- National Instruments Electronics Workbench Group
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The National Instruments Electronics Workbench Group[1] is responsible for innovating the electronic circuit design software NI Multisim and NI Ultiboard[2], which was previously a Canada-based company that first produced MultiSIM, and integrated ULTIboard with it.
The logo design for the group[3] incorporates the initials of the groups' former company name, "Electronics Workbench", in the form of printed circuit board tracks.
Contents
History
Circa 1995, the company was founded as Interactive Image Technologies in Toronto, 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.
References
- ^ NI EWG rebranding, National Instruments
- ^ NI Multisim - Overview, National Instruments website
- ^ NI Multisim and NI Ultiboard, the Logo for the group is visible to the left of each product's name
See also
Major products by the group:
- Multisim - schematic capture & simulation
- Ultiboard - printed circuit board design
External links
Categories:- Electronic design automation companies
- Electronic circuit simulators
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