Choosing the right Multisim

[cliftw]

I'm a high school teacher trying to buy the right software for use with Basys3 boards.  I know xilinx software can be used.  I'm interested in Multisim, so I can use it for analog circuit simulation as well as integrated logic simulation and schematic capture with the Basys3 board.

Multisim Education is about $628/seat.  They also have site licenses that make sense at about 25+ seats, for a yearly subscription.  But on the digilent web site, they also offer this:

https://store.digilentinc.com/ni-multisim-student-edition-circuit-design-and-simulation-software

which is a $40 student multisim.  NI claims these are for students only to purchase and I don't know if that is a limited version.  The Digilent web site doesn't mention usage restrictions for installing them in a computer lab used only by students.

 

Does anyone know

1) Is this $40 version a permanent license?

2) Is it OK to purchase by a high school and install in a student-used computer lab?

3) Is it more limited in some way?

Thanks for any expertise you might have.

[JColvin]

Hi @cliftw,

Digilent simply sells the Multisim Student Edition (as opposed to licensing it), so we are not able to readily comment with certainty in terms of who is authorized to install and use that particular edition of Multisim, though it is my understanding that the $40 version is a permanent license, so long as the user remains in enrolled in the Academic Institution, as per section 4 of Addendum E in the English version of the National Instruments Software License Agreement, https://www.ni.com/pdf/legal/us/software_license_agreement.pdf.

I am not a lawyer, but the language used in National Instruments Software License Agreement makes it seem like to use a Student Edition License the user would need to be in "continuing education classes"; there is apparently an option for a secondary school license (as mentioned in Section 5 of Addendum F of the same license agreement), though I don't know the details of that beyond what is stated there.

In terms of the limitations of the software, I am not certain if there is limitation between this particular Multisim for students vs the one for education in general. I do know that the $40 version does not come with a Standard Service Plan (which according to NI's website offers live phone and email support from NI engineers, automatic version updates, access to training and demonstrations, and access to historical versions).

I don't know what you are planning to use in your course, but depending on your needs/planned classroom material the free version of Multisim Live from National Instruments may suit your needs.

In the end, you will likely need to contact National Instruments for accurate information on the available licensing details.

Thank you,
JColvin