Work-in-progress on a thin IEEE1451.0 - architecture to implement reconfigurable Weblab infrastructures

Institutions have been creating their own specific weblab infrastructures. Usually, they use distinct software and hardware architectures comprehending instruments and modules (I&M) able to be parameterized but difficult to be shared. These aspects are impairing their widespread in education, since collaboration between institutions, in developing and sharing resources, is still low. To handle both aspects, this paper proposes the adoption of the IEEE1451.0 Std. with FPGA technology for creating reconfigurable weblab infrastructures. It is suggested the adoption of an IEEE1451.0 infrastructure with compatible instruments, described in Hardware Description Languages (HDL), to be reconfigured in FPGA-based boards. Besides an overview of the IEEE1451.0 Std., this paper presents a solution currently under development which seeks to enable the reconfiguration and the remote control of weblab infrastructures using a set of IEEE1451.0 HTTP commands

FPGAs to create a reconfigurable IEEE1451.0-compliant weblab infrastructure

IX Jornadas sobre Sistemas Reconfiguráveis (REC’13)The reconfiguration capability provided by Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) and the current limitations of weblab infrastructures, opened a new research window. This paper focus on describing the way weblabs can be reconfigured with different Instruments & Modules (I&M) required to conduct remote experiments, without changing the entire infrastructure. For this purpose, the paper emphasizes the advantage of using FPGAs to create reconfigurable weblab infrastructures using the IEEE1451.0 Std. as a basis to develop, access and bind embedded I&Ms to an IEEE1451.0-Module.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Uma aplicação Web para apoio a laboratórios remotos reconfiguráveis baseados na norma IEEE 1451.0

Nos últimos anos, o processo de ensino e aprendizagem tem sofrido significativas alterações graças ao aparecimento da Internet. Novas ferramentas para apoio ao ensino têm surgido, nas quais se destacam os laboratórios remotos. Atualmente, muitas instituições de ensino disponibilizam laboratórios remotos nos seus cursos, que permitem, a professores e alunos, a realização de experiências reais através da Internet. Estes são implementados por diferentes arquiteturas e infraestruturas, suportados por vários módulos de laboratório acessíveis remotamente (e.g. instrumentos de medição). No entanto, a sua inclusão no ensino é ainda deficitária, devido: i) à falta de meios e competências técnicas das instituições de ensino para os desenvolverem, ii) à dificuldade na partilha dos módulos de laboratório por diferentes infraestruturas e, iii) à reduzida capacidade de os reconfigurar com esses módulos. Para ultrapassar estas limitações, foi idealizado e desenvolvido no âmbito de um trabalho de doutoramento [1] um protótipo, cuja arquitetura é baseada na norma IEEE 1451.0 e na tecnologia de FPGAs. Para além de garantir o desenvolvimento e o acesso de forma normalizada a um laboratório remoto, este protótipo promove ainda a partilha de módulos de laboratório por diferentes infraestruturas. Nesse trabalho explorou-se a capacidade de reconfiguração de FPGAs para embutir na infraestrutura do laboratório vários módulos, todos descritos em ficheiros, utilizando linguagens de descrição de hardware estruturados de acordo com a norma IEEE 1451.0. A definição desses módulos obriga à criação de estruturas de dados binárias (Transducer Electronic Data Sheets, TEDSs), bem como de outros ficheiros que possibilitam a sua interligação com a infraestrutura do laboratório. No entanto, a criação destes ficheiros é bastante complexa, uma vez que exige a realização de vários cálculos e conversões. Tendo em consideração essa mesma complexidade, esta dissertação descreve o desenvolvimento de uma aplicação Web para leitura e escrita dos TEDSs. Para além de um estudo sobre os laboratórios remotos, é efetuada uma descrição da norma IEEE 1451.0, com particular atenção para a sua arquitetura e para a estrutura dos diferentes TEDSs. Com o objetivo de enquadrar a aplicação desenvolvida, efetua-se ainda uma breve apresentação de um protótipo de um laboratório remoto reconfigurável, cuja reconfiguração é apoiada por esta aplicação. Por fim, é descrita a verificação da aplicação Web, de forma a tirar conclusões sobre o seu contributo para a simplificação dessa reconfiguração.In recent years, the teaching and learning processes have changed significantly, due to the emergence of the Internet. New tools emerged, namely the so-called remote laboratories (also named weblabs). Some educational institutions are now providing weblabs in their courses, which allow teachers and students to conduct real experiments over the Internet. These are implemented by different architectures and infrastructures, supported by several weblab modules remotely accessible (e.g. measuring instruments). However, the inclusion of weblabs in education is still reduced due to: i) the lack of resources and technical skills of some institutions for their development, ii) the difficulty to share the weblab modules with different infrastructures and, iii) the reduced capacity to reconfigure them with those modules. To overcome these limitations, it was designed and developed, within the scope of a PhD thesis [1], a weblab prototype following an architecture based on the IEEE 1451.0 Std. and FPGAs technology. Besides ensuring the standardized weblab development and access, the prototype also enables sharing their weblab modules by different infrastructures. This work explored the reconfiguration capability of FPGAs to embed several modules in weblab infrastructures, all described in files using hardware description languages and structured according to IEEE 1451.0 Std. The definition of these modules requires the creation of binary data structures named Transducer Electronic Data Sheet (TEDSs), as well as other files to enable their interconnection with the weblab infrastructure. However, the creation of these files is quite complex, since it requires performing several calculations and conversions. Considering this same complexity, this dissertation describes the development of an application for reading and writing the TEDSs files. Besides the study of weblabs, the IEEE 1451.0 Std. is presented, with particular attention to its architecture and the TEDSs’ structures. To contextualize the developed Web application, a brief description of a reconfigurable weblab prototype is presented, whose reconfiguration is supported by this application. The work described in this dissertation also demanded the perception of the functioning of the existing prototype of a reconfigurable weblab, with the purpose to frame the developed application. Finally, the experimental verification of the Web application is described in order to present conclusions about their ultimate contribution in the reconfiguration of that weblab

Contextual Analysis of Remote Experimentation Using the Actor-Network Theory

Distance learning is promoting the adoption of several and new technological resources in education. The Internet is a proof of this trend, providing students with the ability of accessing better pedagogical contents from everywhere at anytime. This is usually supported by the so-called Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs). However, the increase of the bandwidth together with improvements in terms of the devices’ processing capabilities for accessing services/tools through the internet, has contributed to the appearance of the Remote Experimentation (RE) concept. Currently adopted by several Science and Engineering (S&E) courses, RE is classified as a sub-domain of E-learning and as an extension of the traditional VLEs, since it provides all the facilities required for remotely accessing laboratorial experiments, giving both students and teachers the ability to control real experiments by using a simple device (e.g. PC, PDA, smart phone, etc.) connected to the internet. Traditional (in-place) laboratorial experiments can now be remotely controlled with more flexibility, reducing place and time restrictions usually present in a real laboratory. In addition, technological evolution is contributing to many changes in several domains, which has alerted us to the importance of contextualizing RE as a network of interconnected actors, with distinct characteristics and interests. This represents a huge challenge that is fundamental to analyse, since society, and more particularly the educational context, is faced with several unpredictable influences from technological innovations that may contribute to the adoption of various educational solutions some of which may not have been validated, particularly in S&E courses. Hence, this paper focuses on an analysis of RE based on the Actor-Network Theory (ANT) in order to understand the existing relationships between human and non-human (technological and/or conceptual) actors. The paper begins by contextualizing RE as an actor-network in an intersection of several contexts, namely the social, technical and educational. Further on, we map the actors and their associations. An analysis of the inclusion of a new actor into the RE actor-network, namely FPGA-based boards for accommodating Instruments and Modules (I&M), which are usually applied in remote laboratory infrastructures, is dealt with in the final section of this paper.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Self-regulation and time factor in virtual and remote laboratories

In the field of practical development of competences in scientific and engineering studies, the emergence of distance learning programs in these disciplines, as well as the rapid development of ICT, has allowed the evolution of classical laboratories towards a new typology of laboratories: the commonly called virtual labs, focused on the development of simulation-based practices in both classroom or remote sessions and remote laboratories equipped with real equipment that are connected and accessible remotely, by providing the student a practical resource not defined in a specific space and time such as onsite laboratories.Currently extensive information on the different types of laboratories can be found; their structure, the tools that they use, the type of experiment performed, but there is less information about teaching and pedagogical application of these technologies. Factors like self-regulation, allowing a constructivist approach to training with these tools; the Time factor and assessment are subjects susceptible to be studied.Starting from the generic structure of remote laboratory, exposed in the first section, we will study how this structure can influence the factors under study: self-regulation and Time Factor, and how to approach this structure and the elements that make it up to improve these aspects

Teaching microprocessors design using FPGAs

Microprocessors is a typical subject within the Computer Architecture field of scope. It is quite common to use simulators in practical sessions, due to the complexity of its contents. In this paper a new methodology based on practical sessions with real devices and chips is proposed. Simple designs of microprocessors are exposed to the students at the beginning, rising the complexity gradually toward a final design with a multiprocessor integrated in a single FPGA chip. Finally, assessment results are shown

Integración de laboratorios online de automática y telecomunicación en los sistemas de gestión de aprendizaje mediante SCORM

[ES]Los laboratorios online o WebLabs son valiosos recursos de apoyo a la docencia que se pueden definir como contenidos de e-learning. Una de las últimas tendencias en el desarrollo de WebLabs ha sido su integración en los Sistemas de Gestión de Aprendizaje (LMS). Esta tesis presenta una propuesta de integración avanzada Lab-LMS basada en el uso de SCORM (Shared Content Object Reference Model) para definir el contenido y realizar comunicaciones Lab-LMS. Se presenta una clasificación de modos de integración, se describen una serie de herramientas, desarrolladas específicamente para facilitar la integración propuesta, y una metodología genérica para crear laboratorios online. También se describen ejemplos de laboratorios online desarrollados siguiendo el modelo de integración propuesto que se han creado utilizando la metodología y las herramientas creadas en el ámbito de este trabajo. Los resultados obtenidos demuestran que los laboratorios obtenidos presentan una gran efectividad para el aprendizaje de los alumnos.[EN] WebLabs or online labs are valuable resources to support teaching that can be defined as e-learning content. One of the latest trends in the development of WebLabs has been its integration into Learning Management Systems (LMS). This thesis presents a Lab-LMS advanced-integration proposal based on using SCORM (Shared Content Object Reference Model) to define contents and perform Lab-LMS communications. A classification of modes of integration is presented and a set of tools, that has been developed specifically to facilitate the integration proposal, and a generic methodology to create online laboratories are described. Examples of online laboratories, developed following the proposed integration model, and using the methodology and tools developed within the scope of this work are also described. The results show that obtained laboratories show that they are highly effective for student learning.Tesis Univ. Jaén. Departamento de Ingeniería Electr´nica y Automatica, leída el 23 de noviembre de 201

Reconfigurable Weblabs Based on the IEEE1451 Std.

Technology plays a double role in Education: it can act as a facilitator in the teaching/learning process and it can be the very subject of that process in Science & Engineering courses. This is especially true when students perform laboratory activities where they interact with equipment and objects under experimentation. In this context, technology can also play a facilitator role if it allows students to perform experiments in a remote fashion, through the Internet, in a so-called weblab or remote laboratory. No doubt, the Internet has been revolutionizing the educational process in many aspects, and it can be stated that remote laboratories are just an angle of that on-going revolution. As any other educational tool or resource, the i) pedagogical approach and the ii) technology used in the development of a remote laboratory can dictate its general success or its ephemeral existence. By pedagogical approach we consider the way remote experiments address the process by which students acquire experimental skills and link experimental results to theoretical concepts. In respect to technology, we discuss different specification and implementation alternatives, to show the case where the adoption of a family of standards would positively contribute to a larger acceptance and utilization of remote laboratories, and also to a wider collaboration in their development

Reconfigurable Weblabs Based on the IEEE1451 Std.

Technology plays a double role in Education: it can act as a facilitator in the teaching/learning process and it can be the very subject of that process in Science & Engineering courses. This is especially true when students perform laboratory activities where they interact with equipment and objects under experimentation. In this context, technology can also play a facilitator role if it allows students to perform experiments in a remote fashion, through the Internet, in a so-called weblab or remote laboratory. No doubt, the Internet has been revolutionizing the educational process in many aspects, and it can be stated that remote laboratories are just an angle of that on-going revolution. As any other educational tool or resource, the i) pedagogical approach and the ii) technology used in the development of a remote laboratory can dictate its general success or its ephemeral existence. By pedagogical approach we consider the way remote experiments address the process by which students acquire experimental skills and link experimental results to theoretical concepts. In respect to technology, we discuss different specification and implementation alternatives, to show the case where the adoption of a family of standards would positively contribute to a larger acceptance and utilization of remote laboratories, and also to a wider collaboration in their development