Education institutions around the world are looking for ways to make the most of remote learning, and engineering programs are no exception. Typical electrical and computer engineering (ECE) courses utilize electronic measurement equipment to ensure students supplement their theoretical knowledge with practical experience. That experience isn’t just necessary for a well-rounded education, it’s also essential to preparing students for a real career in the engineering industry. Theoretical knowledge can only get you so far when it’s time to develop and test a prototype.
So how can we provide that practical experience without students present on campus? Tektronix and its affiliates offer a variety of solutions that we’ve organized below into four application categories: direct access to instruments, lab bench management, online/offline analysis, and mobile apps and tools.
Direct Access to Instruments
eScope
eScope is a free feature included in most of our newer scopes including the 3 Series Mixed Domain Oscilloscope, 4 Series MSO, 5 Series MSO, and 6 Series Mixed Signal Oscilloscope. It allows you to remotely access and control your oscilloscope using an IP address assigned to the scope. All you need is an internet connection via ethernet or access point for your oscilloscope and a web browser on a connected computer.
Virtual Front Panel
While eScope was designed specifically for our oscilloscopes, many of our other instruments including select digital multimeters, power supplies, matrix switches, DAQs, and SMUs can also be viewed and controlled remotely with Virtual Front Panel. Lab managers and engineering professors can teach their students to use a wide range of industry-standard test and measurement devices remotely.
By helping students translate theories into hands-on measurements and giving them experience with tools used by professional engineers, direct access to instruments through eScope and Virtual Front Panel can strengthen industry-preparedness without anyone being present on campus.
Lab Bench Management
TekSmartLab
TekSmartLab is an IP-based lab instrument management solution for quickly setting up and efficiently managing engineering laboratories at colleges and universities. The software's features are currently being evaluated to ensure it is adapted to meet the needs of managing a modern education lab.
Online/Offline Analysis
TekScope
TekScope gives you the ability to access and control your oscilloscopes remotely, but it also lets you conduct deeper analysis of your measurements on up to 32 analog channels. You can even augment your basic scope by adding additional analysis functions like bus decode packages. Once you’ve analyzed your measurements, TekScope lets you easily share data with students or colleagues and dynamically analyze that data.
TekScope also works with any waveform files—so even if your lab is using a Keysight or LeCroy oscilloscope you can use TekScope to analyze their waveforms.
Mobile Apps and Tools
IOT Data Streaming and Visualization Dashboard
Initial State, a Tektronix company, lets you stream data directly from Keithley DAQs and Keithley digital multimeters (DMMs) to customizable online dashboards so you can remotely monitor ongoing tests from any connected device, including smart phones. You can also use these dashboards to share data with colleagues and set up SMS or email triggers and alerts at relevant measurement thresholds. Check out this video to see a demo of this technology.
TekDrive
TekDrive is a file sharing platform for test and measurement data. It is a secure location to store, share, and collaborate on waveform and analysis data. With TekDrive, you can visualize data on a browser, open up measurements in TekScope, and easily share information between students and professors.
Sign up for a 14-day trial to start sharing data with team members and classmates anywhere in the world.
ScopeSnap
ScopeSnap is a remote data management application that you can access on any connected device—including your smartphone. Once you pair with a 5 series oscilloscope, ScopeSnap let’s you easily grab and share data including waveforms, setups, measurements, and screenshots. ScopeSnap is currently only available in beta form and works exclusively with the 5 Series MSO.
The Future of Education
Widespread quarantine has made remote technologies more relevant than ever, but even after the heightened precautions are over, the ability to test, measure, monitor, and share information can only ensure a faster, more accurate, and more efficient future for engineering education.
Tektronix is committed to partner with universities around the globe in training the next generation of engineers, no matter what obstacles present themselves along the way. Our remote education solutions are designed to ensure your students are well prepared to succeed in the engineering industry.
Resources for Educators
- Learn more about education solutions for university engineering labs »
- Get educator discounts for student lab equipment, software, and services »
- Read university success stories »
If you have questions about the solutions we’ve listed in this blog or ideas to improve these solutions, feel free to reach out. We’d love to speak with you about optimizing your students’ remote education experience.