National Instruments MultiSim, or something else?

[Fordy]

I've been long looking for some better software.

I haven't previously paid, but I'm prepared to pay a small amount for something worthwhile. (Student discount helps!)

I've been playing with a now expired evaluation licence of NI MultiSim, which seems pretty good.

I also quite liked DesignSpark from RS, but MultiSim seems like a more sustainable/reliable idea.


Obviously there's only so much variation between them anyway - but is there an 'industry standard', or one that, in your experience, is pretty prominent throughout industry?


Thanks,

(Oh and yes, for the sake of being transparent I have posted this on a couple of other forums too - just because I want a range of responses.)

 

[Sceadwian]

Have you ever tried LTSpice? It's a free full function spice simulator produced by one of the people over at Linear Technologies, specifically to highlight their switch mode power supply IC's but which is actively maintained as a general purpose Spice simulator.


The learning curve is a bit higher, but it 's flexibility is virtually unlimited.

 

[edeca]

It's hard to guess what your requirements are. What would you like to simulate?

I don't think people can answer until you have told us this.

 

[kubeek]

I use micro-cap 9, the full version has a pretty good selection of components.

 

[simonbramble]

I (and most professional engineers in the UK) use LTSpice. Take a look at my tutorials. They will get you up the learning curve. You can get going in as little as 1 hour and be an expert by the end of the day (I learnt it sitting in a service station just outside Cambridge). I would definitely recommend it for anything with passive components, bipolars, FETs, op amps and dc/dc converters. It does not do RF or data converters (or code), but everything else analogue it is very very accurate. Good luck - Simon

 

[Jugurtha]

Hi,

I only use Multisim for drawing circuits, export as an image and put in a PDF. Their circuits look nicer than LTSpice circuits. For the simulation, I use LTSpice. It has been very good to me so far.

So to sum it up:

To draw circuits that look nice, I use Multisim.
For the actual simulation, I use LTSpice.

 

[Boncuk]

Hi Yugurtha,

nice looking circuits (PCBs) is just a matter of personal taste, board requirements, restrictions and limitations.

You can design "nice" looking circuits using Eagle "light", a free version of Eagle schematic and a PCB router. The free version is limited to one schematic sheet and the PCB size of 100X80mm.

You might think about purchasing the "non-profit" version offering 160X100mm PCB size. It costs about US$ 160.

You can also use larger PCB sizes which have been created using a professional Eagle version but with the restriction of moving components beyond the imaginary frame of 100X80mm (or 160X100mm).

The full professional version offers unlimited sheet numbers of any size and PCB sizes of 4,000X4,000mm and 16 layers. (Check out the price at )

Learning to work with Eagle is very easy. Eagle stands for: Easily Applicable Graphic Layout Editor, and that's what it really is.

The autorouter tends to surround itself, other than the autorouter of "NewIO" which ran using Amiga DOS with Commodore PC's. (Commodore Amiga 500, 1,000 and 2,000).

Boncuk

 

[Jugurtha]

Hey Hans, how's it going ..

Thanks for the reminder, I kind of work sometimes with EAGLE (heck if anyone, *You* should know .. I harrass you with questions, remember ? ) ..

The point of using MultiSIM for me is that, when I want to draw Op-Amp circuits, it will draw the Op-Amp symbol, not the symbol of the chip/package. (i.e: The triangle with positive and negative inputs, not the dual in line or whatever package you can chose). That's why I use it.

PS: It's actually Jugurtha, Hans

 

[Boncuk]

PS: It's actually Jugurtha, Hans

Of course, Jugurtha, how could I forget that?

What did you mean by harrassment?

Regards

Hans

 

[meowth08]

Hi

Do we have set of standards, guidelines, or rules of thumb to follow that were published by any pertinent organization for the PCB design?

m8

 

[edeca]

Do we have set of standards, guidelines, or rules of thumb to follow that were published by any pertinent organization for the PCB design?

For which portion? There is a good PDF from Dave Jones (of EEVBlog) here: https://www.alternatezone.com/electronics/pcbdesign.htm

 

[ericgibbs]

Hi

Do we have set of standards, guidelines, or rules of thumb to follow that were published by any pertinent organization for the PCB design?

m8

hi m08 aka Squire.

Download this pdf , very useful reference.

E.

 

[Jugurtha]

What did you mean by harrassment?

You know.. I asked you many questions about PCB design in EAGLE when I just started using it.. You even designed one as an example .. That kind of things..

 

[meowth08]

Hi

edeca,

I just had the copy of the pdf. It's really a good one. It helps for a beginner like me.

knight e,

The link for the pdf you have attached leads to a blank page.

m08

 

[konradIC13]

yeah. cant open it also, it directs to a blank page with 1px x 1px image

 

[eTech]

Hi

I've been using DesignSpark PCB for about three months now and wow!!....awesome for free software. And it integrates with LTSpice!!.....

I did download the demo version of Eagle and tried it for a couple of days....too non-intuative for me...and since I needed to design boards larger than 6" x 4" also too expensive...

eTech