Work in progress - a distance laboratory system using agilent test equipment

Abstract

The authors have developed an Internet accessible distance laboratory system that employs agilent test and measurement equipment. The system is called ALTE (automated laboratory test environment) and pilot-tested in Fall 2004. Instructors and students within the Electronic and Computer Technology (ECT) Department begin using ALTE to remotely conduct experiments over the Internet. Access is 24x7, and the system supports multiple users on the same lab station. ALTE's architecture consists of a management server that provides access control as well as managing the course/experiment database. The management server interfaces to any number of lab stations. Each lab station consists of a dedicated PC that uses LabView's virtual instrument interface to send commands and retrieve data from active Agilent test equipment. A typical lab station consists of a networked-PC that is GPIB interfaced to an agilent programmable DC power supply, arbitrary waveform generator, digital multimeter and mixed-signal oscilloscope.