A flexible remote laboratory with programmable device under test

Abstract

Experimental practice in laboratory is a fundamental teaching issue in electrical and electronic measurement courses. Unfortunately, crowded classes, along with limited universities resources, do not allow to meet this need through actual laboratory sessions. In such a context, remote laboratories have proved to be an excellent solution.A significant added value, in a remote laboratory, is the possibility to modify the test circuit, in order to vary the type of experiment.The authors suggest, in the paper, to overcome t he considered limitations by integrating inside the remote laboratory suitable devices that can be remotely configured, i.e. a Field Programmable Analog Array (FPAA). FPAA is exploited for emulating the behavior of a large variety of analog circuits, thus making it possible for users, either students or technicians, to select the desired test circuit and carry out the experiment from home.