Toronto-based Electronics Workbench Corp., a unit of National Instruments Corp. (NI), Austin TX, has upgraded its integrated end-to-end electronic design automation (EDA) package. Intended to efficiently take electronics projects from initial concept through capture and simulation to final layout and production, Multisim 9, Ultiboard 9 and Ultiroute 9, form the Series 9 DesignSuite.
Multisim seamlessly integrates with the recently released NI LabVIEW 8 graphical development environment as well as NI SignalExpress interactive measurement software to help design engineers increase productivity and reduce time to market by bridging the disconnect between popular design and test tools.
Using Multisim 9, engineers can access enhanced simulation capabilities by using real-world data acquired by LabVIEW as the source that drives virtual circuits during testing. By integrating their simulation data and real-world measurements, engineers can reduce errors, shorten design time and create more robust designs, Electronics Workbench says.
Engineers also now can use LabVIEW to graphically create fully customized virtual instruments to use in the Multisim environment in addition to the software’s 20 supplied instruments.
Users can quickly import Multisim 9 simulation results into LabVIEW or SignalExpress in their native file formats. They can more efficiently share and compare real-world and simulated data.
They can use these results as benchmarks during project testing and debug phases, improving efficiency and interdepartmental communications by easily comparing measured data with expected or desired results.
With native file formats, engineers can eliminate the need to convert files and can significantly reduce errors and inefficiencies associated with data sharing.
“Multisim 9, the first Electronics Workbench release under National Instruments, marks a fundamental change in design technology,” Ray Almgren, NI vice president of product marketing and academic relations, says. “Engineers now have a tightly integrated, end-to-end solution for electronics design, from capture to simulation to test and implementation.”
“By combining world-class simulation with real-world measurements early in the design process, design engineers now can make better decisions earlier, resulting in high quality products and a faster time to market,” he adds
The package also provides:
*Capability to enable engineers to use mathematical expressions within analyses while simulating.
*Wizards that automatically generate circuitry to match user-defined parameters for op amps and MOSFET amplifiers.
*Functionality in the autorouter for prioritizing routing order by net (or routing a single net).
