National Instruments has released version 12.0 of its Multisim software with specialised editions for circuit design and electronics education. Multisim 12.0 Professional Edition is based on industry-standard Spice simulation and optimised for usability. Engineers can improve design performance to fit their applications by minimising errors and prototype iterations with Multisim simulation tools that include both customisable analyses developed in NI LabView graphical system design software and standard Spice analyses and intuitive measurement instruments.
It also provides unprecedented integration with LabView for closed-loop simulation of analogue and digital systems. Using this design approach, engineers can validate field-programmable gate array (FPGA) digital control logic alongside analogue circuitry (such as for power applications) before leaving the desktop simulation stage. Multisim Professional Edition is optimised for layout routing and rapid prototyping needs, making integration possible with NI hardware such as the NI reconfigurable I/O (RIO) FPGA platforms and PXI platforms for prototype validation.
Multisim 12.0 Education Edition incorporates features specialised for teaching and is complemented by a complete solution of hardware, textbooks and courseware. This integrated system helps educators engage students and reinforce circuit theory with an interactive, hands-on approach to investigating circuit behaviour. With the addition of new capabilities, the software can also facilitate student comprehension of topics in mechatronics, power and digital curricula, expanding the use of a single environment throughout engineering education.
‘By giving students access to the same tools they will use as professionals, we eliminate the barriers that make engineering overwhelming or abstract,’ said Dave Wilson, director of Proficiency Programs for National Instruments. ‘The latest version of Multisim introduces powerful functionality in an intuitive way so engineers, both in industry and in training, can focus on the application rather than the tool.’
