| Course code | IST1 |
| Course title | Automated Remote Electronic Instrumentation: Virtual Instrumentation |
| Institution | Instituto Superior Tecnico Lisboa |
| Course address | |
| City | |
| Minimum year of study | 3rd year |
| Minimum level of English | None |
| Minimum level of French | None |
| Key words | Electronic instrumentation, remote controlled instrumentation, data acquisition, virtual instruments |
| Language | English |
| Professor responsible | Prof. Pedro Girão |
| Telephone | 351 218 418 473 |
| Fax | 351 218 417 672 |
| psgirao@ist.utl.pt arturlr@ist.utl.pt fonseca.silva@lx.it.pt falegria@lx.it.pt | |
| Participating professors | Prof. Pedro Girão, Prof. Artur Ribeiro, Prof. Manuel Fonseca da Silva, Prof. Francisco Alegria |
| Number of places | Minimum: 8, Maximum: 12, Reserved for local students: 0 |
| Objectives | "Objectives: The objective of the course is to provide students with the ability to project and implement PC-based automatic test systems (measurement and/or control). To achieve this goal the course is 50% laboratory based. In the laboratory, students develop measuring systems with remote control using different architectures and interfaces. Besides learning aspects connected with the interface and operation mode of the equipment, the students also build the applications (software) to control the equipment, acquire, process and present the data. In the theoretical part of this course the students learn the different architectures for automated measuring systems: general purpose equipment with adequate interfaces like IEEE-488 or RS-232 and RS-485; modules within a chassis with remote control, like VXI or PXI; multi purpose data acquisition boards used with internal (PCI) or external buses (PCMCIA or USB) of a PC. The perspective is always to give the students the ability to choose the best solution (software and hardware) for the measuring system to be implemented. " |
| Programme to be followed | "Architectures of computer-based instrument systems. Functional components of a measuring system: controller; signal generator; multiplexing; interfaces. Standard serial data communication ports: RS-232 and RS-485. Electrical and mechanical characteristics. Functional description. IEEE 488 Standard: electrical and mechanical characteristics; bus structure; GPIB handshaking; functional aspects; mode of operation. IEEE 488.2: control sequences and protocols. Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments (SCPI). Modular instrumentation: VXI and PXI. General aspects. Internal (PCI) and external buses (USB and PCMCIA) for data acquisition. Plug-in multifunction data acquisition boards and USB and PCMCIA cards for data acquisition. A/D boards, single-ended vs differential signals, resolution, dynamic range and accuracy of A/D boards, sampling techniques. Laboratory classes, which correspond to 50% of the course duration, will be used to implement automatic testing systems, sensor characterisation and device automation based on the use of PCs with IEEE488 boards to control the lab equipment and multifunction boards to both generate custom stimulation signals and digitize sensor input. The software platform in which the lab experiments will be monitored and controlled is based on LabVIEW and Matlab. " |
| Prerequisites | Engineering degree students with courses on Instrumentation and Measurement, Applied Electronics, Signals and Systems Theory completed. |
| Course exam | 4 hours laboratory exam. |
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