Open Architecture for Signal Processing Lab Distance Learning

We present a global architecture (software and hardware) for the remote implementation of practical laboratory works in the field of electronics, automation or signal processing. The students can not only do simulations and virtual instrumentation, but they can also do real-world experiments in connection with the physics of the phenomenon under study, through observation or control. This is done remotely with TCP/IP network connection. The client-server architecture is open in the sense that it is based on the plug-in concept, each plug-in corresponding to a different lab experiment (e.g. automatic plot of Bode curves of linear systems, signal acquisition and numerical filtering...). An operational prototype is implemented with Lab VIEW: remote control of instruments (through the GPIB network), of data acquisition boards (DAQ, PCI or USB) and of switching matrices for electrical connections and power on/off, management of multi-user connection, multi-session, multi-experiment. The advantage of such an architecture is the decrease of financial costs (sharing of expensive measurement devices) and the sharing of pedagogical means for really distant practical lab work (not only magistral courses or tutorial exercises)