DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF
SOFTWARE COMPONENTS FOR A
REMOTE LABORATORY
J. Fernandez, J. Crespo, R. Barber, J. Carretero
University Carlos III of Madrid
Computer Science and Engineering
Systems Engineering and Automation Department
CONTENTS
Introduction
Virtual and Remote Labs
Proposed architecture
Framework components and functionality
Example of remote laboratory
Conclusions
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CONTENTS
Introduction
Virtual and Remote Labs
Proposed architecture
Framework components and functionality
Example of remote laboratory
Conclusions
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INTRODUCTION
Goals
 Study, develop and compare different
technologies for remote labs
 Study and test connectivity with
hardware in real time
 Propose an approach of architecture for
development of remote labs
 Develop main components
 Develop practices for control students
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CONTENTS
Introduction
Virtual and Remote Labs
Proposed architecture
Framework components and functionality
Example of remote laboratory
Conclusions
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VIRTUAL & REMTOTE LABS
Real practice difficulties:
 Limited number of laboratory resources
 Limited time for laboratory resources
 Cost of software licenses
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VIRTUAL & REMTOTE LABS
Solution:
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Anywhere
Web Server
Student
Lab
VIRTUAL & REMTOTE LABS
Possibilities:
 Simulation practices
 Remote practices with hardware
Advantages:
 More time for practices
 No schedules
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VIRTUAL & REMOTE LABS
Remote laboratories
 MWS: RECOLAB (UMH)
 EJS: (UNED, UM)
 WLAB (UC)
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CONTENTS
Introduction
Virtual and Remote Labs
Proposed architecture
Framework components and functionality
Example of remote laboratory
Conclusions
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PROPOSED ARCHITETURE
Goals to be fulfilled :
 Allow to remotely access physical resources.
 Compose teaching projects that require
resources physically distributed.
 Expand the resulting framework with new
resources and new teaching projects
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PROPOSED ARCHITETURE
Requirements:
 The system should allow developing teaching
project applications that involve using remote
resources physically distributed.
 The framework must allow to attach or to
detach new resources without stopping the
system.
 The project application should be able to send
control commands to each resource and to read
the response and the state of the resource, all
of this using a standard interface.
 The user should be able to book all the required
resources for a project before executing it.
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PROPOSED ARCHITETURE
Software specifications:
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Multiplatform architecture
Distributed architecture
Modular management of the resources
Common interface
Extensible framework
PROPOSED ARCHITETURE
Computing systems:
 Laboratory server: The laboratory server is
the computing system that is directly attached
to the hardware resource that is being
controlled.
 Main server: The main server is the one in
charge of managing all the laboratory servers.
 Client device: It is where the teaching project
is run.
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PROPOSED ARCHITETURE
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CONTENTS
Introduction
Virtual and Remote Labs
Proposed architecture
Framework components and functionality
Example of remote laboratory
Conclusions
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COMPONENTS & FUNCTIONALITY
These computing systems are classified as follows:
 Laboratory server: The laboratory server is
the computing system that is directly attached
to the hardware resource that is being
controlled.
 Main server: The main server is the one in
charge of managing all the laboratory servers.
 Client device: It is where the teaching project
is run.
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COMPONENTS & FUNCTIONALITY
 Main database: Stores the
general information of the
system, which is accessed and
updated by the framework
main components.
 The database contains all
information of the laboratories
and the resources attached to
them.
 Also information about the
authorized users of the
systems and which user is
currently using (exclusively)
which resource.
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COMPONENTS & FUNCTIONALITY
 Application server: Exports the web services
required by the framework (provider service and
monitor service). The provider service export the
management functionality for each resource while
the monitor service allows to keep track of the
current state of the system and the list of existing
resources.
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COMPONENTS & FUNCTIONALITY
 Laboratory manager: Act as a request manager
for all the requests that the clients perform to the
resources managed by the laboratory using the web
services. Each one has its own local database for
local configuration but it also uses the main
database.
 The task of this module is mainly to launch or to
stop the module that manages the resource
requested by the client. It also manages the
registration and deletion of new resources.
Furthermore, it establishes the connection between
the client and the module of the resource using a
socket interface.
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COMPONENTS & FUNCTIONALITY
 Laboratory manager
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COMPONENTS & FUNCTIONALITY
 Resource manager: This module contains the
logic that allows the user to control the resource,
execute commands on the resource and read the
state of the resource.
 It can be directly attached to the hardware or it can
use external applications. Each manager is
designed specifically for each kind of resource.
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COMPONENTS & FUNCTIONALITY
 Client application: This component can be
implemented as a stand-alone program or as a web
page. The only requirement is that it should use the
web services to connect with the application server
and sockets to connect with each resource
manager.
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CONTENTS
Introduction
Virtual and Remote Labs
Approach to the problem
Proposed architecture
Framework components and functionality
Example of remote laboratory
Conclusions
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Example of remote laboratory
Lab equipment:
 CC Motor 4000RPM, 24Vcc
 Advantech PCI-1711
 PC & camera
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Example of remote laboratory
Interface for the tests:
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Example of remote laboratory
Remote practical session:
 Identification of the experimental servomotor: first
order plant
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CONTENTS
Introduction
Virtual and Remote Labs
Approach to the problem
Proposed architecture
Framework components and functionality
Example of remote laboratory
Conclusions
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CONCLUSIONS
Nowadays, the use of new technologies for
the implementation of remote laboratories
is a leading research topic.
In this work a framework for remote labs
has been presented.
This framework allows the integration of
different resources and platforms for its
use in laboratory practice, taking into
account the management of them.
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CONCLUSIONS
The main components that make up the
platform have been developed. Allowing to
develop a first laboratory practice
prototype of an engineering subject.
The student can book the platform, run an
experiment and display their results from
home, allowing to perform the practice as
many times as needed without temporal
restrictions and without having to travel to
the educational centre or research centre.
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