An E-Learning portal for Electrical and Electronic Measurement courses employing remote instrument control

In the paper the realization of an E-learning portal for Electrical and Electronic Measurement courses is presented. The main focus is the implementation of a remote laboratory, to enable students at home to perform experimental activities through the Internet network. The authors illustrate, as case-study, a Web-based measurement station to acquire conducted interferences emitted by a Variable Speed Drive (VSD), which consists of Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) inverter, asynchronous three-phase motor, and histeresys brake axially tied to the motor. Students log on a Web site realized through HTML pages and published through LabVIEWTM G Web server; they can activate the test circuit, set its working conditions, carry out the measurement procedures, and process the results. That is accomplished through a PC that receives client requests through CGI programs, controls the measurement instruments through IEEE 488 interface bus and programs realized in LabVIEWTM software and, eventually, presents the measurement results to the client on an HTML page