Experimental Teaching Platform: A Solution Through IoT Approach

Abstract

The current educational landscape presents a considerable challenge when it comes to teaching and learning concepts, theories, and techniques related to experimental teaching activities, especially in engineering and science. To overcome the difficulties encountered during experimental activities and to facilitate the practical application of theoretical concepts, we propose the development of a teaching platform for use in control disciplines present in engineering. The solution comprises both hardware and software, with features and functions designed to support didactic experiments in modeling activities (open-loop) and closed-loop control via PID controllers. The proposed device includes analog and digital signal acquisition, data storage, and a direct current load drive system. The device’s embedded programming, written in the C language, provides the user with a set of functions to explore the resource according to their needs. We evaluated the proposed solution in a coupled set of motors (actuator/generator) and verified sensor readings, open and closed loop operation. The results obtained indicate that the device can be a promising tool in practical/experimental disciplines, mainly related to systems modeling and the study of PID controllers.