NI Multisim Professional

About this release

Multisim wraps a SPICE simulation engine in a schematic editor that looks like a workbench rather than a text netlist. You draw the circuit by dropping components from a large parts database onto the sheet and wiring them together, then you run the simulation and watch it behave, which is a very different experience from writing a netlist by hand and reading numbers out of a log.

The instruments are the part that sets it apart. Virtual versions of an oscilloscope, a multimeter, a function generator, a spectrum analyser and a logic analyser attach to the schematic and read the simulated circuit exactly as their bench counterparts would read a real one. For teaching this closes the gap between the simulation and the lab, and for design it means the measurement you plan to take is the measurement you already took.

Underneath the friendly surface is a real analysis suite. DC and AC sweeps, transient analysis, Fourier, noise, Monte Carlo and worst case runs are all there for validating a design against tolerance and temperature. The component database carries manufacturer models, and a finished schematic exports toward layout so the simulated circuit becomes a board.

What it does

• Schematic capture with a large searchable component database
• Interactive SPICE simulation you watch behave in real time
• Virtual instruments including scope, multimeter, function generator and analysers
• Full analysis suite with DC, AC, transient, Fourier and noise runs
• Monte Carlo and worst case analysis for tolerance validation
• Manufacturer supplied component models in the parts database
• Mixed analog and digital simulation on the same sheet
• Microcontroller co-simulation for firmware in the loop testing
• Export toward board layout so a schematic becomes a PCB
• Report generation for coursework and design documentation

Changes in this version

• Expanded component database with additional manufacturer models
• Faster transient analysis on large mixed signal circuits
• Improved probe placement and live measurement readout
• Reworked parts search with clearer filtering
• Better handling of hierarchical multi sheet designs

What the package contains

• NI Multisim Professional offline installer
• Full component and model database
• Virtual instrument set
• Sample circuits for the common analysis types
• Readme with the install order written out step by step

Installation notes

Follow these in order. Most reports of a failed install come from skipping a step rather than from the package itself.

1. Disconnect from the network before you begin.
2. Pause real time protection for the duration of the install.
3. Extract the archive to a short path such as C:\Setup.
4. Run setup as administrator and complete the installation.
5. Apply the included activation step before the first launch.
6. Open the application once, then reconnect to the network.

System requirements

Things worth knowing

• Very large circuits with tight tolerances make Monte Carlo runs slow, cut the run count while you iterate.
• The virtual instruments read the simulation, not any real hardware, they are for validating the model.
• Keep the component database intact, custom parts you add live in a separate user database.

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Listing information

This entry is catalogued under CAD & 3D and carries the tags below. Language coverage is English, German, Japanese, Chinese, and the supported platform list is Windows 10, Windows 11. Version 14.3 is the current catalogued build, last checked 1 week ago, and the entry has been in the index since it was added 2 years ago.