LabView links with EDA tools

Design engineers can now download free Spice integration VIs tointegrate National Instruments LabView graphical developmentsoftware with Spice and PSpice electronic design automation (EDA)tools from vendors including Cadence, Synopsis and MentorGraphics.

This integration makes it easier for engineers to testelectronic designs by comparing simulations with real-world data.With the Spice integration VIs, engineers using Spice circuitsimulators can easily import simulated signals from circuitdesign into LabView, where they can compare expected results oftheir circuit design with real-world prototype measurements.

Bycombining Spice simulation results with measurement data fromdesign prototypes in LabView, designers can more quickly iteratethrough the design process and shorten time-to-market of mobilephones, PDAs and other electronic products.

Engineers generatestimulus signals and acquire and analyse circuit responses inLabView using PXI modular instruments or traditional stand-aloneGPIB instruments.

They then quickly visualise discrepanciesbetween simulated results and actual measurements on LabViewgraph displays to rapidly identify errors and tune performanceduring the development process.

The Spice integration VIs workwith any Spice simulator that outputs results in Berkeley Spice,Orcad PSpice or Multisim files from Electronics Workbench.

TheVIs are available free of charge from the National Instrumentswebsite.