Lab-on-Web: performing device characterization via Internet using modern Web technology

We report on recent progress in the establishment of efficient and user-friendly on-line techniques for running real laboratory experiments over the Internet. For this purpose, we have recently developed an automated system, Lab-on-Web, based on modern Web and instrument control technology, including Component Object Model with extensions (COM+), Active Server Pages (ASP), Internet Server Application Programming Interface (ISAPI), and LabVIEW 6i. Advanced functionalities of modem Web browsers are utilized, allowing the system to communicate in terms of eXtensible Markup Language (XML), Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG), etc. The objective is to allow communication with minimum overhead, to provide a functional client interface, to establish a variety of experiments, and to allow flexibility in configuring experiments from the client side. The system has been used in senior student laboratories for remote characterization of electronic devices and circuits.