Multisim Instruments

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NI Multisim offers many simulation-driven instruments that are fully interactive. They allow you to change settings while running a simulation, and see the new results instantly.

Let’s take a look at the simulated vendor instruments from Agilent and Tektronix. Place the components from the Instruments toolbar (Simulate>>Instruments), wire it into your circuit, and double-click the instrument to see the front panel. In figures 1 and 2, you can see the front panel of the Agilent and Tektronix oscilloscopes, respectively.

Figure 1: Agilent Oscilloscope

Figure 2: Tektronix Oscilloscope

These instruments work just like the ones on your lab bench, including the need to turn them on using the POWER button! You can click the buttons and turn the dials, just as you would on a real oscilloscope. In figure 3, I have changed the SEC/DIV dial on the far right side of the instrument, and you can see the new results on the screen.

Figure 3: Tektronix Oscilloscope with new SEC/DIV value

Test it out for yourself! I have made an RLC circuit, shown in figure 4, and hooked up the Tektronix Oscilloscope – the input to channel 1, and the output to channel 2.

Figure 4: RLC Circuit

Next I double-click the Tektronix Oscilloscope, click the POWER button, and run the simulation. At first you may not see anything, so click the CH 1 MENU and CH 2 MENU.  After playing around with each VOLTS/DIV and the SEC/DIV, you should see something similar to figure 5.

Figure 5: Simulation results shown on the Tektronix Oscilloscope