Abstract:

The development of microprocessor technology and information technologies makes it possible to conduct the education of students and pupils differently. Hard-to-understand theoretical knowledge is transformed into easily digestible information displayed in an interactive form. The development of smart technology and smart devices is a new technological step in the development of virtual measuring devices and instruments. These new platforms and smart devices, in addition to their low cost, have the possibility of remote access via the Internet.

A measuring instrument has been developed for measuring a magnetic field, using a magnetometric sensor created according to a new, modern technology – MEMS. With it, a single chip can accommodate a mechanical and electrical part at the same time. One such sensor is, in practice, an intelligent meter in which, in addition to the sensor, there is also a microprocessor. In addition to control, it performs digital communication with a computer or other microprocessor platform.

The sensor used by the students to measure the magnetic field is MLX90393. It is a new generation Hall sensor that can measure the magnetic field in three axes. It has a simple design and is easy to use. The sensor itself is intelligently built using MEMS technology. No setup is required, the signal from the sensor is sent via a standard SPI or I2C digital interface to a microprocessor platform built based on the Arduino Nano.

The measuring instrument thus created is used in the training of students from the Technical University of Sofia - Plovdiv branch in disciplines such as theoretical electrical engineering about the calculation of magnetic circuits and electrical measurements. The goal is to modernize some of the exercises and make them easier to understand for students. The students themselves can participate in the development of the measuring devices, thus they can concentrate on a larger set of qualities and abilities to develop and improve their abilities in future realization in this field of science. There are many fully functional open-source applications on the Internet, which can save a lot of development time. Also, it is a good base for developing skills and abilities for students to enrich their knowledge in the field of programming and to integrate these qualities into future research projects promptly.

The MLX90393 sensor itself can be used as a magnetometer, and there are several other applications given by the manufacturer. The combination of a smart sensor and the use of universal microprocessor platforms such as Arduino, with free software, make the task of training and upgrading the existing laboratory base easy and cost-effective. Students are also allowed to access all exercises through remote access, for which they need to have personal devices and internet connectivity. This is a good premise for embedding virtual labs and providing both students and teachers with these exercises to provide opportunities for everyone to manage and manipulate the given smart sensor built with a microprocessor platform.

Students have the opportunity to monitor, analyze and change given parameters, in the case of virtualized laboratory models and benches, which provides a wider range of programming environments and tool libraries to use to reach efficient and quality results. This is a good prerequisite for the development and creation of students' commitment to learning the essentially not easy theoretical material.

Keywords:

Computer-based measurement, smart data acquisition system, free software, Arduino Nano, MEMS technology, Hall sensors, magnetic circuits.