A LabVIEW-based soundcard A LabVIEW-based soundcard interface for e-laboratoryinterface for e-laboratory

Ţepelea LaviniuŢepelea Laviniu11,, Gavriluţ IoanGavriluţ Ioan11,,

NeamNeamţu ţu OvidiuOvidiu11, , GGergely ergely EugenEugen11,,

Gacsádi AlexandruGacsádi Alexandru11

11University of Oradea, RomaniaUniversity of Oradea, Romania

Two countries, one goal, joint success!

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Significant paper ideasSignificant paper ideas::

• The purpose of this paper is to present a way to The purpose of this paper is to present a way to develop a technical e-laboratory for students develop a technical e-laboratory for students interested in their continuing traininginterested in their continuing training

• To realize an e-learning laboratory we used To realize an e-learning laboratory we used web web publishing toolpublishing tool from LabVIEW from LabVIEW

• TThe connection between server and remote computer is he connection between server and remote computer is realized with a VPN softwarerealized with a VPN software

• WWeb publishing tool from LabVIEW allows concurrent eb publishing tool from LabVIEW allows concurrent access from different remote computers to e-laboratoryaccess from different remote computers to e-laboratory

E-learning ideasE-learning ideas• John Dewey (1859-1952) had new teaching methods John Dewey (1859-1952) had new teaching methods

focused on learning-by-doing (experiential learning)focused on learning-by-doing (experiential learning)

• Now the Wold Wide Web allows the effective Now the Wold Wide Web allows the effective support for collaborative work around the worldsupport for collaborative work around the world

• Most universities have e-learning environments ready Most universities have e-learning environments ready to be accessed through the webto be accessed through the web

• FFor physical experimentation the hardware is most of or physical experimentation the hardware is most of the times expensive, hard to maintain, and need a the times expensive, hard to maintain, and need a specific guidance through the experimentspecific guidance through the experiment

• That is the reason of increasing usage of simulators That is the reason of increasing usage of simulators within engineering teaching activitieswithin engineering teaching activities

• But physical experimentation is very necessary in But physical experimentation is very necessary in engineering education engineering education

• Now both software simulation and physical Now both software simulation and physical experimentation can be integrated within the same experimentation can be integrated within the same computer-based environment, even in the e-learning computer-based environment, even in the e-learning platformplatform

• Laboratories are essential part of engineering Laboratories are essential part of engineering education; Laboratories bring the course theory education; Laboratories bring the course theory alivealive

• The general idea behind a remote laboratory is the The general idea behind a remote laboratory is the ability to access hardware from laboratories or ability to access hardware from laboratories or workbenches from remote locations by using a workbenches from remote locations by using a popular communication infrastructure like internet.popular communication infrastructure like internet.

Remote control technologies in LabVIEWRemote control technologies in LabVIEW

• National Instruments LabVIEW, is a premier National Instruments LabVIEW, is a premier virtual instrumentation environment where the virtual instrumentation environment where the development of applications is made graphicallydevelopment of applications is made graphically

• Now, virtual instrumentation is used in many Now, virtual instrumentation is used in many places, in industries from automotive to consumer places, in industries from automotive to consumer electronics and especially in universitieselectronics and especially in universities

• Software and hardware are successfully combined Software and hardware are successfully combined and LabVIEW has become the most popular easy and LabVIEW has become the most popular easy development tool in engineering because of its development tool in engineering because of its easy-to-use graphical programming environmenteasy-to-use graphical programming environment

Communication tools:Communication tools:

• LabVIEW built-in Web Server, a DataSocket LabVIEW built-in Web Server, a DataSocket Server with ActiveX controlsServer with ActiveX controls

• G Web Server included in LabVIEW Internet G Web Server included in LabVIEW Internet ToolkitToolkit

• Both Both can realise the communication between can realise the communication between virtual instrument (VI) and a remote computervirtual instrument (VI) and a remote computer

• The G Web Server is a stand-alone VI that The G Web Server is a stand-alone VI that runs independently of other VIsruns independently of other VIs

Additional applications:Additional applications:

• Commercial software AppletVIEWCommercial software AppletVIEW - - a toolkit a toolkit for LabVIEW made by Nacimiento Software for LabVIEW made by Nacimiento Software CorporationCorporation

• The free application LabVNCThe free application LabVNC - - also capable to also capable to present the virtual instrument remotelypresent the virtual instrument remotely

• TThe most useful tool for remote experiments in he most useful tool for remote experiments in LabVIEW is the Web Publishing ToolLabVIEW is the Web Publishing Tool

• It It can make all exciting features of virtual can make all exciting features of virtual instruments, easy achievable anywhere in the world, instruments, easy achievable anywhere in the world, with the new technology available from National with the new technology available from National Instruments LabVIEW, named Remote Panels.Instruments LabVIEW, named Remote Panels.

• With this new feature of LabVIEW, a user can With this new feature of LabVIEW, a user can quickly and effortlessly publish the front panel quickly and effortlessly publish the front panel of a LabVIEW application to use remotely in a of a LabVIEW application to use remotely in a standard Web browserstandard Web browser

• Once published, anyone on the Web with the Once published, anyone on the Web with the proper permissions can access and control the proper permissions can access and control the experiment from the real environmentexperiment from the real environment

• Thus, LabVIEW Remote Panels turns a VI with Thus, LabVIEW Remote Panels turns a VI with a device connected, into a remote laboratory a device connected, into a remote laboratory with no additional programming or with no additional programming or development timedevelopment time

• We made an example application that uses web publishing toolWe made an example application that uses web publishing tool• The VI uses the soundcard from the computer like a cheap data acquisition hardwareThe VI uses the soundcard from the computer like a cheap data acquisition hardware • WWe can generate an audio signal with different types: sine, square, sawtooth, triangle e can generate an audio signal with different types: sine, square, sawtooth, triangle • Separately from Sound Generator, there is a Data Acquisition part who take the data Separately from Sound Generator, there is a Data Acquisition part who take the data

from soundcard, process the signals, displays the signalsfrom soundcard, process the signals, displays the signals

A LabVIEW-based interface for A LabVIEW-based interface for ssoundcardoundcard

• The TCP/IP protocol has been criticized as having The TCP/IP protocol has been criticized as having been designed with no thought of securitybeen designed with no thought of security

• The most difficult problem is to communicate The most difficult problem is to communicate through a proxy, a router or a NAT device, through a proxy, a router or a NAT device, because web server is situated in a university LANbecause web server is situated in a university LAN

• A very good solution for this situation is to A very good solution for this situation is to communicate through a Virtual Private Network communicate through a Virtual Private Network (VPN) application(VPN) application

• VPN is used to create an encrypted tunnel for the VPN is used to create an encrypted tunnel for the traffic to be sent between the student’s computer traffic to be sent between the student’s computer and the web serverand the web server

Connection through a VPN applicationConnection through a VPN application

VPN tunneling through internet

Hamachi VPN application

ConclusionsConclusions• E-learning environment E-learning environment isis a high level standard of a high level standard of

educationeducation for students, to continue their studies for students, to continue their studies anytime at homeanytime at home

• An easy way to make a remote controlled An easy way to make a remote controlled laboratory in science domain is to use LabVIEW, laboratory in science domain is to use LabVIEW, who can make very easy a web interface to a who can make very easy a web interface to a virtual instrument connected to a real hardware virtual instrument connected to a real hardware devicedevice

• To resolve the communication between web To resolve the communication between web server and remote computers even passing server and remote computers even passing through a proxy, a router or a NAT device, like in through a proxy, a router or a NAT device, like in a university LAN, a solution isa university LAN, a solution is VPN VPN

AcknowledgmentAcknowledgment

• TThis work was supported by Hungary - Romania his work was supported by Hungary - Romania Cross-Border Co-operation Programme 2007 Cross-Border Co-operation Programme 2007 – 2013, in E-Laboratory Practical Teaching for – 2013, in E-Laboratory Practical Teaching for Applied Engineering Sciences project with Applied Engineering Sciences project with number HURO/0901/028number HURO/0901/028

Thank you for your time !Thank you for your time !