---
name: "gnetlist"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "geda-gnetlist"
version: "1:1.8.2-11"
release: "Debian 10 (Buster)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/gnetlist"
---

# gnetlist(1)

gEDA/gaf Netlist Extraction and Generation

## NAME

gnetlist - gEDA/gaf Netlist Extraction and Generation

## SYNOPSIS

**gnetlist** \[*OPTION* ...\] \[**-g** *BACKEND*\] \[*--*\] *FILE* ...

## DESCRIPTION

**gnetlist** is a netlist extraction and generation tool, and is part of the gEDA (GPL Electronic Design Automation) toolset.  It takes one or electronic schematics as input, and outputs a netlist.  A netlist is a machine-interpretable description of the way that components in an electronic circuit are connected together, and is commonly used as the input to a PCB layout program such as [**pcb**(1)](/pcb/1.md) or to a simulator such as [**gnucap**(1)](/gnucap/1.md).

A normal **gnetlist** run is carried out in two steps.  First, the **gnetlist** frontend loads the specified human-readable schematic *FILE*s, and compiles them to an in-memory netlist description. Next, a \`backend' is used to export the connection and component data to one of many supported netlist formats.

**gnetlist** is extensible, using the Scheme programming language.

## GENERAL OPTIONS

- **-q**

  Quiet mode. Turns off all warnings/notes/messages.

- **-v**, **--verbose**

  Verbose mode.  Output all diagnostic information.

- **-L** *DIRECTORY*

  Prepend *DIRECTORY* to the list of directories to be searched for Scheme files.

- **-g** *BACKEND*

  Specify the netlist backend to be used.

- **-O** *STRING*

  Pass an option string to the backend.

- **--list-backends**

  Print a list of available netlist backends.

- **-o** *FILE*

  Specify the filename for the generated netlist.  By default, output is directed to \`output.net'.

- **-l** *FILE*

  Specify a Scheme file to be loaded before the backend is loaded or executed.  This option can be specified multiple times.

- **-m** *FILE*

  Specify a Scheme file to be loaded between loading the backend and executing it.  This option can be specified multiple times.

- **-c** *EXPR*

  Specify a Scheme expression to be executed during **gnetlist** startup.  This option can be specified multiple times.

- **-i**

  After the schematic files have been loaded and compiled, and after all Scheme files have been loaded, but before running the backend, enter a Scheme read-eval-print loop.

- **-h**, **--help**

  Print a help message.

- **-V**, **--version**

  Print **gnetlist** version information.

- **--**

  Treat all remaining arguments as schematic filenames.  Use this if you have a schematic filename which begins with \`-'.

## BACKENDS

Currently, **gnetlist** includes the following backends:

- **allegro**

  Allegro netlist format.

- **bae**

  Bartels Autoengineer netlist format.

- **bom**, **bom2**

  Bill of materials generation.

- **calay**

  Calay netlist format.

- **cascade**

  RF Cascade netlist format

- **drc**, **drc2**

  Design rule checkers (**drc2** is recommended).

- **eagle**

  Eagle netlist format.

- **ewnet**

  Netlist format for National Instruments ULTIboard layout tool.

- **futurenet2**

  Futurenet2 netlist format.

- **geda**

  Native gEDA netlist format (mainly used for testing and diagnostics).

- **gossip**

  Gossip netlist format.

- **gsch2pcb**

  Backend used for [**pcb**(1)](/pcb/1.md) file layout generation by [**gsch2pcb**(1)](/gsch2pcb/1.md).  It is not recommended to use this backend directly.

- **liquidpcb**

  LiquidPCB netlist format.

- **mathematica**

  Netlister for analytical circuit solving using Mathematica.

- **maxascii**

  MAXASCII netlist format.

- **osmond**

  Osmond netlist format.

- **pads**

  PADS netlist format.

- **partslist1**, **partslist2**, **partslist3**

  Bill of materials generation backends (alternatives to **bom** and **bom2**).

- **PCB**

  [**pcb**(1)](/pcb/1.md) netlist format.

- **pcbpins**

  Generates a [**pcb**(1)](/pcb/1.md) action file for forward annotating pin/pad names from schematic to layout.

- **protelII**

  Protel II netlist format.

- **redac**

  RACAL-REDAC netlist format.

- **spice**, **spice-sdb**

  SPICE-compatible netlist format (**spice-sdb** is recommended). Suitable for use with [**gnucap**(1)](/gnucap/1.md).

- **switcap**

  SWITCAP switched capacitor simulator netlist format.

- **systemc**

  Structural SystemC code generation.

- **tango**

  Tango netlist format.

- **vams**

  VHDL-AMS code generation.

- **verilog**

  Verilog code generation.

- **vhdl**

  VHDL code generation.

- **vipec**

  ViPEC Network Analyser netlist format.

## EXAMPLES

These examples assume that you have a \`stack\_1.sch' in the current directory.

**gnetlist** requires that at least one schematic to be specified on the command line:

```
	./gnetlist stack_1.sch
```

This is not very useful since it does not direct **gnetlist** to do anything.

Specify a backend name with \`-g' to get **gnetlist** to output a netlist:

```
	./gnetlist -g geda stack_1.sch
```

The netlist output will be written to a file called \`output.net' in the current working directory.

You can specify the output filename by using the \`-o' option:

```
	./gnetlist -g geda stack_1.sch -o /tmp/stack.netlist
```

Output will now be directed to \`/tmp/stack.netlist'.

You could run (for example) the \`spice-sdb' backend against the schematic if you specified \`-g spice-sdb', or you could generate a bill of materials for the schematic using \`-g partslist1'.

To obtain a Scheme prompt to run Scheme expressions directly, you can use the \`-i' option.

```
	./gnetlist -i stack_1.sch
```

**gnetlist** will load \`stack\_1.sh', and then enter an interactive Scheme read-eval-print loop.

## ENVIRONMENT

- **GEDADATA**

  specifies the search directory for Scheme and rc files.  The default is \`${prefix}/share/gEDA'.

- **GEDADATARC**

  specifies the search directory for rc files.  The default is \`$GEDADATA'.

## AUTHORS

See the \`AUTHORS' file included with this program.

## COPYRIGHT

```
Copyright © 1999-2011 gEDA Contributors.  License GPLv2+: GNU GPL
version 2 or later.  Please see the `COPYING' file included with this
program for full details.
```

This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

## SEE ALSO

[**gschem**(1)](/gschem/1.md), [**gsymcheck**(1)](/gsymcheck/1.md), [**pcb**(1)](/pcb/1.md), [**gnucap**(1)](/gnucap/1.md)