Web-accessible FPGA-based multifunction electronics workbench

• Main Authors: Abadejos, Alexandre D., Marchan, Marion Keith S., Que, Dexter A., Tabaniag, Timothy John G., Zabat, Gershwin Ethelbert G.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2008
• Subjects: Field programmable gate arrays; Electronic circuit design > Data processing; Electronic Workbench (Computer file)
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/14636
• Institution: De La Salle University

Laboratory experimentation is an essential tool in developing the hands-on and practical skills of students enrolled in an analog and digital electronics course, However, most academic institutions do not have the luxury of setting up a complete and proper electronics laboratory due to the fact that most of the equipment's required in these laboratories are very expensive. Because of this, students of these institutions are often faced with the problem of not being able to perform laboratory experiments efficiently. A possible solution would be to offer laboratory courses online, with students able to control a single workbench that would contain the necessary laboratory equipment's for an experiment. This project attempts to create a web-accessible FPGA-based electronic workbench that would solve this cost and availability issues. The Electronic Workbench is composed of a Power Supply, Functional Generator, Digital Multimeter and Oscilloscope equipment modules that are implemented using a Spartan-3E FPGA board. To connect to the Internet/LAN, the Spartan-3E FPGA board is connected to a PICDEM.net 2 Development Board that has a built in TCP/IP stack. A remote PC that contains a Java-implemented GUI controls the Electronics Workbench remotely. The system will make use of Universal datagram Protocol for packet transfer across the Internet/LAN.