Session T1C
integrated measurement system which remotely measure and
identify those inherent characteristics of electromagnetic
designing their own test systems under fully automatized
through the Internet.
devices is proposed for students to learn the idea of automatic
measurement platform and its applications. Presently, the
AMS with a friendly graphical user interface (GUI) provides
six experiments for students to perform and learn via internet
browsers in the web-based course, “The practice of automatic
measurement systems and their applications”. The proposed
system consists of a programmable AMS test bench, a web-
based distance laboratory which allows the student to conduct
the remote experiment, and an integrated text and interactive
program to characterize the behavior model of device under
test (DUT). The AMS also provides an interactive interface
for teachers to edit the teaching materials, to set up web-based
experiments, and to assign the privileges for the students to
access the AMS.
Web-based distance laboratory: The web-based
distance laboratory contains different types of
measurement equipments such as digital storage
oscilloscopes (DSO) and digital multi-meters (DMM).
These instruments can be used to measure the voltage and
current waveforms of the DUT. These apparatus can be
remotely operated by means of GPIB or RS-232 control
signals that are generated by the interface cards installed
on the PC. Making the laboratory platforms available
through the Internet allow users to carry out practices in
the e-learning-based courses.
E-learning platform: The e-learning platform is
implemented on a standard PC. It is composed of a web-
based course contents, the interface cards used to
SYSTEM CONFIGURATION
Fig. 1 shows the block diagram of the proposed system. From
Fig. 1, the whole system can be divided into three major parts:
software reconfigurable test bench, web-based distance
laboratory and user interactive e-learning platform. Brief
descriptions of each part are as follows:
configure the hardware test bench and control distance
laboratory instruments, and a graphical waveform display
screen. The content of this e-learning platform contains
not only lecture notes and simulations but also on-line
experiment interface which will permit the students to
learn in a truly interactive mode.
The physical implementation of the whole system is
shown in Fig. 2. At present, six experiments, including high-
frequency magnetic core characterization, switched reluctance
motor magnetization characteristics identification, gas-
discharge lamp high-frequency V-I curve modeling, electric
machinery parameter measurement, renewable energy power
system monitor, and power electronics converter design and
verification, for students to do and learn. In order to simplify
the paper’s matter, in the following sections, only one
experimental item-the power electronics converter design and
verification is taken as an example to describe the basic
principle and functionality of each part inside the AMS in
detail.
FIGURE 1
BLOCK DIAGRAM OF THE PROPOSED SYSTEM.
AMS test bench: The programmable AMS test bench
consists of a software-controlled reconfigurable hardware
board, a digital PWM generator and various types of
loads and the DUT. According to different testing devices
and measuring procedures, the test bench constructs the
power drive circuit, generates control gating signals,
conducts stimulus to DUT and routes test responses to
measurement instruments correctly. This hardware test
bench includes a fully software reconfigurable processing
core based on controllable switch matrix module from
National Instruments Corp. and a set of discrete power
devices and passive components. The digital PWM
generator is utilized to provide the gating signals to drive
the DUT. The test bench intends to let the students
FIGURE 2
PHYSICAL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROPOSED SYSTEM.
SOFTWARE RECONFIGURABLE TEST BENCH