Circuit Design and Simulation: Educator and Classroom Resources
Overview
National Instruments provides educators and students a tightly integrated platform of hardware and software, the Electronics Education Platform, to aid in the transition of complex theory to real-world circuit design and test.
The NI electronics education platform is a unique combination of tools including NI Multisim schematic capture and SPICE simulation software, the NI ELVIS prototyping and test platform, and NI LabVIEW graphical system design software.
Below you will find a number of resources on teaching circuits and electronics with the electronics education platform. Labs and other curriculum are free for download. There are also links to multimedia pieces and textbook resources to complement your class.
Testimonial
| "At UC Berkeley, EE100 is the introduction to electrical engineering class for non-EE majors. The goal of this course is to serve as a hands-on electronics class... We use Multisim in the EE100 course because it is easy-to-use and abstracts the messy details of SPICE. Multisim also provides very useful features like the breadboard tool and instruments like the multimeter (we can show students how to wire an ammeter without blowing fuses). Multisim also integrates with LabVIEW and this helps our students compare simulation data to experimental data." Bharathwaj Muthuswamy, Visiting Lecturer, Summer 2006, University of California Berkeley |
Resources
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Curriculum Download sample courseware, instructor slides and links to university course websites |
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Software Simulations & Examples Explore example labs, LabVIEW demos, and project ideas |
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Textbooks & Applicable Courses Discover the textbooks that use LabVIEW to teach circuit design |
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Hardware Labs & Exercises Perform hardware-based experiments to explore concepts |
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Case Studies & Conference Papers |
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Videos & Webcasts View short video demonstrations, webcasts of concepts |
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Software Licensing Options |
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Recommended Lab Configurations Outfit your teaching and research labs with these setups |
Visit ni.com/academic for additional teaching and research resources
Curriculum
Control Systems with NI Multisim and NI LabVIEW
Tech 167 - Control Systems is a course designed by Dr. Julio R. Garcia at San Jose State University. This controls course has been offered as a part of the Department of Technology and generally requires prerequisites in Analog/Digital Electronics. Course materials are available both in English and Spanish.
Practical Teaching Ideas
Practical Teaching Ideas is a collection of laboratories that implement elements of the NI Electronics Education platform. The course was originally developed by Tracy Shields, an electrical engineer and experienced instructor from Toronto, Canada.
UC Berkeley Physics 111 Semiconductor Lab
This Basic Semiconductor Circuits Labs developed at UC Berkeley and available on ni.com, contains an introduction to signal measurement, processing, and graphical programming in the LabVIEW environment. Throughout the labs, interactive LabVIEW applications (VIs) allow the reader to experimentally gain familiarity with key concepts.
UC Berkeley EE145 Opamp Filters Lab
This set of pre-lab and lab assignments utilized by lecturer Bharathwaj Muthuswamy at UC Berkeley utilizes NI Multisim and NI LabVIEW to provide students with a complete experience to understand filter behavior.
View the EE145 Pre-Lab Assignment >>
View the EE145 Lab Assignment >>
Florida International University: Multisim Tutorial
This tutorial utilized by Dr. Subbarao V. Wunnava at the Florida International University is a comprehensive tutorial on using Multisim for the classroom
Software Simulations and Examples
The following list of circuits and virtual instruments demonstrate complex circuit behavior in the easy-to-use environments of NI Multisim and NI LabVIEW.
RLC Circuits
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These example circuits created in NI Multisim 10 investigate a number of basic electronics laws and passive component designs with interactive SPICE simulation. |
Diodes
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These example circuits created in NI Multisim 10 investigate a number of diode and Zener diode circuits. Topics covered include half and full rectifier circuits as well as voltage regulation. |
Transistors
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These example circuits created in NI Multisim 10 focusses on transistor based circuit, and investigates various PNP and NPN biased transistors |
Amplifiers
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These example circuits created in NI Multisim 10 investigate various amplifier designs with interactive SPICE simulation and analyses. The amplifier examples include both single and two stage designs. |
Operational Amplifiers
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These example circuits created in NI Multisim 10 focus on operational amplifier circuits with interactive SPICE simulation. Topics include inverting and non-inverting designs, as well as peak detectors. |
Filters
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These example circuits created in NI Multisim 10 focusses on filter designs with interactive SPICE simulation and analyses. Topics include low-pass, high-pass, butterworth and notch filters. |
Phasor Diagram - Custom Multisim Virtual Instrument
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This custom LabVIEW virtual instrument for NI Multisim uses a phasor diagram representation of AC voltage rather than a Bode plot. This instrument has an oscilloscope projection of the phasors, including phase measurements. |
Expression Source - Custom Multisim Virtual Instrument
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This LabVIEW based expression source allows engineers to create custom signalforms based on mathematical expressions. This instrument enables students and educators to extend the source capabilities of SPICE and NI Multisim by applying more complex signals to their circuits. |
Elevator Display - Custom Multisim Virtual Instrument
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Visualize simulation data in applications investigating analog, digital, MCU and controls simulation with this custom LabVIEW instrument for NI Multisim. |
PIC16F84 Microcontroller Up-Down Counter
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This NI Multisim MCU Module based example utilizes a PIC16F84 from Microchip to demonstrate a simple up and down counter. |
Hardware Labs and Exercises
Practical Teaching Ideas
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Practical Teaching Ideas is a collection of laboratories that implement elements of the NI Electronics Education platform. The course was originally developed by Tracy Shields, an electrical engineer and experienced instructor from Toronto, Canada. |
NI ELVIS Courseware
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This courseware contains ten separate experiments that utilize the many features of NI ELVIS. The experiments are designed to introduce those who are new to the NI ELVIS platform to the many features and possibilities that exist in both hardware and software. |
Understanding RF Circuits Teaching Resource
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The Understanding RF Circuits Teaching Resource, contains radio frequency (RF) applications to be used with NI Multisim. Twenty-one specially designed electronic communication experiments are provided for use with this computer controlled environment. These experiments are meant to supplement the theory students normally obtain in lectures. |
Conducting Experiments Using the NI Electronics Education Platform
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The NI Electronics Education Platform is an integrated tool-chain designed to meet the needs of students and educators. This platform consists of an ideal mix of hardware and software that guides students through the engineering and design process. The purpose of a laboratory experiment is to familiarize students with the engineering process, and equip them with the tools of an engineer |
NI Electronics Education Courseware
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This courseware is a resource to connect professors and educators with courseware, curricula, example labs and tutorials covering the various elements of the NI Electronics Education Platform. |
Introduction to Multisim Schematic Capture and Simulation
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This course introduces National Instruments Multisim through instructional modules and hands-on exercises. Multisim is an interactive, graphical schematic capture tool and SPICE simulator that allows you to build circuits, simulate, and instrument them in a virtual environment. Multisim has many enhanced features that enhance the teaching of circuits and electronics concepts. |
Textbooks and Applicable Courses
Textbooks
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Microelectronic Circuits, 5th Edition Download Multisim example files direct from Microelectronics Circuits |
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Electronics Fundamentals: Circuits, Devices and Applications, 7th Edition Thomas L. Floyd Prentice Hall ISBN-10: 013219709X ISBN-13: 9780132197090 |
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Electric Circuits, 7th Edition James W. Nilsson, Iowa State University Susan Riedel, Marquette University Prentice Hall ISBN-10: 0131329723 ISBN-13: 9780131329720 |
Case Studies and Conference Papers
- Add Some SPICE to Distance Learning: In this case study, we utilize the SPICE simulator NI Multisim and the graphical programming environment NI LabVIEW to build a remote lab.
- The NI Electronics Education Platform: A Case Study: This case study into a typical implementation of the electronics education platform showcases how an educator can use an integrated laboratory to enhance their electronics courses.
- Integration of Virtual Instrumentation into a Compressed Electricity and Electronic Curriculum: This paper elaborates on the efforts of improving the quality of electricity and electronics education with the help of simulation, virtual instrumentation tools and the NI ELVIS (Educational Laboratory Virtual Instrumentation Suite)
- Use of LabVIEW Software to Create a Virtual Electrical Power Systems Lab: This paper discusses the creation of a Virtual Electrical Power Systems Laboratory for the University of Houston–Downtown in Houston, Texas. NI LabVIEW software has been used to create a cost effective user-friendly electrical power systems virtual laboratory.
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Using Signal Express to Automate Analog Electronics Experiments: Many analog electronics experiments can be very time consuming. National Instruments SignalExpress is an environment dedicated to test and measurement where the individual can usehigh-level signal sourcing and measurement blocks to build an automated measurement system that will collect and present data in a graphical form. SignalExpress has a very short learning curve so students can rapidly program their own tests.
Videos and Webcasts
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Discover the new features in NI Multisim 10.1 for Education by viewing the What's New in Multisim 10.1? For Education webcast. |
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Explore the Multisim environment through the NI Multisim 10.1 Interactive Demonstration and learn how to get started with Multisim by performing basic capture, simulation and analysis. |
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Watch this step-by-step guided tour to see the NI ELVIS II hardware in detail and learn the areas where it can be applied |
Software Licensing Options
NI Academic Site License
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Student Install Option
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Recommended Lab Configurations
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NI Circuit Design Suite for Education
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NI Circuit Design Suite for Students
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