markdown/gh_discussions/Runtime/4258.md

# Need help in custom cell placement since they overlap with power grip

Tool: Detailed Placement

Subcategory: Placement conflict

## Conversation

### OuDret
Hello,

I'm trying to use openroad commands to place custom pdk cells but they overlap with power grid.

Here in https://github.com/OuDret/my_pdk/tree/main you can see all the files I'm using. 

There are also all the commands I'm running in ./flow.txt. You can simply copy-paste all the lines in flow.txt file into OpenRoad command line at once to reproduce the case. 

Unfortunately I'm using absolute path when loading tech and design so you may need to change it.

I'm trying to simplify the flow as much as I can so I may have forgotten to run some important steps.

Thank you for any advice you can provide

[EDIT] I forgot to show the 2 warnings that are raised when I run ```improve_placement``` which must be related to the overlap issue.
```
  [WARNING DPO-0201] Placement check failure during legalization.
  [WARNING DPO-0381] Encountered 57 issues when orienting cells for rows.
```

![cell_overlap_power_grid](https://github.com/The-OpenROAD-Project/OpenROAD/assets/74424277/43d68ad2-28ab-4749-968d-c9cfd65a4397)
![counter_design](https://github.com/The-OpenROAD-Project/OpenROAD/assets/74424277/849b8ffe-5426-4157-b8a2-60d43c628e38)


### maliberty
Where is this process are you manually placing these cells?  Are you marking them as fixed?

### maliberty
I tried to run flow.txt but I get in global placement:
```
[ERROR GRT-0126] Layers met2 and met3 have the same preferred routing direction 
(VERTICAL).
```
This seems wrong - can you explain what the intention is?