Ultiboard - Electronic Work bench - National Instruments

[Svend]

Hi -

I am sure I am not alone - I have been using Ultiboard since 1994 and been satisfied with it even though the early version did have some mishaps, but it was possible to work around them.

Ever since Electronic Workbench aquired Ultiboard I have seen only more problems, not as musch with Ultiboard but Ulticap! it was clearly meant to be replaced by Multisim.

WOW - how many peoples have accepted to have their work cripled by Multisim?

No schematic can be imported flawlessly, pin number rules changed, so old schematics in fact can't be imported.

In Ulticap you could actually use single keystrokes for commands - in Multisim you need the help of a coworker to press multiple keys if you dont want to let go of your mouse - making the workflow worse and slower - Well same thing happened to Ultiboard! Why must one press CTRL-R to rotate a component? of cause most users may only do that 3-4 times per component - Whats wrong with just using th key R ? is it set aside for future options ? Thats just one example - I think there are almost no single key commands left (remember how we used to place via's ? I still have not gotten used to the new way).

My point is what is more difficult to switch from Ultiboard old style package to Multisim package or to switch to Orcad?

Right now I have to redraw old schematich to use my new component db's which I also have to remake to make them work in multisim.

NEVER import an Ulticap schematic, it's safer to make it again, and in the end it might even be faster!

Sorry I am frustrated!

I keep missing my deadlines because I am estimating time wrong - I keep forgetting to include the Multisim-factor.

Right now I am fighting a DB-issue - it seems my Corporate DB has a component/footprint stored that I can't edit or delete - it comes up as a user DB component even though I have deleted the user DB file. Ultiboard cannot reproduce this with my DB - so where does ultiboard then search to find it? The big problem is that this unwanted footprint shadows the correct one - Oh you might want to make sure that your footprints change correctly when you edit them....

Did you know that Multisim DB components only accept pin numbers (0-9) and not like before 1-9; A-z ? well it's not a problem - you should not reuse you old DB's anyway.

Regards

Svend

:: Time spent on software bugs is added cost on the product ::

[lacy]

"No schematic can be imported flawlessly, pin number rules changed, so old schematics in fact can't be imported"

I will only comment on this one statement. I am refering here to Multisim only and Not Ultiboard. If your comment was directed to Ultiboard then I apologize for my misinterpretation. I have used Multisim Version 10 to open old schematics from Multisim as old as Version 2001 and I have not had a problem with them being correct  and even simulating. On occasion I have had to replace an IC in the schematic to one from the Version 10 database to get it simulating, but all in all it seems to do good with older schematics. I know there is an issue with Ulticap schematics not being able to load properly. If this is what you are refering to then I believe this issue has already been brought to the attention of NI.

[Svend]

Hi Lacy,

Sure you are right - if you think of the schematic as a single document.  And I am sure focus has been on importing to simulate, however transfering the design further to Ultiboard you end up with a mess, I only seldom use the simulator - and most of the time only on subcircuits, which I then draw directly in multisim anyway.
So - my opinion is it just not safe to import from Ulticap to Multisim (btw. I have schematics dating as far back as version 4 and 5), and then transfer to Ultiboard - with the amount of check-work it's easier to redraw with new db components.

[lacy]

O.K.  I understand now the context of your statement. What you could try and do with these older schematics is to replace the components with ones from Version 10 inside Multism before transfering it to Ultiboard. This way the footprints/pins should be correct. I know this adds work to the project and can get time consuming if it is very large, but it is the only alternative I know. If you have done this and is part of your fustration, then I am sorry ,but I don't have any other infromation that could make things easier.

Edit:  What I am referring to is to click the component in Multisim and do a replacement that way. It may save you from having to re-draw the entire schematic. Hopefully, when you do this Multisim will automatically hook up any wires to the new component that was there previously..

Message Edited by lacy on 10-15-2007 09:06 AM

[lacy]

Nevermind may last suggestion. I just remembered that Version 4 and 5 components have their pins on their components in different location on the symbol and when you try to replace it to the newer version it jumbles the wiring. Everything works good back to Version 2001 apparently, but prior to that thing get goofy.

I am sorry, but I have no ideas on how you could do this any other way than what you are doing now. I wish there was a way to make things easier for you, but I just don't see an option here. Sorry

[kittmaster]

I've complained about the keystrokes since version 7!

who is going to use control shift whatever......

C = component
R = rotate
v = via
l = line
p = polygon

Come on, how tough can it be change the program strokes??

I know you can customize it to whatever, but still you have reprogram it which should be done by default.....maybe the next release will really be a major change......:(

[Euler's_Identity]

I'm reading this thread, and all I can say is OUCH!

 

[Lodin]

Hello,

I also have my problems with Multisim, nearly the same like Svend.

I am using Ultiboard since DOS times (UB+UC Version 4.3(?!)).

UC+UB 5.71 (with the red dongle) was the last usable version to me. I also used the old EWB at this time, but I was never able to work with the "merged" version "2001".

Now I started a new try with Multisim10...

The result of the first step is scary : Import an old schematic and the parts and the sheet sizes are wrong, pin numbers at wrong locations ... .. I stopped any further trials.

I do not really remember, but I believe that the import from "5.7x" to "2001" was a great poblem, and so it is now. Maybe the same old import routines ?

I do not need most of the functions from the analog simulation, but the mcu module has no interface to the "professional" microcontroller programming IDE's from Keil or IAR.

So what to do ? Why should I use "Multisim" and "Ultiboard" ?

Doesnt matter which programm I will use in future, hundreds of schematics and libs are lost ! I "feel" no difference of changing between "Multisim" and other programms like Orcad. Hello NI, any ideas ??

At this time I am not motivated, but : Is there any documentation about the structure of data to import an schematic into Multisim10 ? Old UC5.71 has the option to save in (older) *.sch files, which are pure ASCII data. These data is not really selfexplaining, but maybe a point to start writing an own import filter. I still have some "quick and dirty" hacks in VisBas4.0 (!!) to read these old schematics and putting some components into an access database, but have no time for doing more.

regards, Lodin

[aaron800]

You know what I can't stand?  The fact that almost everywhere you look in electronics workbench "suite" you can't go without seeing big bugs everywhere.  Like for example, when I backwards annotate from ultiboard to renumber the components in the schematic, the netlist gets corrupted and unplaces all of the components I have very carefully placed (and even locked down) because of mechanical placement considerations.  Or, how about the famous ultiboard problem where you can't even type in a number right anywhere without having to select a single digit and change it!! 

I think it is a disgrace to NI that this software is out there, even moreso because my company actually paid thousands of dollars for this P.O.S!! 

[nestor-sg]

Kittmaster (Chris),

I hope you are able to see this message, I'm looking through all messages for feedback for R&D, I came across this post of yours in which you want to be able to click R and not CTRL+R in order to rotate a component and other things in which you just want a single letter click.

Please try the following... is the same in Multisim and Ultiboard... since this thread is about Ultiboard, try the following example in Ultiboard please.

Go to Options > Customize User Interface.
Then select the Keyboard tab.
In the Category field, select Edit.
Under the Commands field, select "Rotate the selection 90 Degrees Clockwise".
Now, under the Current Keys field, you will see is currently set to Ctrl+R, select this line, then click Remove.
Now, under the Press New Shortcut Key field, just place the cursor inside this field and press R in your keyboard, now click Assign.
Click Close.

Select a component from the database and while it is attached to your mouse pointer, press R on the keyboard, it should rotate instead of having to use CTRL+R.

Once you get the feeling on how to do this process of changing shortcut keys it will be more trivial. Most of the functions can be assigned a shortcut key that you can edit to fit your personal touch.

Best regards,