Qatar University College of Engineering

Department of Electrical Engineering

Electric Circuits 2 Lab

Lab # 1
Introduction to NI-MultiSIM Tools for AC Circuits

1. Objective
 To become familiar with the features and available tools of NI MultiSim to simulate AC
circuits.
 To simulate simple AC circuits and use AC analysis tools in NI MultiSim.
2. Software Required
 NI MultiSim

3. Introduction to NI MultiSim
National Instrument’s MultiSim is a circuit simulation platform, similar to other SPICE
( Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis) programs that can model the
behavior of a particular analog or digital electrical circuit. With this feature, the software
can model any conceivable electrical circuit, examine the circuit at various values of
components and observe the behavior of the circuit by probing at various test points
using DC, AC or transient analyses, and much more. With this tool, the user have access
to thousands of electrical parts and components, available at your disposal.

4. Analysis
MultiSIM features a comprehensive suite of SPICE analysis for examining circuit behavior.
These analyses ranges from the basic to complex. Each analysis helps you to obtain
valuable information such as the effects of component tolerances and sensitivities. For
each analysis, the user needs to enter the appropriate settings and target outputs so that
MultiSim will exactly identify the type of analysis needed to provide suitable visualization.

4.1. DC Sweep Analysis.

DC sweep consists of having a DC voltage or current source whose amplitude can be
“swept” (varied) over a range of values to see how the circuit behaves probing at various
test points that are specified by a node number. You need to specify the type of source
(voltage or current source) to be swept as well as the starting value, end value, and the
increment value of the source.
4.1.1. Performing a DC Sweep.
4.1.1.1. Construct the voltage divider circuit in NI Multisim as shown in Fig. 1.1.
 4.1.1.2. Using Options  Sheet Properties (Fig. 1.2), click on Sheet visibility tab
as shown in Fig. 1.3. and select Show All under Net names and click
Ok.

4.1.1.3. This will allow the user to identify all the node numbers (automatically
assigned by MultiSim) that will serve as test points in the circuit
needed for circuit analysis.

4.1.1.4. To set up a DC sweep analysis select Simulate Analyses and select

DC Sweep from the toolbar. Next, click on the DC Sweep button
then enter the values as shown in Fig. 1.4 under the Analysis
Parameters tab. This indicates that MultiSim will sweep the DC
voltage of V1 that will range from 0V to 10V at increments of 0.5V.

4.1.1.5. Select the Output tab as shown in the Fig. 1.5 and choose V(2) in the
variable list and click Add button.

Note: In Fig. 1.1, node 2 refers to a node between R1 and R2. Selecting V(2) means that the user is
probing a test point at node 2 and the voltage (with respect to the ground) at node 2 will be
acquired as V1 is varied in reference with procedure 4.1.1.3.

4.1.1.6. Click Simulate.

4.1.1.7. The graphical results are shown in Fig. 1.6 that indicates a slope of
0.5. Simple analysis of the circuit in Fig. 1.1 using voltage division will
R1
1 allow us
2 to calculate V(R2) = V(2) = 0.5×V1.
1kΩ

R2
V1 1kΩ
12 V

Fig. 1.1. Voltage divider circuit. Fig. 1.2. Showing the sheet properties
 Fig. 1.3. Dialog box to show node names.

Fig. 1.4: DC Sweep Analysis – Analysis Parameters Fig. 1.5: DC Sweep Analysis – Output Variables

Fig.1.6: DC Sweep Analysis – Graphical View

 4.2. AC Analysis.
Unlike DC, AC voltage contains not only a voltage component but a frequency component
as well. Hence, AC analysis will refer to sweeping the frequency of the input AC voltage
while maintaining a constant voltage and observing its effect on the voltage and current
at various points in the circuit as well the power dissipation of each component.

4.2.1. Performing an AC Sweep.

4.2.1.1. Construct the circuit in MultiSim as shown in Fig. 1.7.

4.2.1.2. To perform AC analysis, select Simulate Analyses AC

Analysis. The AC Analysis dialog window opens as shown in Fig.1.8.
Table 1 describes the Frequency Parameters on this tab in detail.

4.2.1.3. Enter the following settings as shown in Fig. 1.8 and read Table 1 to
understand the meaning of each setting.

Note: The parameters shown in Fig. 1.8 will set the AC Analysis parameter with frequency sweep
from 1 to 10,000 Hz with four subintervals: 1 to 10, 10 to 100, 100 to 1,000, and 1,000 to
10,000. Each subinterval will have 10 points. The greater the number of points calculated, the
more precision the results will be.

4.2.1.4. Select the Output tab and choose V(2) in the variable list and click Add
button. Note that V(2) is the voltage across capacitor C1 as shown in Fig.
1.7.

4.2.1.5. Click Simulate.

Table 1. Parameters used in AC Analysis.
Parameter Meaning
Start frequency Starting frequency of the frequency sweep. It must be greater than
(FSTART)
zero.
Stop frequency Ending frequency of the frequency sweep. It must be greater or
(FSTOP)
equal to the starting frequency.
Sweep Type Indicates how the analysis frequency is swept. There are three
options:
1. Decade: Log sweep, by decades.
2. Octave: Log sweep, by octaves.
3. Linear: Linear sweep.
Number of points Number of points in the sweep. Its interpretation depends on the
per decade
Sweep Type. For Decade/Octave, the number of points is per
decade/octave. For Linear, the total number of points are spaced
evenly from the start to the stop frequency.
Vertical scale Controls the y-axis scaling on the output graph.
 R1
1 2

V1 1kΩ

1 Vrms
1kHz C1
0° 0.1µF

Fig. 1.7. Circuit for AC Analysis.

Fig1.8. Frequency Parameters for the AC Analysis Fig. 1.9. Output Variable for the AC Analysis

Fig. 1.10: AC Analysis Results

For AC Analysis results (Fig.1.10), select View Show Cursors. On the left side of
the Magnitude plot, you will see a set of cursors. Click one of them, drag it to the right
and observe the changes on the cursor information dialog. You can use cursors to take
precise measurements.

4.3. Transient analysis

In all the simulation methods mentioned before, the software will show the resulting values
of the steady state, that means we cannot see what really happened in the very first
moment when the supply (AC or DC) was connected to the circuit and the transient
behavior of the components connected within the circuit.

The Transient Analysis method enables us to show all the transient behaviors on all test
points (nodes) in the circuit.

R1
1 2

V1 1kΩ

20 Vrms C1
5kHz 1µF
0°

(a) (b)
Figure 1.11 Transient analysis; (a) RC Circuit ; (b) settings of initial capacitor voltage.

4.3.1. Performing Transient Analysis.

4.3.1.1. Construct the circuit as shown in Fig. 1.11a.
4.3.1.2. Double click on the capacitor C1 and set the initial conditions of the C1
to -10V as shown in Fig. 1.11b.
4.3.1.3. To set up Transient Analysis, select Simulate Analyses and select
Transient Analysis from the toolbar. Enter the values as shown in
Fig.1.12.
Note that initial settings should be User-defined and input the
recommended TSTART and TSTOP values.
4.3.1.4. Click on the Output tab to select the variables of your circuit which as
shown in Figure 1.13. Select V(2). This will allow us to obtain the
voltage across the capacitor C1 changes with time.
 Fig. 1.12. Transient Analysis – Parameters tab Fig. 1.13: Transient Analysis – Output tab

Figure 1.13 shows the resulting “Transient Response” of the RC circuit with an AC source,
which in steady state response will only show a sinusoid.

Fig. 1.14: Transient Analysis - result

5. Questions (Lab Report)
 Construct and simulate the circuit defined below (a) using MultiSIM.
 Perform required measurements and analysis.
 Discuss results and provide a conclusion.

a) The circuit should be a series RLC circuit: (1 mark)

 With R=500Ω, L=1H and C=1µF.
 With one AC voltage source of 50V (rms) at 2 kHz.
 Initial capacitor voltage is -5V
R1 L1

500Ω 1H

V1
C1
50Vrms
2kHz 1µF
0° IC=-5V

b) Using an AC voltmeter, simulate the circuit and measure the steady state voltages
across R, L and C. Measure the current drawn from the AC voltage source. (2 marks)

Voltage across R = 1.974 V , across L = 50.271 V, across C = 310.192 mV

Current draw from the AC voltage source = 3.949 mA

c) Using AC Sweep Analysis, sweep the frequency from 1 Hz to 50 kHz. Choose the
sweep type logarithmic (number of points per decade = 10) and vertical scale as Linear
then plot the voltage traces for R, L and C. (2 marks)
 Resistor:

Inductor:

Capacitor:

d) Using Transient Analysis, show the behavior of the voltage across the capacitor
circuit for a time period starting from 0 second and ends at 30 msec. (2 marks)
6. Discussions (2 marks)
 Discuss the behavior of the components (resistance of R, reactance of L and C) over the swept
frequency range.
 AC transient response of the capacitor voltage in d).
7. Conclusions (1 mark)
Conclusions provides closure to your report. Convince the reader that the objectives set at the
beginning of the lab are satisfied if all sections of the experiment are performed successfully. Cite
earlier sections in your report such as figures, tables, discussion of the results, etc. as proof.
Otherwise, identify problems encountered during the experiment and convey measures taken to
resolve the issue or recommend actions for unresolved issues.
(Delete these guide instructions in your lab report and use black font.)