pdn: macro `does not contain any shapes or vias` when using `BLOCKS`

[Syndace]

trafficstars

Subject

Describe the bug

I am using BLOCKS to build a part of my design as a macro. The block uses the layers up to Metal5 and has vertical power stripes on Metal5. The outer design has horizontal power stripes on TopMetal1 (which is right above Metal5 in the ihp-sg13g2 PDK). When building the outer PDN, the flow fails with <name of my macro> does not contain any shapes or vias, followed by Failed to generate full power grid..

Expected Behavior

Since the macro only uses the layers up to Metal5, I think the stripes on TopMetal1 should connect just fine. I have checked for obstructions on higher layers and couldn't find any.

Environment

Using ORFS with latest OpenROAD built in Docker using ./build_openroad.sh --latest
Last updated yesterday.

ORFS commit hash: 44ad7459359b537ec4acb14824cd9ff097c9c713
OpenROAD commit hash: 713a21292340b8b187748ad728cdf1384543d466

Unknown git commit, this is not a git repository.

Please make sure that you have the latest code changes and add the commit
hash in the description.

kernel: Linux 6.16.6-1-MANJARO
os: Ubuntu 22.04.5 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish)
cmake version 3.31.6
CMake Warning at CMakeLists.txt:75 (message):
  OpenROAD git describe failed, using sha1 instead


-- The CXX compiler identification is GNU 11.4.0
-- Detecting CXX compiler ABI info
-- Detecting CXX compiler ABI info - done
-- Check for working CXX compiler: /usr/bin/c++ - skipped
-- Detecting CXX compile features
-- Detecting CXX compile features - done
-- OpenROAD version: HEAD-HASH-NOTFOUND
-- System name: Linux
-- Compiler: GNU 11.4.0
-- Build type: RELEASE
-- Install prefix: /usr/local
-- C++ Standard: 17
-- C++ Standard Required: ON
-- C++ Extensions: OFF
-- The C compiler identification is GNU 11.4.0
-- Detecting C compiler ABI info
-- Detecting C compiler ABI info - done
-- Check for working C compiler: /usr/bin/cc - skipped
-- Detecting C compile features
-- Detecting C compile features - done
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wall
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wall - Success
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wall
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wall - Success
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-array-bounds
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-array-bounds - Success
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-array-bounds
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-array-bounds - Success
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-nonnull
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-nonnull - Success
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-nonnull
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-nonnull - Success
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-maybe-uninitialized
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-maybe-uninitialized - Success
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-maybe-uninitialized
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-maybe-uninitialized - Success
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-format-overflow
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-format-overflow - Success
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-format-overflow
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-format-overflow - Success
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-unused-variable
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-unused-variable - Success
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-unused-variable
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-unused-variable - Success
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-unused-function
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-unused-function - Success
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-unused-function
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-unused-function - Success
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-write-strings
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-write-strings - Success
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-write-strings
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-write-strings - Success
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-sign-compare
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-sign-compare - Success
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-sign-compare
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-sign-compare - Success
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-deprecated
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-deprecated - Success
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-deprecated
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-deprecated - Success
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-c++11-narrowing
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-c++11-narrowing - Failed
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-c++11-narrowing
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-c++11-narrowing - Failed
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-register
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-register - Failed
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-register
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-register - Success
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-format
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-format - Success
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-format
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-format - Success
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-reserved-user-defined-literal
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-reserved-user-defined-literal - Failed
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-reserved-user-defined-literal
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-reserved-user-defined-literal - Failed
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-fpermissive
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-fpermissive - Failed
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-fpermissive
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-fpermissive - Success
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-x
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-x - Failed
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-x
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-x - Failed
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__c++
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__c++ - Failed
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__c++
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__c++ - Failed
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-std=c++17
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-std=c++17 - Failed
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-std=c++17
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-std=c++17 - Success
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-fno-exceptions
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-fno-exceptions - Success
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-fno-exceptions
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-fno-exceptions - Success
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-unused-but-set-variable
-- Performing Test C_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-unused-but-set-variable - Success
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-unused-but-set-variable
-- Performing Test CXX_COMPILER_SUPPORTS__-Wno-unused-but-set-variable - Success
-- Found Python3: /usr/bin/python3.10 (found version "3.10.12") found components: Interpreter
-- Performing Test CMAKE_HAVE_LIBC_PTHREAD
-- Performing Test CMAKE_HAVE_LIBC_PTHREAD - Success
-- Found Threads: TRUE
-- TCL library: /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libtcl.so
-- TCL header: /usr/include/tcl/tcl.h
-- TCL readline library: /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libtclreadline.so
-- TCL readline header: /usr/include/x86_64-linux-gnu
-- Found SWIG: /usr/local/bin/swig (found suitable version "4.3.0", minimum required is "4.0")
-- Using SWIG >= 4.3.0 -flatstaticmethod flag for python
-- boost: 1.86.0
-- Found GTest: /OpenROAD-flow-scripts/tools/install/OpenROAD/lib/cmake/GTest/GTestConfig.cmake (found version "1.14.0")
-- GTest: 1.14.0
-- Found Python3: /usr/include/python3.10 (found version "3.10.12") found components: Development Development.Module Development.Embed
-- Found ZLIB: /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libz.so (found version "1.2.11")
-- spdlog: 1.15.0
-- Found BISON: /usr/bin/bison (found version "3.8.2")
-- Could NOT find Doxygen (missing: DOXYGEN_EXECUTABLE) 
-- STA version: 2.7.0
-- STA git sha: 
-- System name: Linux
-- Compiler: GNU 11.4.0
-- Build type: RELEASE
-- Build CXX_FLAGS: -O3 -DNDEBUG
-- Install prefix: /usr/local
-- Found FLEX: /usr/bin/flex (found version "2.6.4")
-- TCL library: /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libtcl.so
-- TCL header: /usr/include/tcl/tcl.h
-- TCL readline library: /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libtclreadline.so
-- TCL readline header: /usr/include/x86_64-linux-gnu/tclreadline.h
-- CUDD library: /usr/local/lib/libcudd.a
-- CUDD header: /usr/local/include/cudd.h
-- SSTA: 0
-- Found SWIG: /usr/local/bin/swig (found suitable version "4.3.0", minimum required is "3.0")
-- STA library: /tmp/tmp.6rukLupeuG/libOpenSTA.a
-- STA executable: /tmp/tmp.6rukLupeuG/sta
-- Found re2: /opt/or-tools/lib/cmake/re2/re2Config.cmake (found version "11.0.0")
-- Found Clp: /opt/or-tools/lib/cmake/Clp/ClpConfig.cmake (found version "1.17.7")
-- Found Cbc: /opt/or-tools/lib/cmake/Cbc/CbcConfig.cmake (found version "2.10.7")
-- Found SCIP: /opt/or-tools/lib/cmake/scip/scip-config.cmake (found version "9.0.0")
-- Found OpenMP_CXX: -fopenmp (found version "4.5")
-- Found OpenMP: TRUE (found version "4.5")
-- Found OR-Tools: /opt/or-tools/lib/cmake/ortools (version: 9.11.4210)
-- TCL library: /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libtcl.so
-- TCL header: /usr/include/tcl/tcl.h
-- Found OpenMP_C: -fopenmp (found version "4.5")
-- Found OpenMP: TRUE (found version "4.5")
-- Found OpenMP: TRUE (found version "4.5")
-- GUI is enabled
-- Could NOT find VTune (missing: VTune_LIBRARIES VTune_INCLUDE_DIRS) 
-- TCL library: /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libtcl.so
-- TCL header: /usr/include/tcl/tcl.h
-- Found Eigen3: /usr/local/share/eigen3/cmake/Eigen3Config.cmake (found version "3.4.1")
-- TCL readline enabled
-- Tcl Extended disabled
-- Python3 enabled
-- Configuring done (5.9s)
-- Generating done (1.1s)
-- Build files have been written to: /tmp/tmp.6rukLupeuG

To Reproduce

Here's the output of make pdn_issue: pdn_trng-eval_ihp-sg13g2_base_2025-09-10_08-45.tar.gz

It builds very quickly. Let me know if you need anything else.

Relevant log output

read_db ./results/ihp-sg13g2/trng-eval/base/2_3_floorplan_tapcell.odb
[INFO PDN-0001] Inserting grid: grid
[INFO PDN-0001] Inserting grid: macro_grid - u_rng
[WARNING PDN-0232] macro_grid - u_rng does not contain any shapes or vias.
[ERROR PDN-0233] Failed to generate full power grid.
Error: pdn.tcl, 6 PDN-0233
Command exited with non-zero status 1
Elapsed time: 0:00.28[h:]min:sec. CPU time: user 0.26 sys 0.02 (98%). Peak memory: 89000KB.
make[1]: *** [Makefile:428: do-2_4_floorplan_pdn] Error 1
make: *** [Makefile:428: results/ihp-sg13g2/trng-eval/base/2_4_floorplan_pdn.odb] Error 2

Screenshots

No response

Additional Context

I saw several issues about the same error in the ORFS & OpenROAD issue trackers, however from what I understood, it was always about obstructions or the macro using too many layers. In my case, the macro uses up to Metal5 and I couldn't find any obstructions, so I believe it might a different issue.