Tektronix TekSmartLab Instrument Management Solution Software

TekSmartLab is a network-based instrument management solution for teaching labs, enabling a more efficient lab experience. With the TekSmartLab, instructors, students and lab managers will all benefit from improved connectivity, workflow, and automation.

On each bench, the TBX3000A connects and controls instruments through USB cables, and communicates with the TSL3000B software on the lab server via the wireless network. The TBX3000A has a LAN port (standard), and can support a WI-FI connection when equipped with a compatible USB-WIFI dongle, such as TEK-USB-WIFI. On the lab server, the TSL3000B communicates with the TBX3000A on each bench.

With campus level TekSmartLab, the lab manager can centrally control and monitor the instruments in different labs remotely from his own office. TekSmartLab software is installed on the lab manager's computer, which is connected to the same local area network. When the IP addresses of lab servers and lab manager computers can communicate with each properly, lab manager can access to the lab server in certain lab, and centrally control and monitor the instruments in that lab remotely.

TekSmartLab uses an instructor - course - exercise oriented hierarchy, an organization familiar to instructors at most universities: Instructors have different courses, and within each course there are different exercises. Applications, like saved configuration, exercise material sharing, and report templates, for instance, are linked to specific exercises.

Instructors can setup the configurations of the instruments and distribute them to over 100 instruments with a single click. Instrument configuration changes can be made and delivered anytime; for example, the Autoset function can be disabled to encourage students to learn how to manually adjust an oscilloscope to display the correct waveform. When the TBS1000B-EDU series oscilloscopes are connected to the system, the courseware contents, as well as instrument firmware, can be updated remotely, a manual update for each instrument via USB thumb drives before.

With TekSmartLab, the physical bench layout and lab layout is easily emulated: The number and the type of instruments on the bench can be setup, and the location of each bench within the lab can be customized. An instructor can check on or help a specific bench by clicking the corresponding bench icon. Clicking a bench icon displays the readouts and key configuration settings for the instruments on that bench.

In a traditional teaching lab, when students need to save test results they typically take snapshots of oscilloscopes and download those to a USB thumb drive or, more often, use a mobile device to take the picture. The result is that the quality of test results is not consistent and test results are difficult to archive for future access. TekSmartLab provides a more intelligent approach for editing and submitting test reports online: The TSL3000B server software creates a web page available in the local network for each bench. Each web page can be conveniently accessed by bench-specific IP address. With TSL3000B, instructors can change the IP address to QR (quick response) codes, and place it permanently as a printed sticker on each bench. Students can login in to the web page using their mobile device to scan the QR code or by inputting the IP address in the web browser of their laptops. When students create a new test report, the report template, created by instructor and saved on the server, is loaded automatically. When students edit their test reports, test results, like snapshots of the oscilloscope retrieved wirelessly, can be inserted at any time. The test report can be downloaded locally or archived on the lab server for future access.

TekSmartLab integrates FTP into the distribution of materials, allowing instructors to easily share any type of exercise materials, whether they are PowerPoint, Word, or even video, to students efficiently.

In conventional teaching labs, the asset manager manually checks and records information such as instrument model numbers, serial numbers, and locations. Detailed information like the length of usage can only be estimated by experience or by keeping usage logs. The TekSmartLab solution automatically records and displays asset information, including time in use. Just one click archives the asset and usage information.

Download TekSmartLab Datasheet (pdf)

Download TekSmartLab Manual (pdf)