An Fpga-Based Reconfigurable Digital Chip Tester

This project presents the project work and results of an FPGA-based Reconfigurable Digital Chip Tester. The aim of this project is to achieve a reconfigurable, userfriendly and cost-effective digital chip tester for users to perform chip testing on the most commonly used digital ICs

Genuine lab experiences for students in resource constrained environments: The RealLab with integrated intelligent assessment.

Laboratory activities are indispensable for developing engineering skills. Computer Aided Learning (CAL) tools can be used to enhance laboratory learning in various ways, the latest approach being the virtual laboratory technique that emulates traditional laboratory processes. This new approach makes it possible to give students complete and genuine laboratory experiences in situations constrained by limited resources in the provision of laboratory facilities and infrastructure and/or where there is need for laboratory education, for large classes, with only one laboratory stand. This may especially be the case in countries in transition. Most existing virtual laboratories are not available for purchase. Where they are, they may not be cost friendly for resource constrained environments. Also, most do not integrate any form of assessment structure. In this paper, we present a very cost friendly virtual laboratory solution for genuine laboratory experiences in resource constrained environments, with integrated intelligent assessment

Constructivist Multi-Access Lab Approach in Teaching FPGA Systems Design with LabVIEW

Embedded systems play vital role in modern applications [1]. They can be found in autos, washing machines, electrical appliances and even in toys. FPGAs are the most recent computing technology that is used in embedded systems. There is an increasing demand on FPGA based embedded systems, in particular, for applications that require rapid time responses. Engineering education curricula needs to respond to the increasing industrial demand of using FPGAs by introducing new syllabus for teaching and learning this subject. This paper describes the development of new course material for teaching FPGA-based embedded systems design by using ‘G’ Programming Language of LabVIEW. A general overview of FPGA role in engineering education is provided. A survey of available Hardware Programming Languages for FPGAs is presented. A survey about LabVIEW utilization in engineering education is investigated; this is followed by a motivation section of why to use LabVIEW graphical programming in teaching and its capabilities. Then, a section of choosing a suitable kit for the course is laid down. Later, constructivist closed-loop model the FPGA course has been proposed in accordance with [2- 4; 80,86,89,92]. The paper is proposing a pedagogical framework for FPGA teaching; pedagogical evaluation will be conducted in future studies. The complete study has been done at the Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Aleppo University

Remote Laboratory for E-Learning of Systems on Chip and Their Applications to Nuclear and Scientific Instrumentation

Configuring and setting up a remote access laboratory for an advanced online school on fully programmable System-on-Chip (SoC) proved to be an outstanding challenge. The school, jointly organized by the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), focused on SoC and its applications to nuclear and scientific instrumentation and was mainly addressed to physicists, computer scientists and engineers from developing countries. The use of e-learning tools, which some of them adopted and others developed, allowed the school participants to directly access both integrated development environment software and programmable SoC platforms. This facilitated the follow-up of all proposed exercises and the final project. During the four weeks of the training activity, we faced and overcame different technology and communication challenges, whose solutions we describe in detail together with dedicated tools and design methodology. We finally present a summary of the gained experience and an assessment of the results we achieved, addressed to those who foresee to organize similar initiatives using e-learning for advanced training with remote access to SoC platforms

Emulation of Circuits under Test Using Low-Cost Embedded Platforms

Electrical engineering education requires the development of the specific ability and skills to address the design and assembly of practical electronic circuits, as well as the use of advanced electronic instrumentation. However, for electronic instrumentation courses or any other related specialty that pursues to gain expertise testing a physical system, the circuit assembly process itself can represent a bottleneck in a practical session. The time dedicated to the circuit assembly is subtracted both to the measurements and the final decision-making time. Therefore, the student's practical experience is limited. This article presents a reconfigurable physical system based on the Arduino (TM) shield pin-out, which (after specific programming) can virtually behave as a device under test to carry out measurement procedures on it, emulating any system or process. Although it has been mainly oriented to the Arduino boards, it is possible to add different control devices with a connector compatible. The user does not need to assemble any circuit. Our approach does not only pursue the correct instrument handling as a goal, but it also immerses the student in the context of the functional theory of the proposed circuit under test. Consequently, the same emulation platform can be utilized for other techno-scientific specialties, such as electrical engineering, automatic control systems or physics courses. Besides that, it is a compact product that can be adapted to the needs of any teaching institution.This work was performed as an innovation and teaching improvement project and supported by grant SOL-201700083174-TRA from Vicerrectorado de Recursos Docentes y de la Comunicacion, University of Cadiz

An Fpga-Based Reconfigurable Digital Chip Tester

This project presents the project work and results of an FPGA-based Reconfigurable Digital Chip Tester. The aim of this project is to achieve a reconfigurable, userfriendly and cost-effective digital chip tester for users to perform chip testing on the most commonly used digital ICs

On the role of virtual laboratories in an undergraduate power electronics introductory course

Preprin

Frequency Instability Measurement Device Based on the Pulse Coincidence Principle

Актуальнiсть. Завдання швидкого й точного вимiрювання динамiчних характеристик сучасних джерел сигналiв з частотним виходом, зокрема функцiї короткочасної нестабiльностi частоти (ФКНЧ), потребує вдосконалення методiв вимiрювання з урахуванням необхiдностi полiпшення їх метрологiчних характеристик, зниження часу проведення випробувань, можливостi автоматизацiї вимiрювань за рахунок застосування iнформацiйно-вимiрювальних систем. Мета роботи полягає в розробцi методу вимiрювання ФКНЧ на принципi збiгiв iмпульсiв пакетами та експериментальних дослiдженнях вимiрювачiв на його основi. Метод. Розроблено метод вимiрювання функцiї короткочасної нестабiльностi частоти на принципi збiгiв регулярних незалежних послiдовностей iмпульсiв пакетами. Розроблений метод має переваги в порiвняннi з кращим варiантом методу на базi перетворення перiодчасовий iнтервал-код при роботi з однаковим початковим значенням дослiджуваної частоти i при роботi з однаковим значенням iнтервалу усереднення. Результати. Отриманi аналiтичнi спiввiдношення для основних метрологiчних характеристик. Проведено порiвняльний аналiз метрологiчних характеристик розробленого методу й методу на базi перетворення перiод-часовий iнтервал-код. Добрими метрологiчними характеристиками володiє метод вимiрювання ФКНЧ на базi перетворення перiод-часовий iнтервал-код, в якому формується вимiрювальний iнтервал як рiзниця дослiджуваного i опорного iнтервалiв i заповнюється iмпульсами дослiджуваної або опорної частот. Висновки. Реалiзовано автономний й вiртуальний вимiрювачi, а також проведено експериментальнi дослiдження стандартних генераторiв. Вказано особливостi вимiрювачiв i шляхи їх подальшого удосконалення. Подальший розвиток вимiрювача можливий в напрямку збiльшення кiлькостi вимiрюваних параметрiв джерел сигналiв з частотним виходом, зокрема, змiни короткочасної нестабiльностi частоти вiд впливу дестабiлiзуючих факторiв, характеристики i часу встановлення частоти. Для цього необхiдно розробити керований джерело дестабiлiзуючих факторiв i синхронiзувати його роботу з вимiрником.Context. The task of rapid and accurate measurement of the dynamic characteristics of modern signal sources with a frequency output, in particular, the short-time frequency instability function, calls for refining measurement techniques with account of the requirement to improve their metrological characteristics, reduce test time, and automate measurements by using information-and-measurement systems. Objective. The goal of the work is to develop a method of measuring the short-time frequency instability function using the principle of pulse packet coincidence and experimental investigation of measurement devices based on this principle. Method. A method was developed for measuring the short-time frequency instability function based on the principle of packet coincidence of regular independent pulse trains. The developed method has advantages over the best version of the method based on the period-time interval-code (PTC) conversion when working with the same initial value of the investigated frequency and when working with the same value of the averaging interval. Results. Analytical relationships were obtained for basic metrological characteristics. A comparative analysis was carried out for the metrological characteristics of the developed method and the method using period-time interval-code conversion. Acceptable metrological characteristics are inherent to the short-time frequency instability function (SFIF) measurement method based on the period-time interval-code technique. The difference of investigated and reference intervals form the measurement interval, which is filled with pulses of the investigated or reference frequencies. Conclusions. Stand-alone and virtual measurement devices were developed, and experimental studies of standard oscillators were carried out. The features of measurement devices were specified and the ways of their further improvement were described. Further development of the measurement device can involve an increase in the number of measured signal source with frequency output (SFO) parameters, in particular, changes in short-time frequency instability due to the action of destabilizing factors, and the characteristics and time of frequency setting. This calls for developing a controlled source of destabilizing factors and synchronizing its operation with the measurement device.Задача быстрого и точного измерения динамических характеристик современных источников сигналов с частотным выходом (ИЧВ), в частности функции кратковременной нестабильности частоты (ФКНЧ), требует усовершенствования методов измерения с учетом необходимости улучшения их метрологических характеристик, снижения времени проведения испытаний, возможности автоматизации измерений за счет применения информационно-измерительных систем. Цель работы состоит в разработке метода измерения ФКНЧ на принципе совпадения импульсов пакетами и экспериментальных исследованиях измерителей на его основе. Разработан метод измерения функции кратковременной нестабильности частоты на принципе совпадений регулярных независимых последовательностей импульсов пакетами. Разработанный метод имеет преимущества в сравнении с лучшим вариантом метода на базе преобразования ПВК при работе с одинаковым начальным значением исследуемой частоты и при работе с одинаковым значением интервала усреднения. Получены аналитические соотношения для основных метрологических характеристик. Проведен сравнительный анализ метрологических характеристик разработанного метода и метода на базе преобразования период-временной интервал-код. Хорошими метрологическими характеристиками обладает метод измерения ФКНЧ на базе преобразования период-временной интервал-код (ПВК), в котором формируется измерительный интервал как разность исследуемого и опорного интервалов и заполняется импульсами исследуемой или опорной частот. Реализованы автономный и виртуальный измерители, а также проведены экспериментальные исследования стандартных генераторов. Указаны особенности измерителей и пути их дальнейшего совершенствования. Дальнейшее развитие измерителя возможно в направлении увеличения количества измеряемых параметров ИЧВ, в частности, изменения кратковременной нестабильности частоты от воздействия дестабилизирующих факторов, характеристики и времени установления частоты. Для этого необходимо разработать управляемый источник дестабилизирующих факторов и синхронизировать его работу с измерителем

LinuxCNC – Napredni sustav CNC upravljanja: primjena i kritički osvrt

Ovaj rad prikazuje osvrt na implementaciju upravljačkog sustava otvorene arhitekture, tzv. Enhanced Machine Controller-a (EMC2), koji je primijenjen na glodalici kao ispitnom postavu. Razvoj ispitnog postava motiviran je edukacijskim i istraživačkim potrebama, osobito u području razvoja i analize algoritama za nadzor i upravljanje procesima obrade odvajanjem. EMC2 sustav je razmatran s obzirom na kompatibilne hardverske komponente i mogućnosti prilagodbe specifičnostima obradnog stroja, kao i mogućnostima za industrijsku primjenu. U radu su također prikazane tehničke karakteristike ispitnog postava i upravljačkog sustava