_n (2) (under “Free Tools”)
- JoSIM
- PJSIM
Copyright (C) 2021 Mustafa Altay Karamuftuoglu, Haolin Cong, and Massoud Pedram
SPORT lab, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089. All rights reserved.
Permission is hereby granted, without written agreement and without license or royalty fees, to use, copy, and modify, this software and its documentation for any non-commercial purpose, provided that the above copyright notice and the following paragraphs appear in all copies of this software, whether in binary form or not. Commercial use of this software requires written agreement which must be obtained from Massoud Pedram (pedram@usc.edu).
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
- Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.
- Mac OS is a registered trademark of Apple Inc.
- Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
- MATLAB is a registered trademark of The MathWorks, Inc.
- JSIM is originally written by Emerson S. Fang as part of his work in Ted Van Duzer's lab at the University of California, Berkeley.
- JoSIM is originally written by Johannes Delport at Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch.
- PJSIM is a modified version of the JSIM circuit simulator, and it is developed by Yamanashi Group, Yokohama National University, Yokohama.
IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA BE LIABLE TO ANY PARTY FOR DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE AND ITS DOCUMENTATION, EVEN IF THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
THE AUTHORS AND THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ANY WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE SOFTWARE PROVIDED HEREUNDER IS ON AN "AS IS" BASIS, AND THE AUTHORS HAVE NO OBLIGATION TO PROVIDE MAINTENANCE, SUPPORT, UPDATES, ENHANCEMENTS, OR MODIFICATIONS.
The development of this tool was supported by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) SuperTools program, via the U.S. Army Research Office grant W911NF-17-1-0120. ColdFlux website
The views and conclusions contained herein are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies or endorsements, either expressed or implied, of the ODNI, IARPA, or the U.S. Government. The U.S. Government is authorized to reproduce and distribute copies for Governmental purposes notwithstanding any copyright notation herein.