Remote laboratory experimentation

The aim of this work is to provide the students of both Case Western Reserve and Cooper Union Universities with remote access to the Bytronic Process Control unit, referred to as the proess rig, in the Process Control and Automation Laboratory at Case Western Reserve University over the Internet. Using a web browser, the user can log-in and post the parameters from a remote client to a LabVIEW G web server which is connected to the process rig via a PLC control module. When the server receives a request specifying a Common Gateway Interface Virtual Instrument CGI VI, the server loads the VI and starts its execution. The CGI then reads the information that came with the request, controls the operation of the process rig in accordance with the parameters posted by the user and writes the data that is to be returned to the client. The output data files are also uploaded to an anonymous ftp-site from which the user can download them for further processing.