Saving Multisim in older versions?

[Waverly]

Can someone tell me how to save Multisim version 11.0 into an older version? I have 11.0 but need to show work to professor at school that has version 10.1?

[NatashaB]

Hi there,

Multisim is backwards compatible only - not forwards compatible.  This means you can open a V10.1 file in V11, for example, but not a V11 file in V10.1.

Fortunately, I do have a workaround for you.  If you don't need to show your professor the shcematic, simply export your netlist and place it within an Arbitrary SPICE Block.  You can still use the analyses the same way you do in V11.

Here's how to do this:

1. Go to View > SPICE Netlist (or Transfer > Export Netlist)
2. Save the netlist
3. Open the netlist using a text editor and copy all the text
4. Place down the ARBITRARY_SPICE_BLOCK in Multisim (Basic > BASIC_VIRTUAL family)
5. Paste the netlist
6. Run the analyses the same way you would in V11

The only difference doing it this way is that your professor won't be able to see your schematic. So you might want to print it or take a screenshot from Multisim 11 to show him.  Also, I would display the nodes on the schematic before printing (Options > Sheet Properties, then choose Show all in the Net names group box).

Hope this helps,

Natasha

[aburns2]

Natasha, Waverly is not the only person in that boat, as I am having the same issue, and it is an issue that will keep me from using the Multisim 11 product simply because a program that cannot save in a format that our teachers can open is completely useless to us. Is there a way, or a utility, that can convert the multisim 11 file back into a format that can be opened by multisim 10.1?

[NatashaB]

Thanks for your feedback. However, there currently is no way to do this. I have entered a feature request to add this functionality. In the meantime, the process above is probably your best bet.

[aburns2]

Awesome, thank you for your help. I was able to get around the limitation today in the lab. I love the improvements that have been made in Multisim 11; my only gripe has been 10.1 not opening the .ms11 files.