Electronics Workbench
Encyclopedia
The National Instruments
Electronics Workbench Group is responsible for innovating the electronic circuit design
software NI Multisim and NI Ultiboard
, which was previously a Canada
-based company that first produced MultiSIM, and integrated ULTIboard with it.
The logo design for the group incorporates the initials of the groups' former company name, "Electronics Workbench", in the form of printed circuit board tracks.
, Ontario
, Canada
by Joe Koenig
, and specialized in producing educational movies and documentaries. When the government of Ontario needed an educational tool for teaching electronics
in colleges, the company created a circuit simulator called Electronics Workbench. After Bill Wignall became President the company, already market leader in the educational sector, became the most popular simulation package for PC's.
In 1998 the company started a strategic partnership with another Electronic Design Automation
company named Ultimate Technology from Naarden, The Netherlands who was the European market leader in Printed Circuit Board
Design software, with their package ULTIboard. Like Electronics Workbench, founder James Post had focused heavily on the educational market and gained PR fame when he organized the distribution of 180,000 demo floppy disks via electronics magazines in Europe.
In 1999 the companies merged, and renamed itself after its most well known product, Electronics Workbench. The then current product line consisted of schematic capture
and a simulation product named MultiSIM
and the printed circuit board
software called Ultiboard
. Soon thereafter the combined product suite became worldwide leader in PC based Computer Aided Design & Engineering.
In 2005 the company was acquired by National Instruments, and was rebranded as National Instruments Electronics Workbench Group. The company's original websites, Interactiv.com and ElectronicsWorkbench.com now redirect to their respective sections within the main National Instruments website.
National Instruments
National Instruments Corporation, or NI , is an American company with over 5,000 employees and direct operations in 41 countries. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, it is a producer of automated test equipment and virtual instrumentation software...
Electronics Workbench Group is responsible for innovating the electronic circuit design
Electronic circuit design
Electronic design comprises the analysis and synthesis of electronic circuits-Methods:To design any electrical circuit, either analog or digital, electrical engineers need to be able to predict the voltages and currents at all places within the circuit...
software NI Multisim and NI Ultiboard
Ultiboard
NI Ultiboard or formerly ULTIboard is an electronic Printed Circuit Board Layout program which is part of a suite of circuit design programs, along with NI Multisim. One of its major features is the Real Time Design Rule Check, a feature that was only offered on expensive work stations in the days...
, which was previously a Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
-based company that first produced MultiSIM, and integrated ULTIboard with it.
The logo design for the group incorporates the initials of the groups' former company name, "Electronics Workbench", in the form of printed circuit board tracks.
History
Circa 1995, the company was founded as Interactive Image Technologies in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
by Joe Koenig
Joe Koenig
Joseph Koenig is a Canadian entrepreneur who was founder and president of Electronics Workbench. Koenig’s first company was Interactive Image Technologies in Toronto, Ontario, and specialized in producing educational movies and documentaries...
, and specialized in producing educational movies and documentaries. When the government of Ontario needed an educational tool for teaching electronics
Electronics
Electronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies...
in colleges, the company created a circuit simulator called Electronics Workbench. After Bill Wignall became President the company, already market leader in the educational sector, became the most popular simulation package for PC's.
In 1998 the company started a strategic partnership with another Electronic Design Automation
Electronic design automation
Electronic design automation is a category of software tools for designing electronic systems such as printed circuit boards and integrated circuits...
company named Ultimate Technology from Naarden, The Netherlands who was the European market leader in Printed Circuit Board
Printed circuit board
A printed circuit board, or PCB, is used to mechanically support and electrically connect electronic components using conductive pathways, tracks or signal traces etched from copper sheets laminated onto a non-conductive substrate. It is also referred to as printed wiring board or etched wiring...
Design software, with their package ULTIboard. Like Electronics Workbench, founder James Post had focused heavily on the educational market and gained PR fame when he organized the distribution of 180,000 demo floppy disks via electronics magazines in Europe.
In 1999 the companies merged, and renamed itself after its most well known product, Electronics Workbench. The then current product line consisted of schematic capture
Schematic capture
Schematic capture or schematic entry is a step in the design cycle of electronic design automation at which the electronic diagram, or electronic schematic of the designed electronic circuit is created by a designer...
and a simulation product named MultiSIM
MultiSIM
NI Multisim is an electronic schematic capture and simulation program which is part of a suite of circuit design programs, along with NI Ultiboard. Multisim is one of the few circuit design programs to employ the original Berkeley SPICE based software simulation...
and the printed circuit board
Printed circuit board
A printed circuit board, or PCB, is used to mechanically support and electrically connect electronic components using conductive pathways, tracks or signal traces etched from copper sheets laminated onto a non-conductive substrate. It is also referred to as printed wiring board or etched wiring...
software called Ultiboard
Ultiboard
NI Ultiboard or formerly ULTIboard is an electronic Printed Circuit Board Layout program which is part of a suite of circuit design programs, along with NI Multisim. One of its major features is the Real Time Design Rule Check, a feature that was only offered on expensive work stations in the days...
. Soon thereafter the combined product suite became worldwide leader in PC based Computer Aided Design & Engineering.
In 2005 the company was acquired by National Instruments, and was rebranded as National Instruments Electronics Workbench Group. The company's original websites, Interactiv.com and ElectronicsWorkbench.com now redirect to their respective sections within the main National Instruments website.
See also
Major products by the group:- MultisimMultiSIMNI Multisim is an electronic schematic capture and simulation program which is part of a suite of circuit design programs, along with NI Ultiboard. Multisim is one of the few circuit design programs to employ the original Berkeley SPICE based software simulation...
- schematic capture & simulation - UltiboardUltiboardNI Ultiboard or formerly ULTIboard is an electronic Printed Circuit Board Layout program which is part of a suite of circuit design programs, along with NI Multisim. One of its major features is the Real Time Design Rule Check, a feature that was only offered on expensive work stations in the days...
- printed circuit board design