A Web Service and Interface for Remote Electronic Device Characterization

A lightweight Web Service and a Web site interface have been developed, which enable remote measurements of electronic devices as a “virtual laboratory” for undergraduate engineering classes. Using standard browsers without additional plugins (such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, or even Safari on an iPhone), remote users can control a Keithley source-measurement unit and monitor results in real time from anywhere on the Internet. As an in-class example, students in a solid-state electronics course used the Web site interface to make real-time transistor measurements. Recommendations are made on how to best integrate the interface into electronics classes based on the student assignment responses. The present interface is flexible and could be expanded to many other devices and instruments. The source code has been openly posted online.