A virtual instrument (VI) is a combination of hardware and software with a computer set-up such that users can interact with it as though it were their own custom-designed instrument. It can simulate a strip chart recorder, an oscilloscope, a spectrum analyzer, etc., and provide real-time analysis of experimental data. This project asserts that virtual instrumentation be introduced in the Senior Laboratory for Physics and Space Sciences majors. Three or more experiments utilizing a student-constructed VI are being written. The students learn how an experiment is planned and carried out in the real world. Software such as LabVIEW (Laboratory Virtual Instrument Engineering Workbench) is being purchased along with three computer systems and data acquisition boards. The project's model can be studied for emulation by other educational institutions.
