fpga-based weblab infrastructures guidelines and a prototype implementation example

FPGA-based Weblab InfrastructuresGuidelines and a prototype implementation example

Authors:Ricardo Costa (ISEP/CIETI/LABORIS)([email protected] / http://www.laboris.isep.ipp.pt/rjc )

andGustavo Alves (ISEP/CIETI/LABORIS),Mário Zenha-Rela (FCTUC/CISUC),Rob Poley (Heriot-Watt University),Campbell Wishart (Heriot-Watt University)

ICELIE'2009Porto, 3-5

November 2009

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Ricardo Costa - ICELIE’09 - November [email protected] - http://www.laboris.isep.ipp.pt/rjc

FPGA-based Weblab Infrastructures

Presentation outline

Introduction

Architectural considerations

Remote access

Implemented prototype

Conclusions and future work

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Introduction

- More labs required for practical work at campus and after classes

status

allow students to interact with real equipments from everywhere at anytime without physically being present in a classical lab

Create more labsProvide access to real experiments through the web

Solutions

Cost !

several hardware and software architectures

i) - only qualified people are able to develop them;ii) - the adopted instruments and modules (I&M) may be expensive with many features not required;iii) - reusing and interface I&M is not simple

problems

feature

use a reconfigurable hardware infrastructure with I&M able to share

solution

+ Flexibility/Reuse of I&M - Price+ Collaboration

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Architectural considerations I

Servidor

Instrumentation Bus

Lab Server

Ethernet

Database

InstrumentRobots

Experiment

InstrumentInstrumentInstrumentation Server

Web Lab infrastructure

usersWEB

Web Interfacesto remotely control a specific

experiment

Pedagogical ContentsAccess Management

Control / Monitorization

Proposal: use FPGA-based

Boards

Typical Weblab architecture:

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Architectural considerations II

Benefits of using FPGAs for replacing the instruments and the instrumentation server:

• costs will be reduced;

• reconfiguration capabilities allow implementing different measurement instruments;

• and provides modularity and flexibility in the construction of weblab infrastructures.

Internet FPGA UUT

usersConceptual weblab architecture

using an FPGA

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Architectural considerations III

FPGA

DedicatedController

Osc

illo

scop

e

Multimeter

FPGAs

Function Generator

UUT

MultimeterF

unct

ion

Gen

erat

or

FPGA

UUT

a) one single FPGA accommodating several modules/instruments

b) one FPGA for each module/instrument

Two solutions for using FPGAs for implementing a Weblab infrastructure:

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Remote access I

Instruments/modules files

Internetweblab

infrastructure

web serverweb server

mainweb interface

web interfaces for each instrument/module

mobile phones, PDAs, smart phones

or PCsE

ther

net

PHY

Generic architecture:

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Remote access II

InternetMicroWeb

Server

Digital I/O

JTAGUUT

Analog

Digitalmodules/instrumentsE

ther

net

PH

Y

I/O

I/O I/O

FPGA-based board D

/A

A/D

Suggested architectures for the Weblab infrastructures:

Internet

D/A

A

/D

modules/instruments

I/O

FPGA-based board

TC

P/IP

CO

RE

UUT

Analog

Digital

Eth

erne

tP

HY

Hybrid approach

SoC approach

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Hybrid approach

SoC approach

Some solutions available in the market:

Remote access III

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Spartan-3E starter kit - XILINXA/D and D/A

Ethernet port I/O portsLCD

display

Lantronix module (MicroWebserver)

I/O ports

Ethernet port

Adopted devices:

Implemented prototype I

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Imp

lem

en

ted

we

bla

b in

fra

str

uc

ture

Implemented prototype II

Function generator

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Physical interfaces used to control the function generator

Control / monitor web interfaces for

controlling / monitoring the function generator

Developed through a collaboration agreement between CIETI/Laboris and an M.Sc. Student from Heriot-

Watt University (Scotland)

Implemented prototype III

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Conclusions

Adopting this architecture will:

- simplify the creation of Weblab infrastructures;

- allow sharing and reusing instruments and modules;

- increase collaboration;

- reduce costs.

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Some difficulties appeared during the collaboration because…

Difficulties to understand/explainall details…

It would be difficult to use the FG on another Weblab infrastructure,

based on the presented architecture…

It was necessary to specify a logical interface !

It defines a set of open, common, network-independent communication interfaces for connecting transducers, will facilitate the implementation and sharing of different instruments/modules, in a compatible weblab infrastructure.

Future work

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THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION

Ricardo Costae-mail: [email protected]

webpage: http://www.laboris.isep.ipp.pt/rjc

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Benefits of using FPGAs for replacing the instruments and the instrumentation Server:

•costs will be reduced;

•reconfiguration capabilities allow implementing different measurement instruments;

•and provides modularity and flexibility in the construction of weblab infrastructures.

Internet FPGA UUT

users

Conceptual weblab architecture using an FPGA

But…other solution could be the adoption of μps / μcs !!!

Architectural considerations – extra

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Why adopting FPGA

instead of μps / μcs ?

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FGPA reconfiguration options(Total or Partial Static or Partial Dynamic ?):


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Static-Partial-ReconfigurationSpartan-3E

Dynamic-Partial-ReconfigurationVirtex5

Example of two FPGA-based Boards solutions from Xilinx:


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IEEE 1451.0 Std.

IEEE Standard for a Smart Transducer Interface for Sensors and Actuators—Common Functions, Communication Protocols, and Transducer Electronic Data Sheet (TEDS) Formats(IEEE Std 1451.0™-2007) - It is the basis to interoperate all members of the IEEE 1451 family enabling the control of trigger and status signals, the operation modes definitions, etc.

- all transducers must implement a TIM (transducer interface module) - the Std. defines all functions performed by TIMs;

- all transducers are specified by a TEDS (Transducer Electronic Data Sheets) - the Std. defines all functions to read/write form/to the TEDS;

- Provides a set of Application programming interfaces (APIs) to facilitatecommunications with the TIM and with other applications through a NCAP (Network Capable Application Processor).

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IEEE 1451.0 Std.

fpga-based weblab infrastructures guidelines and a prototype implementation example

Documents

typical weblab architecture

conceptual weblab architecture

im able

labsprovide access

interface im

modules im

single fpga

adopted instruments