Learning with remote laboratories: Designing control algorithms with both block diagrams and customized C code schemes

Abstract

AbstractThis paper presents the design and implementation of the control algorithms design module based on a remote laboratory named NCSLab, which allows students, teachers, and researchers to do practical experiments with various control systems remotely via the Internet whenever and wherever they want. To meet the demand of students with different levels and provide more extensibility, a flexible control algorithm designing system is deployed using a frontend and backend separation framework. JointJS is selected to construct the graphic user interface and an algorithm server is developed to deal with the algorithms tasks. In this way, the users are able to customize control systems online with a visualized interactive interface. A control algorithm could be formed easily without programming, so the users could concentrate on the control algorithm itself. For advanced users, customized C‐MEX S‐Functions are available for extra sophisticated control systems. The designed control algorithms are converted into executable codes at the back‐end by the servers. They could be implemented into the remote test rigs and then the corresponding results would be sent back in real‐time. The overall implementation is based on the web, so only common browsers and Internet access are needed. By logging into the laboratory through the web, the users could start practical experiments quickly after acquiring the control right of the desired test rig. And the whole process, including designing, simulating, and generating codes, is integrated into the interface of the proposed system module, which is easy to use and could bring great convenience to the users.