Multisim and Ultiboard Idea Exchange

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The gerber output from Ultiboard should have either an option to turn off the targeting and cornering or just leave these out.  These were used back in the cave man days to line up the gerbers for a photo shoot.  Today, they are useless and make more work in deleting them on each layer.

On upgrade it would be interesting to automatically keep the circuit designer suite configuration, particuliarly for customized interface, user button and keyboard shortcuts.

 

Thanks

Add the possibility to transfer components user fields from MS (MultiSim) to UB (UltiBoard) in TEXT variables (TEXT,TEXT1,TEXT2,...).

In UB add the possibility to have the component height (height + Offset) and user fields to the part centroids export

In UB add the possibility to export user fields in the BOM

It would be interesting to have a feature to import either text base, .csv, or XML format netlist into Multisim. We have a Flying probe machine (Acculogic brand) that export netlist in XML format (See the attached file) Would it be possible to add the feature added to import that netlist in Multisim. See the attached xml file to see an partial example of netlist that we have. 

Some icons suggestion (part 1) to add to ultiboard for:

45 deg. angle

Add vertex

Any angle

Board outline check

Connectivity check

Corner Mittering

Export

Group editor

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Some icons suggestion (part 2) to add to ultiboard for:

Keep-in/Keep-out area

Narrow

Orthogonal

PCB properties

Unplace parts

Update component

Widen

Group Replica place

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Some icons suggestion to add to multisim for:

Add Multi-Page

Bill of Material

Export Spice Netlist

Highlight selection in Ultiboard

Netlist Report

Replace component

Reverse Probe Direction

Spare Gate Report

Update Component

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I am using Multisim 14 with the BASYS3 board  to teach a beginning digital class.  It would be very useful to have a searchable document reference of the available PLD components.  The best way I see to get information now is to do a internet search on each individual name.  Are there any better sources?  Thanks so much for your help.

It's possible to select, edit, and place a net bridge footprint in Ultiboard (that connect two different nets, such as analog and digital ground), but there is presently no way to create a net bridge component in Multisim to complete a schematic that exactly matches and forward annotates to a desired board layout.  At least some other software packages (e.g. Altium) do offer such a component.  The ability to create such a part in Multisim would make for a much cleaner process, including design verification.

Allow user defined IGBT SPICE model with IGBT symbol, just like for NMOS

I was not aware that Msim needed a template for a user db. My original user db was created under Msim V10.1. The Same Machine was used for several years. Parts were added to the user db over time. The Same Machine went through several upgrades to Msim ending at V14.0. Whenever Msim was run and the user db was chosen as the source for components, all components were always available for insertion.

 

A new machine was purchased. V14.1 was installed. The old user db (".usr") was copied from the old machine and placed in the V14.1 database directory. When running Msim, it was discovered that the user db was "Blank", no parts, even though it was over 500kb. I tried convert db from v13 to V14. That failed with the message: "Problem: Database version .[User Database]. The User Database cannot be accessed. Features using the User Database will not be available."

 

I tried everything from V9 to V13 for conversion option with the same failure. I created a new part using the 14.1 Component Wizard and saved it to the user db hoping that might somehow transform the DB. When the user db was selected for the component source, Only The New Part appeared and all else was blank. The user db swelled to 750kb also. I tried to merge the user db to create a corporate db hoping to get a whole new db. Same result. Only new part was shown and the corp db was over 700kb.

 

I opened the user db for a look. Early in the file header "Standard JET DB" appeared. I wondered why Msim didn't have or look for the common Jet DB drivers (ADO?). It should have been able to read the user db and get all the component data. At least it should have been able to present the user with a field map to set up a current version user db (like excel does with a txt or csv file). That wasn't the case.

 

I went back to the old machine to look more closely at what files V14.0 was using to work with the user db ".usr" file. I stumbled upon "UsrCompTemplate_S.usr" under All Users/Application Data/...

 

I took a chance and copied the template file and dropped it in the new machine V14.1 database directory. I lit off Msim and the User DB was there, all parts ready for use. Apparently when Msim was upgraded each time in the old machine, the template was automatically carried forward into the new database or template directory for use with the user db. That's why the parts were always avalable and there was no reason to suspect that since V14.0 worked fine with the user db, that V14.1 would not work.

 

There was no prior installation from which to bring in a db template so the user db couldn't be accessed. BUT, if Msim was smart enough to look for the template file in the first place, why didn't it inform the user that a template was needed and that no template was found????  That would have saved me a lot of time and grief. Perhaps during a new installation Msim should ask the user if there is an existing user db AND it's required template to be imported. I don't recall that taking place if it did.....

 

Proposed Solutions:

1. Msim acquire and install Jet DB drivers so that a template is not an issue. (lot of work)

2. Msim Automatically Export the Entire User DB as a PRZ file Everytime there is a change to the db with a reminder to the user. (perhaps a little less work but a good enough solution)

3. Msim Notify the user that a template is missing and is needed to use the db (Lame lazy solution)

4. Msim Always Install Templates for All Versions of Msim when a new installation is done. We are only talking a few MB and implementation should be trivial. This may also permit an Automatic Upgrade of the User DB to current installation version. (Best Alternative?)

 

I think options 2 and 4 should be implemented.

 

Robert Phillips

Just Plain Bob

 

 

 

 

 

 

lab report diagram

When a new version of Multisim and Ultiboard is released, the old User DB must be converted to work with the new version. Unfortunately, the converted DB is saved to the default file location, even if that is not the current location of the User DB.

 

I believe it is good practice to set up the User DB in a location that is backed up regularly to guard against possible loss. Seems like the converted User DB should be saved back to the location where the old User DB was, whether that is the default location or not.

 

When we did the last version upgrade, it took me a long time to figure out why the conversion was not working. It turned out that the conversion itself was working, but the converted file was being saved in the default file location instead of the currently used location.

 

This behavior, although NI tells me it is working as designed, is rather insidious, and seems like it would be fairly easy to change.

There is an error on Table Type Source manual.
Examples are not working.....
I attach correct examples.


TABLE Type Source
Instance declaration syntax:
Exxx o_node_p o_node_n TABLE{expression} < = > (x1,y1) (x2,y2) < (x3,y3) <...>> <uselim>

Example
E1 5 0 TABLE(V(1)**2) (-5,-5)(5,5)
GD99 2 13 TABLE {V(2,13)}=((-100,-1p)(0,0)(1m,1n)(2m,1m)(3m,1))
************* possible syntax ***************
E_U1_E90 U1_DROPOUT 0 table= { V(ISENSE)-V(0) }
+ ( (20m,1.5)(200m,1.62)(500m,1.75)(1,2)(1.5,2.25) )

E_U1_E91 U1_DROPOUT 0 table= { V(ISENSE)-V(0) } ( (20m,1.5)(200m,1.62)(500m,1.75)(1,2)(1.5,2.25) )

************* impossible syntax ***************
E1 5 0 TABLE(V(1)**2) (-5,-5)(5,5)
GD99 2 13 TABLE {V(2,13)}=((-100,-1p)(0,0)(1m,1n)(2m,1m)(3m,1))

E_U1_E92 U1_DROPOUT 0 table= ( V(ISENSE)-V(0) ) ( (20m,1.5)(200m,1.62)(500m,1.75)(1,2)(1.5,2.25) )
E_U1_E93 U1_DROPOUT 0 table= { V(ISENSE)-V(0) } { (20m,1.5)(200m,1.62)(500m,1.75)(1,2)(1.5,2.25) }
E_U1_E94 U1_DROPOUT 0 table={ V(ISENSE)-V(0) } { (20m,1.5)(200m,1.62)(500m,1.75)(1,2)(1.5,2.25) }
E_U1_E95 U1_DROPOUT 0 table=( V(ISENSE)-V(0) ) { (20m,1.5)(200m,1.62)(500m,1.75)(1,2)(1.5,2.25) }

Hi

Was advised to post this here so here it is. (again, with tags this time)

Some problems I've encountered so far in no particular order:-

1. Part reference: When selecting a part, regardless of where the cursor is once selected, I would expect the part to jump to the cursor on its part reference.......it doesn't, it picks it up wherever you choose. I've tried the "change the grids" to smaller, but this seems ridiculous that you have to zoom in to pick a part on centre, or type in co-ords. The only way I've found is via the "part tab", but you can't keep going to that every time you want to move a component.

 

2. Printing: When printing out the board layers, top, bottom, ident etc. and selecting fit to page, it doesn't, it's like the preview is seeing another layer that is turned off. So you get a print that looks like it's seeing the drawing format.

 

3. Rotate component: CNTL R for 90deg. If another rotation is required it's by numerous clicks of the mouse. Why can't a specified increment be set up eg 45deg. via say CNTL,ALT R. If numerous components are being placed at a specified angle, to have to click select click select from a mouse right click sub menu is time consuming.

 

4. Toggle between preset grids via shortcut key.

 

5. Assign a net a colour: I generally turn 0V & +V off when placing to de-clutter. BUT, where certain nets need to be easily identified, like a locally used voltage, earth ground etc, this is useful.

 

6. Layers: Global turn ON/OFF of layers, having to double click (to grey, then off) is a pain.

 

7. Drawing blanks A2, A3 etc: To have said blanks saved as a default with standard commonly used notes, and have the fields/attributes (drawn by, date, drawing no, title, material, finish, etc) tabulated to fill in like an Autocad block.

 

So far, the manual and the net have failed me for answers.

That's it......for now.

 

Russ

 

In a recent design I had rule violations I was not aware of until ordering boards because teardrops added in did not generate errors on spacing violations, even when they were causing a direct short.  I would have to consider this a significant defect in UB.

UB14.1 Win10 64b

 

Discussion and spacing violation with no errors shown here:

https://forums.ni.com/t5/Multisim-and-Ultiboard/Teardrops-and-design-rule-errors/td-p/3684720

The following problem has been detected in Labview communication with Multisim:
When a new instance of Multisim is connected to Labview, and several operations are performed on it, the time it takes to do these operations increases progressively each time an operation is repeated. The time increases in each and every one of the operations that are performed on the open instance: measure, place components, etc ... The increase of time is significant since an operation that first time takes 0.5 seconds after several repetitions can take more than 5 seconds.
A temporary solution until you fix the problem is to close the connection with Multisim and re-instantiate a new connection.
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There are certain types of semiconductors (such as thyristors) which fail to operate correctly or cause errors/crash unless specific simulation settings are chosen. The requirements for these settings are made known by NI techs after sending them the circuit (which works fine on the bench). Avoid having to go through NI tech support for these types of components to make known good designs operate correctly under simulation by adding the simulation settings criteria to a configuration file that associates the settings with the troublesome components and alerts the user to the requirement thus avoiding a negative simulation experience requiring tech support for the unsuspecting user. It could be a flag added to the model.

This is not the first time this suggestion has been forwarded to NI. The process of semiconductor component selection in Msim is BACKWARDS. Components are frequently chosen to base a design upon because they are available, the price is right, already in stock, etc. Quite frequently these parts are not found in the component library. There is no way to identify which components in the library may be used as a satisfactory replacement for simulation purposes without going back to a vendor site (NI preferred vendor obviously because those vendor's parts are what's in the NI library.....) and start a tiresome search for a compatible part and whether or not it is in the NI library. That's a ridiculous process and waste of time. This request is to expand the NI semiconductor component library databases to include key semiconductor criteria, depending on device type of course,  such as hfe & HFE, Ft, leakage, capacitance/switching time, Vsat, Vf, Vgt, Igt, Ih, It, IDSS, RDS, channel mode, Vz, Iz and so forth. There should be little difficulty obtaining this from your vendor library sources and associating a part number with it's key criteria just as the vendor does to make part selection possible.

Having spoken to customer support, it would be useful for Multisim to have an automated function whereby it checks if a component in a design is in the corporate database.

 

There is a function for updating components, which would bring designs from older databases or that have been created without the current corporate database to be updated. However any components that aren't in the database are simply ignored.

 

Is it possible to have the functionality to somehow point out that a component in a design is not in the database. Without having to individually go through and check?