Design of a Low Cost Switching Matrix for Electronics Remote Laboratory

Abstract

Most of currently remote laboratories implementations include interactive experimentation. In this case, students use real devices and equipment to perform real experiments, which need some flexibility of interaction with the hardware platform. The hardware platform is composed of raspberry pi as lab server, a switches matrix, a practical work circuit, and some measurement instruments. The switches matrix is used to make configuration of experimentation by establishing connection between the practical work circuit and measurement instruments. During the experimentation process, students manipulate the setup using a web page. In the background, the hardware configuration is realized using switches matrix, which is controlled by the manipulation server. The purpose of this work is to develop a new switches matrix in order to provide more possibilities, interaction flexibility with the hardware platform, and ease of use, and finally to improve performance in response time. Our approach aims to improve the flexibility, performance and ease of use. We use ‘spst’ switches instead of relays because of their less consumption in current and less response time; by addition, we design our matrix so that it can be inserted directly on raspberry pi to facilitate the assembly, and incorporate SPI bus in order to control some electronic components using SPI bus communication such as potentiometer. Considering the new enhancement in our switches matrix, we have obtained better control of practical work circuits and more flexibility and performance when using the existing experimentation such as Filter circuit, AOP circuit, dipole circuit or when developing new ones. Results of experimentation are presented and discussed.