Experiences With Computer Architecture Remote Laboratories

Experiments Over Real Equipment and Instruments and Experiments Over Simulators

In order to perform an experiment or practical activity that requires equipment, machines or laboratory instruments there are two alternatives:

• •

  Use real equipment.

• •

  Use simulators.

The use of real equipment and instruments is the best option to both scientific experiments and learning activities. To scientific experiments, the results will not be affected by deficiencies in models used to build simulators. To teaching and learning activities, students can perform real experiences on real equipment. But using real equipment and instruments has some drawbacks regarding simulators:

• •

  The cost can be very high.

• •

  Some researchers and students may not access to real equipment and instrument due to the high cost or the unavailability in some countries or regions.

• •

  Time to carry out real experiments may be very long.

• •

  In learning activities, the concern of students about damaging equipment may lead to limited and little enriching activities.

• •

  The time of use is limited, and equipment have to be shared by several students.

A simulator is a software tool that mimics the behavior of real equipment and instruments. In order to build a simulator, a model of the real equipment is needed. Simulators have several advantages: the cost can be low or without cost, they are easy to install, there is not risk of damaging equipment and instruments, and students can use the equipment without time limitations and without share them. On the other hand, simulators have two important disadvantages:

• •

  It is impossible that a model mimics perfectly a real system, and the experimental results may have errors.

• •

  A teaching or learning activity will not be real. Students may lose the opportunity of learning real details that simulators do not show.

An intermediate option between simulations and experiments over real equipment are emulators. An emulator allows run programs over a virtual platform that is deployed over a real platform. Emulators have two applications:

• •

  Run software applications over a different platform for which they were written.

• •

  Add simulated components to hardware architecture, so that user sees a computer with more resources than the original.

Experimental platforms based on emulators have been found on the literature (Imran, 2010). But they have the same disadvantages of simulators and real experiences. Another intermediate option between simulations and experiments over real equipment are remote laboratories. These have the advantages of simulations and experiments over real equipment, but less drawbacks than both.