Software for Academic and Research Use

Below is the list of software available for academic and research use. As long as the purpose is not for profit, any ECE affiliated (student/staff/faculty) may use it.

What it is: The collection of 20+ apps including Acrobat Pro DC, Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom and InDesign.

How to Obtain it: There are 2 ways of obtaining this license. One is buying a license from UBC Bookstore (this doesn't include free upgrades to newer versions), or the other is to obtain a subscription (which allows upgrades to newer editions) from UBC IT (CLICK HERE).

What it is: Altera is a company that specialized in FPGA chip manufacturing. Usually the license and installation information is given to the student by the instructor (or posted on Connect). Specifically, Quartus and ModelSim (from MentorGraphics, but licensed via Altera) are the two software that are being used for digital design courses and projects.

How to Obtain it: The software licenses are available via our network license server. Information about this can be accessed by contacting the ECE Engineering Services CAD manager via ECE Engineering Services.

What it is: Altium is a PCB design and circuit simulation CAD tool that is widely used in industry. It can perform a variety of functions from schematic design of a circuit, simulating its behavior, drawing its PCB layout, to producing the required design files for PCB manufacturing.

How to Obtain it:  Students can obtain a student license from the Altium Education site. It is free for students, unlimited, and renewable every 6-months for the verified duration of your studies.
For teaching and research purposes ontact Engineering-Services staff for support, our Altium license is for academic use only (teaching and research) no commercial work is allowed.
Altium Designer may also be obtained through CMC Subscriptions.

What it is: ANSYS provides software useful for engineering simulation. It is used in a variety of different environments from rocket launches to wearable technology.

How to Obtain it: ANSYS for students can be found at the ANSYS Student Product Downloads. For the purposes of teaching/the classroom, the ANSYS Suite can be downloaded from IT @ APSC. For research purposes, please contact the ECE Engineering Services CAD manager via ECE Engineering Services.

What it is: MATLAB is a language for technical computing that combines numeric computation, advanced graphics and visualization, and a high-level programming language.

How to Obtain it: MATLAB for all faculty, staff and researchers can be downloaded from UBC IT. For students, MATLAB can be downloaded from Information Technology HERE.

What it is: Microsoft offers a variety of products to students, in particular the OS such as Windows.

How to Obtain it: This service is offered to all Applied Science Students via Microsoft DREAMSPARK/Imagine. Instructions on how to access Microsoft DREAMSPARK/Imagine can be found HERE.

What it is: LabVIEW is development software that engineers can use to build custom test, design, and control systems in a graphical programming environment. Multisim is an industry-standard SPICE simulation environment. Multisim minimizes prototype iterations and optimizes PCB designs earlier in the process. Ultiboard is a rapid printed circuit board (PCB) prototyping environment that works with Multisim to run a variety of simulations.

How to Obtain it: The National Instrument products to install on UBC/ECE owned PCs can be obtained through ECE IT by emailing it@ece.ubc.ca.
For install on your PC/laptop please follow the instructions here. You will need to login with your ECE ID/password.