VFST: Virtual and fully software based toolchain for PC interfacing education and research

Abstract

In computer science and engineering education, teaching PC interfacing courses and laboratory experiments are strongly required. PC interfacing is the field of developing or simulating real/virtual solutions for exchanging data/ commands between PC and the outer world of sensors and actuators. Recently, virtual experiments and Labs have been adopted by engineering educators to preclude the physical presence of students and tutors and to provide effective skills acquisition and hands‐on experience in a virtual manner. High‐cost LabVIEW from National Instruments company is the dominant platform to develop, execute, and animate virtual PC interfacing experiments similar to real ones. This paper presents a toolchain, the course contents, and virtual experiments that cover many different PC interfacing technologies such as UART, SPI, RS232, USB, SD card interfacing, and wireless GSM/GPRS. The virtual nature of VFST toolchain refers to enabling the students to design, animate, and run their prototypes or solutions inside only PC programs without the need to build physical or real ones until making sure of their prototypes' functionality. The main aim of the VFST platform is to make students able to develop C# based applications and to implement solutions with an aesthetic similar to LabVIEW capabilities to become a low‐ cost alternative of it. VFST consists of a group of free‐of‐charge and third‐party software programs such as VSPD, Virtual USB driver, WinImage, and Real‐ Term alongside with Proteus simulator and C# programming language. This paper presents qualitative and quantitative evaluations of the benefits and effectiveness of VFST. Findings are collected via feedback responses using an online questionnaire survey. These findings clarify that the student cohort is, in general, supportive that VFST Lab's content and virtual experiments have a considerable effect on their career after and before their graduation.