An innovative remote experiment system for FPGA-based curriculum

An innovative remote experiment system is brought forward and realized in the paper, which is developed to allow using of FPGA devices remotely via World Wide Web. Using this system, students would have the opportunities to design digital circuits and implement them into FPGA, even if the FPGA devices are not available in their location. The system is aimed at structuring a new open mode of computer hardware design experiment, supplementing remote theory teaching effectively, and resolving the problem that experiment teaching could not keep up with theory teaching in the distance education. There are two innovative approaches in the system design. The first, the network of the system is built based on embedded Web services technology, which is in the lead in technology field. The second is using boundary-scan technology as electric probe to realize remote experiment verification. There are no precedents applying boundary-scan testing technology to the experiment system in education field, so the idea is original.