An Architecture to use Easy Java-Javascript Simulations in New Devices*

Nowadays, virtual and remote laboratories play an important role in the students’ learning process. For distance education in scientific areas, where the laboratories are an essential part, this importance is especially relevant. In the last years, the newly discovered Java vulnerabilities and the new devices which do not support Java applications (tablets and smart-phones), make even harder to run or develop these laboratories as Java applications. On the one hand, a non-digitally signed applet cannot be run in a web browser or in a smart-phone. On the other hand, portable devices, like a pc-tablet, have limited computation resources, and sometimes it is not enough to run complex simulations. EjsS (Easy Java-Javascript Simulations) is an open source tool used for creating all kind of simulations by introducing the equations of the model, and building a graphical user interface (GUI) for the application. This work presents a solution to the two previous problems that appear when using EjsS. Both are resolved using a Java model that runs in a server and takes the heavier computational load. This Java model is linked with a Javascript GUI in the client device. The link is based on a web-socket connection between server and client using a JSON format. The proposed solution has additional advantages, such as the possibility of multiple users working with the same model, or reusing an already existing Java application by just building a new Javascript view.