MILWAUKEE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

EE-2050

EE-2050 LABORATORY
EXPERIMENT 4 Week 5
Computer Circuit Simulation MULTISIM for DC Analysis
Goal To learn how to use a simulation program (Multisim) to analyze DC electric circuits. The same
simulation techniques also help in designing circuits.
Background In engineering, computer software is used extensively in the analysis and design of
electrical and electronic circuits. Computer simulations are one of the fundamental tools that allow you to
quickly and accurately determine how a circuit functions.
Procedure Run Multisim from:
Start / All Programs / National Instruments / Circuit Design Suite 10.x / Multisim
Youll first see the workspace, with the various toolbars. Note the blue buttons of the Virtual Toolbar near
the upper right. If its not enabled, then use View / Toolbars to enable it.
Virtual components differ from normal
ones in that they can be set to any
value, not just the commonlymanufactured values. Lets draw a
circuit with a DC voltage source
driving a two-resistor voltage divider.
In the Virtual Toolbar, click on Power
Source Components:

Click the DC Power Source icon and

then click the workspace to place it in
the drawing. Double-click it to
change its Voltage (V) value to 10
volts.
In the Virtual Toolbar, click on Basic Components:
Click on the Resistor and place one on the drawing. Do the same to
place a second one. To rotate the second one, right-click it and select rotate 90 clockwise. Change the
resistors to 2k and 3k as shown.
From the Power Source
Components window on the Virtual
Toolbar, choose Ground and place it
on the drawing. Now, wire the
components together by clicking the
first node, and then clicking the next
node.
Also, about two-thirds of the way
down the right-hand Instrument
Toolbar, click the Agilent Multimeter,
and then place it on the drawing.
Double-click the instrument icon to
see the photo. Connect the icon as
shown. Note how the terminals on
the icon are positioned as on the real
instrument.

MILWAUKEE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

EE-2050

Turn on the Agilent Multimeter by clicking its Power button, and then press DC V to measure DC volts.
Finally, click the 0/1 simulation on/off switch at the far upper right of the screen:
to start the simulation. After a few seconds the Agilent Multimeter should read the
voltage (6 volts).
Stop the simulation and delete the Agilent Multimeter. Now, use a Measurement Probe:
which is in the Instrument Toolbar, near the bottom.
Run the simulation and note how the Measurement Probe
listbox shows the voltage and current:
Component abbreviations such as k (for kilo), u (for micro)
and m (for milli) can be used.
Try the multimeter, at the top of the Instrument Toolbar,
as a DC voltmeter (left), and also as a DC ammeter (right).
Note how the connection is broken to insert the ammeter
(DC is chosen using the ---- button):

In this experiment we dont need any controlled sources. But if we did, you could click on the Place
Source symbol at the upper left of the screen. This will show a complete set of components in the
Library. From that you can select a controlled source of any type. Note the diamond-shaped source, and
the rectangular sensor, both of which would need to be connected.

MILWAUKEE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

EE-2050

Laboratory Assignment
For the circuit shown, analyze
the circuit three ways on
paper using KVL and KCL, by
building and measuring, and by
Multisim. Find the voltage
across and current through
every element.

Enter results in the table. Show calculations below:

Component
Vs
R1
R2
R3

Multisim Results
Voltage Current

Measured Results
Voltage Current

When finished, show the Multisim simulation to your professor.

Calculated Results
Voltage
Current