A low-cost server-client methodology for remote laboratory access for hardware design

A new and cost effective technique is presented for remote laboratory access (RLA). The technique was developed to serve students in digital hardware design courses through the Internet. The technique is based on software and uses the client-server methodology to establish communication between a user and a server PC that is located in a lab with an FPGA board attached. The technique provides an integrated system of multiple servers and clients so that each client receives information from the servers, including: server availability, FPGA board types and services provided, and lab equipment available through the graphical user interface (GUI). Presently, a set of eight remote access servers are in service at Northern Illinois University, where they have been tested for three semesters. The proposed RLA technique is dynamic; adding new features to the system is only bounded by the capability of the FPGA hardware.