Developing Experimental Platforms Using Common Software Tools For Enhancing Technical Skills of Electronics Engineering Students in Microcontrollers Mr. S. S. Kendre Mrs. P. V. Mulmule Dr. S. D. Shirbahadurkar E&TC Dept., E&TC Dept., E&TC Dept. TSSM’s P.V.P.I.T., TSSM’s P.V.P.I.T., TSSM’s P.V.P.I.T., Pune, India. Pune, India. Pune, India. [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Abstract—An innovative laboratory methodology for simulation of microcontroller based virtual kits is presented. Microcontrollers are widely applied in the field of industry to solve engineering control problems. Today’s embedded world uses variety of microcontrollers as heart of processing. These simulation softwares are used to study the functionality of circuit. Students have blindness when they first contact the experiments because of the complexity of the circuit, so this usually leads to the damage to the experiment device. Therefore, it is necessary to make the students to know the theory, models and adjustable parameters of the experiments before the practical experiments. The mixed software stimulation platform based on Proteus, LabVIEW, MATLAB and Arduino was designed for this purpose. Keywords—Education; Teaching; Laboratories; Virtual Experiments; Mixed Simulation; Microcontroller; VSM Proteus; LabVIEW; Matlab; Arduino I. INTRODUCTION Experiment teaching is an important link in teaching activity[1]. It is playing an important role in the ability and the quality of training student's scientific ideological mode, solid professional knowledge and experimental techniques. Laboratory at colleges and universities is bearing the weight as an important link to foster students to get to work carrying out. With the fast development of electronic technology, circuits, components and equipments have been updated. The existing laboratories are unable to meet the conditions of the various circuit designs and debug requests which affect the results of the circuit experiment teaching to a certain extent. Specialized basic courses are very important during the electron information specialty teaching, they play the role connecting link of the specialized courses teaching in the whole course system. Simulation tools are used to assist teaching, utilizing intuitionist graph, picture, animation to help students understand abstract theory. Microcontrollers are widely applied in the field of industrial control such as process control, intelligent instruments, electromechanical integration and intelligent interface for features of small size, low power consumption, control functions, expansion flexibility[3]. II. MIXED SIMULATION PLATFORM BASED ON PROTEUS, LABVIEW, MATLAB AND ARDUINO Students design the corresponding theoretical models based on the learned content. These models were allowed to be designed in corresponding simulation environment. Students also can understand each part in the models by changing the parameters and observe the waveform of the various nodes to see the change in the result. The simulation model is obtained untill the satisfactory response and its corresponding parameters are found in the MATLAB or LabVIEW. Then the students devise the proper circuits according to the optimized model in the Proteus. They are able to observe the response by setting the appropriate parameters of the circuit in the simulation environment. Comparing the results between the theoretical simulation model in MATLAB or LabVIEW and the circuit-level simulation model in Proteus, they identify differences and find a solution by analysis. Finally the practical circuit system which could meet requirements is finished. Then the students realize this system in the actual experiment platform and observe whether the actual response can achieve the requirements or not. These platforms can help students understand not only the basic theory but also the differences between the theoretical model and the actual system. The students are trained to acquire the basic skills and posses quality as engineer. In addition, the damage caused by the wrong operation to the experiment equipments is avoided. This is applied to Analog signal processing and digital signal processing. III. OVERVIEW OF SIMULATION PLATFORM The platform is mainly used in courses teaching and experiments, the courses include circuit analysis, analog circuit, digital circuit, high - frequency circuit, automatic control theory, embedded system and so on. Proteus is mainly used to make circuit-level simulation. LabVIEW and MATLAB are to complete the algorithm-level and modeling simulation. Arduino software is mainly used to make programs. 978-1-4673-5261-1/13/$31.00 ©2013 IEEE