1. Work-in-progress on a thin IEEE1451.0-architecture to implement reconfigurable weblab infrastructures Ricardo Costa - rjc@isep.ipp.ptrjc@isep.ipp.pt Gustavo R. Alves - gca@isep.ipp.ptgca@isep.ipp.pt Mário Zenha-Rela - mzrela@dei.uc.ptmzrela@dei.uc.pt REV’11 Conference Transylvania University, Brasov, Romania June 28 - July 1, 2011

2. Ricardo Costa - 2011 rjc@isep.ipp.pt - http://www.dee.isep.ipp.pt/~rjc 2/13 Presentation outline Introduction Traditional weblab infrastructures – Architecture – Status and problems Proposed solution – Architecture – Previous work – IEEE1451.0 Std. overview – Operational sequence – Development status Conclusions

3. Ricardo Costa - 2011 rjc@isep.ipp.pt - http://www.dee.isep.ipp.pt/~rjc 3/13 Introduction … also named as WEBLABS They are a very important resource for conducting experimental / laboratory work (REMOTE EXPERIMENTATION). Fundamental in S&E courses 1.Availability; 2.Reliability; 3.Flexibility; 4.Reusability/Interoperability; 5.Motivation; 6.Security; 7.Group activities; 8.Costs (devices + human actors)... Introduction Traditional Weblab infrastructures - Architecture - Status and problems Conclusions Proposed solution - Architecture - Previous work - IEEE1451.0 Std. overview - Operational sequence - Development status

4. Ricardo Costa - 2011 rjc@isep.ipp.pt - http://www.dee.isep.ipp.pt/~rjc 4/13 Traditional weblab infrastructures - Architecture - Introduction Traditional Weblab infrastructures - Architecture - Status and problems Conclusions Proposed solution - Architecture - Previous work - IEEE1451.0 Std. overview - Operational sequence - Development status

5. Ricardo Costa - 2011 rjc@isep.ipp.pt - http://www.dee.isep.ipp.pt/~rjc 5/13 Traditional Weblab infrastructures Status: specific and distinct technical implementations (several hardware and software tools); no standard solution for creating weblab infrastructures Problems: collaboration among institutions is weak it is difficult the reuse and interface different instruments/modules (I&M) used by a specific experiment; some institutions do not apply weblabs in their courses some institutions do not have the required technical skills; costs may be high creating a weblab infrastructure requires a PC and associated software, together with several I&M (eventually comprehending several features not required in a specific experiment), and; constraints for running several experiments an architecture based on a single PC poses constraints for running several experiments, requiring scheduling techniques (batch or real-time modes). - status and problems - Introduction Traditional Weblab infrastructures - Architecture - Status and problems Conclusions Proposed solution - Architecture - Previous work - IEEE1451.0 Std. overview - Operational sequence - Development status

6. Ricardo Costa - 2011 rjc@isep.ipp.pt - http://www.dee.isep.ipp.pt/~rjc 6/13 - replaced by FPGA-based board(s); - the I&Ms will be developed using HDLs (Hardware Description Languages) following the IEEE 1451.0 Std.. Proposed Solution - Architecture - Introduction Traditional Weblab infrastructures - Architecture - Status and problems Conclusions Proposed solution - Architecture - Previous work - IEEE1451.0 Std. overview - Operational sequence - Development status

7. Ricardo Costa - 2011 rjc@isep.ipp.pt - http://www.dee.isep.ipp.pt/~rjc 7/13 Proposed Solution - Architecture - Introduction Traditional Weblab infrastructures - Architecture - Status and problems Conclusions Proposed solution - Architecture - Previous work - IEEE1451.0 Std. overview - Operational sequence - Development status

8. Ricardo Costa - 2011 rjc@isep.ipp.pt - http://www.dee.isep.ipp.pt/~rjc 8/13 Proposed Solution - Previous work - Introduction Traditional Weblab infrastructures - Architecture - Status and problems Conclusions Proposed solution - Architecture - Previous work - IEEE1451.0 Std. overview - Operational sequence - Development status Function generator

9. Ricardo Costa - 2011 rjc@isep.ipp.pt - http://www.dee.isep.ipp.pt/~rjc 9/13 Proposed Solution - Previous work - Introduction Traditional Weblab infrastructures - Architecture - Status and problems Conclusions Proposed solution - Architecture - Previous work - IEEE1451.0 Std. overview - Operational sequence - Development status Physical interfaces used to control the function generator Control / monitor web interfaces for controlling / monitoring the function generator Developed through a collaboration agreement between CIETI/Laboris and an M.Sc. Student from Heriot- Watt University (Scotland) Ricardo Costa, Gustavo Alves, Mário Zenha-Rela, Rob Poley and Campbell Wishart "FPGA-based Weblab Infrastructures Guidelines and a prototype implementation example" 3rd IEEE International Conference on e-Learning in Industrial Electronics (ICELIE'2009), Porto - Portugal, November 3th to 7th 2009.FPGA-based Weblab Infrastructures Guidelines and a prototype implementation example

10. Ricardo Costa - 2011 rjc@isep.ipp.pt - http://www.dee.isep.ipp.pt/~rjc 10/13 Proposed Solution - Previous work - Introduction Traditional Weblab infrastructures - Architecture - Status and problems Conclusions Proposed solution - Architecture - Previous work - IEEE1451.0 Std. overview - Operational sequence - Development status Some difficulties appeared during the collaboration because… Difficulties to understand/explain all details… It would be difficult to use the FG on another Weblab infrastructure, based on the presented architecture… It was necessary to specify a logical interface ! It defines a set of open, common, network-independent communication interfaces for connecting transducers, will facilitate the implementation and sharing of different instruments/modules, in a compatible weblab infrastructure.

11. Ricardo Costa - 2011 rjc@isep.ipp.pt - http://www.dee.isep.ipp.pt/~rjc 11/13 Proposed Solution Transducer Interface Module (TIM): controls a set of Transducer Channels (TC), implementing commands and protocols, supported on information within Transducer Electronic Data Sheets (TEDS). Network Capable Application Processor (NCAP): performs network and TIM communications, data conversion and processing functions supported on Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). - IEEE1451.0 Std. overview - Introduction Traditional Weblab infrastructures - Architecture - Status and problems Conclusions Proposed solution - Architecture - Previous work - IEEE1451.0 Std. overview - Operational sequence - Development status IEEE Standard for a Smart Transducer Interface for Sensors and Actuators

12. Ricardo Costa - 2011 rjc@isep.ipp.pt - http://www.dee.isep.ipp.pt/~rjc 12/13 Proposed Solution - IEEE1451.0 Std. overview - Introduction Traditional Weblab infrastructures - Architecture - Status and problems Conclusions Proposed solution - Architecture - Previous work - IEEE1451.0 Std. overview - Operational sequence - Development status

13. Ricardo Costa - 2011 rjc@isep.ipp.pt - http://www.dee.isep.ipp.pt/~rjc 13/13 Proposed Solution - IEEE1451.0 Std. overview - Introduction Traditional Weblab infrastructures - Architecture - Status and problems Conclusions Proposed solution - Architecture - Previous work - IEEE1451.0 Std. overview - Operational sequence - Development status Example of low-level commands and HTTP API functions

14. Ricardo Costa - 2011 rjc@isep.ipp.pt - http://www.dee.isep.ipp.pt/~rjc 14/13 Proposed Solution - IEEE1451.0 Std. overview - Introduction Traditional Weblab infrastructures - Architecture - Status and problems Conclusions Proposed solution - Architecture - Previous work - IEEE1451.0 Std. overview - Operational sequence - Development status TEDS: Meta-TEDs; Tranducer Channel TEDs; Calibration TEDs; etc. Meta-TEDs example Can be placed inside the TIM or distributed using a text format (there is a XML schema specified by the Std. to define the TEDs ) Example (chapter 8)

15. Ricardo Costa - 2011 rjc@isep.ipp.pt - http://www.dee.isep.ipp.pt/~rjc 15/13 Proposed Solution 2. Query available weblabs (IEEE1451 Discovery API / HTTP) Commands can be monitored (assessment purposes) 3. Control or Upload new I&M (reconfigure) - Operational sequence - 1. Registration Introduction Traditional Weblab infrastructures - Architecture - Status and problems Conclusions Proposed solution - Architecture - Previous work - IEEE1451.0 Std. overview - Operational sequence - Development status

16. Ricardo Costa - 2011 rjc@isep.ipp.pt - http://www.dee.isep.ipp.pt/~rjc 16/13 Proposed Solution FPGA-based board Micro-webserver - Development status - Introduction Traditional Weblab infrastructures - Architecture - Status and problems Conclusions Proposed solution - Architecture - Previous work - IEEE1451.0 Std. overview - Operational sequence - Development status

17. Ricardo Costa - 2011 rjc@isep.ipp.pt - http://www.dee.isep.ipp.pt/~rjc 17/13 - Development status - Introduction Traditional Weblab infrastructures - Architecture - Status and problems Conclusions Proposed solution - Architecture - Previous work - IEEE1451.0 Std. overview - Operational sequence - Development status Example of low-level commands used to control the TIM module Proposed Solution

18. Ricardo Costa - 2011 rjc@isep.ipp.pt - http://www.dee.isep.ipp.pt/~rjc 18/13 Conclusions Currently, weblabs are well accepted in S&E courses; But… there are specific and distinct technical implementations (no standard !); The IEEE1451.0 Std. + FPGA technology are possible solutions for creating reconfigurable weblab infrastructures. Supporting facts: 1.The IEEE1451.0 Std. describes hardware and software layers to control and network-interface transducers (which can also be the I&M used in weblabs); 2.FPGAs can be reconfigured with different embedded IEEE1451.0- compatible instruments described in standard HDL (e.g. Verilog or VHDL). Main advantages: i) sharing of resources and ii) joint developments. (increases collaboration, flexibility, reusability/interoperability, reduces costs, simplifies developments, may facilitates access managements, etc.) Introduction Traditional Weblab infrastructures - Architecture - Status and problems Conclusions Proposed solution - Architecture - Previous work - IEEE1451.0 Std. overview - Operational sequence - Development status

19. Ricardo Costa - 2011 rjc@isep.ipp.pt - http://www.dee.isep.ipp.pt/~rjc 19/13 Thanks for your attention ! Ricardo Jorge Guedes da Silva Nunes da Costa Email: rjc@isep.ipp.pt Webpage: http://www.dee.isep.ipp.pt/~rjcrjc@isep.ipp.pthttp://www.dee.isep.ipp.pt/~rjc Acknowledgments: