Wireless Systems Lab Development

Wireless communications are rapidly increasing in importance throughout
the world. The Interdisciplinary Telecommunications program teaches
graduate courses in Satellite Communications and in Wireless
Communications.  The combined enrollment in these courses is over 200
students per year. This project seeks to provide a laboratory
experience to these students. The problem is two fold. First, the
large number of students requires a careful management of resources.
Second, approximately one third of these students are distance
learning, located around the world.

In order to develop a set of laboratory courses, we propose to develop
a laboratory experience in a several prong approach.  Wherever
possible, laboratory experiences will be worked into the existing
courses. Because of the large number of distance learning students,
this will initially be through software based exercises such as with
MSI's Planet Cellular Radio Planning Tool. This will rapidly enable
some laboratory-like experiences, give students hands-on experience
with industry standard software, and allow us to evaluate possible
remote delivery mechanisms. The second prong will be through the
development of a laboratory course that uses laboratory RF measurement
and test equipment. This second course will have fewer students, but
will enable us to analyze the pedagogical value of different
experimental approaches.

The goal will be to combine these experiences into a set of remote labs
where students manipulate laboratory equipment through a remote
interface. Automated test procedure equipment is available that can
dynamically manipulate signal paths under computer control. Other test
equipment is computer based already. This computer control software can
be made available via a remote interface that uses existing networking
protocols. The remote interface will facilitate both scheduling and
managing a large number of students, but also give equal access to all
students whether local or distant.