World Wide Web-based automatic testing of analog circuits

The World Wide Web holds tremendous potential for novel engineering applications. We have developed two systems for evaluating microelectronic circuits via the Web. One uses a batch-job paradigm and can be shared by a large user group, as in an instructional laboratory. The other system uses Java to provide a fully interactive interface. The interactive system creates the look-and-feel of a laboratory bench and is most useful for smaller groups or less experienced users. The efficient sharing afforded by remote testing can lead to increased test equipment utilization and correspondingly lower costs. Remote testing has been applied at Georgia Tech in both instructional and research settings, and it holds promise for industrial applications as well.