FPGA e-Lab, a Technique to Remote Access a Laboratory to Design and Test

We are proposing a new remote access system that allows for laboratory experiments to be performed remotely in the classroom or anywhere an internet terminal is available. The system specifically employed is aimed at courses of digital design using FPGA platforms. It is a powerful tool that allows for instruction with experiments and design examples in the classroom and gives students full access to laboratory equipment and an FPGA platform remotely from an internet terminal. This system is called FPGA e-Lab. It is constructed of aXilinx SpartanSE Starter Kit whose hardware is interfaced through a laboratory PC via an interactive LabView Graphical User Interface (GUI) and acquisition hardware as well as RS-232 serial and USB ports. Microsoft XP Remote Desktop is the vehicle used to access the Lab PC from a remote location.