PCB Design/Simulation Suite Furthers Instrument Integration

April 12, 2007

Since its acquisition of Electronics Workbench and its printed-circuit board (PCB) design and analysis tools, National Instruments has sought to meld those tools with the stuff of its core competencynamely, virtual instrumentation and effect

David Maliniak

The result is embodied in Multisim 10.0 (see figure) and Ultiboard 10.0, which are the latest versions of NI's interactive Spice simulation and circuit analysis software for schematic capture, interactive simulation, board layout, and integrated testing.

In these tools, NI has gone deeper in its efforts to incorporate virtual instrumentation into simulation to reduce iterations. It brings graphical system design, a concept more often related to the worlds of algorithm work, into the context of hardware design. Further, it paves the way for users without a great deal of Spice expertise

Among the improvements in Multisim 10.0 is a greatly expanded model database. Over 1200 models for components from Analog Devices, Linear Technology Corp., and Texas Instruments have been added. Over 16,400 components are now represented. Also, a new "convergence assistant" tool finds and resolves Spice-simulation setting errors not by changing the circuit in any way, but rather by changing simulation parameters.

Enhanced visualization tools enable users to probe their circuits and take measurements. This feature bridges the gap between interactive simulation and the advanced analysis capabilities built into Multisim. With the visualization tools, interactive static probes can be placed anywhere in the circuit for differential measurements.

Multisim 10.0 can be purchased as a complete, integrated design and test platform that includes Ultiboard 10.0 and LabVIEW SignalExpress, the interactive measurement software that improves productivity by controlling all instruments on a benchtop. U.S. list prices start at $1499.

National Instruments' Electronics Workbench Group
www.ni.com

About the Author

David Maliniak | MWRF Executive Editor

In his long career in the B2B electronics-industry media, David Maliniak has held editorial roles as both generalist and specialist. As Components Editor and, later, as Editor in Chief of EE Product News, David gained breadth of experience in covering the industry at large. In serving as EDA/Test and Measurement Technology Editor at Electronic Design, he developed deep insight into those complex areas of technology. Most recently, David worked in technical marketing communications at Teledyne LeCroy. David earned a B.A. in journalism at New York University.