WEB Instruments

This paper introduces the concept of a Wi-Fi tag that can be used as an extension of the iLab remote laboratory framework. A Wi-Fi tag has been built by Tag4M of Austin, TX, USA, with the purpose of connecting sensors to the Internet where data is displayed using Web Pages that are posted and can be accessed from anywhere in the world. The Tag4M Wi-Fi tag is tiny and low cost works on battery power, and therefore it is very suitable for student experimentation as an extension of the remote laboratory framework. The tag allows remote students logged in the iLab framework to execute local or home based experiments, and by that brings more hands on capability to the framework. The paper introduces the Tag4M tag, the iLab framework, gives an example of using the iLab framework with the NI ELVIS station, and shows how this type of experimentation can be enriched using the tag to introduce local experimentation where remote students can perform hands-on sensor measurements, create their own web page instruments and also post their web page instruments into the general framework for other remote students to use.