Ultiboard
Encyclopedia
NI Ultiboard or formerly ULTIboard is an electronic Printed Circuit Board
Layout program which is part of a suite
of circuit design programs, along with NI Multisim. One of its major features is the Real Time Design Rule Check, a feature that was only offered on expensive work stations in the days when it was introduced. ULTIboard was originally created by a company named Ultimate Technology, which is now a subsidiary of National Instruments
. Ultiboard includes a 3D PCB viewing mode, as well as integrated import and export features to the Schematic Capture
and Simulation software in the suite, Multisim.
ULTIboard was sold for $800-$2500, depending on the design size required.
Student versions that were offered for very low prices were limited; they could not produce photo plot files. They also contributed to the popularity of the software as most students knew how to work with the program.
Ultimate Technology's Managing Director, James Post, was known for his innovative marketing approach and customer oriented thinking. In 1989 they distributed 180,000 demo-discs via electronics magazines, a first in history. Soon thereafter, ULTIboard became marketing leader in Europe in the field of PC based PCB design products.
The company held worldwide User Meetings where customers could attend free and even got a free gourmet lunch. Optionally, customers could take an afternoon training to get up and running with the latest features. Priced at US$75, most users took this option. Other PR activities included invitations for customers to have a lunch during trade shows and conferences, boat rides, cart racing, flying for their best accounts. This strategy helped ULTIboard to become the leader in customer loyalty.
. In 2003 all development of ULTIboard was moved to the head office in Toronto
.
Ultiboard is now supported and distributed by National Instruments
. The product has been renamed from Electronics Workbench back to Ultiboard with the schematic capture and simulation tool named Multisim.
Printed circuit board
A printed circuit board, or PCB, is used to mechanically support and electrically connect electronic components using conductive pathways, tracks or signal traces etched from copper sheets laminated onto a non-conductive substrate. It is also referred to as printed wiring board or etched wiring...
Layout program which is part of a suite
Software suite
A software suite or application suite is a collection of computer programs, usually application software and programming software of related functionality, often sharing a more-or-less common user interface and some ability to smoothly exchange data with each other.Sometimes software makers...
of circuit design programs, along with NI Multisim. One of its major features is the Real Time Design Rule Check, a feature that was only offered on expensive work stations in the days when it was introduced. ULTIboard was originally created by a company named Ultimate Technology, which is now a subsidiary of National Instruments
National Instruments
National Instruments Corporation, or NI , is an American company with over 5,000 employees and direct operations in 41 countries. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, it is a producer of automated test equipment and virtual instrumentation software...
. Ultiboard includes a 3D PCB viewing mode, as well as integrated import and export features to the Schematic Capture
Schematic capture
Schematic capture or schematic entry is a step in the design cycle of electronic design automation at which the electronic diagram, or electronic schematic of the designed electronic circuit is created by a designer...
and Simulation software in the suite, Multisim.
Market Penetration
ULTIboard was originally created by Ultimate Technology in Naarden, The Netherlands.ULTIboard was sold for $800-$2500, depending on the design size required.
Student versions that were offered for very low prices were limited; they could not produce photo plot files. They also contributed to the popularity of the software as most students knew how to work with the program.
Ultimate Technology's Managing Director, James Post, was known for his innovative marketing approach and customer oriented thinking. In 1989 they distributed 180,000 demo-discs via electronics magazines, a first in history. Soon thereafter, ULTIboard became marketing leader in Europe in the field of PC based PCB design products.
The company held worldwide User Meetings where customers could attend free and even got a free gourmet lunch. Optionally, customers could take an afternoon training to get up and running with the latest features. Priced at US$75, most users took this option. Other PR activities included invitations for customers to have a lunch during trade shows and conferences, boat rides, cart racing, flying for their best accounts. This strategy helped ULTIboard to become the leader in customer loyalty.
Rebranding
Ultimate Technology merged with Interactive Image Technologies in 1999 and eventually renamed itself to Electronics WorkbenchElectronics Workbench
The National Instruments Electronics Workbench Group is responsible for innovating the electronic circuit design software NI Multisim and NI Ultiboard, which was previously a Canada-based company that first produced MultiSIM, and integrated ULTIboard with it....
. In 2003 all development of ULTIboard was moved to the head office in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
Ultiboard is now supported and distributed by National Instruments
National Instruments
National Instruments Corporation, or NI , is an American company with over 5,000 employees and direct operations in 41 countries. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, it is a producer of automated test equipment and virtual instrumentation software...
. The product has been renamed from Electronics Workbench back to Ultiboard with the schematic capture and simulation tool named Multisim.
See also
- NI Multisim, the schematic capture and simulation software that is integrated with Ultiboard.
- OrCADOrCADOrCAD is a proprietary software tool suite used primarily for electronic design automation. The software is used mainly to create electronic prints for manufacturing of printed circuit boards, by electronic design engineers and electronic technicians to manufacture electronic schematics.The name...
, a competitor to Ultiboard.