03.11.2025
LabControl – Flexible Control and Automation for Laboratory and Test Environments
A modular software solution for precise data acquisition, device integration, and efficient test procedures – developed by FOTEC Aerospace Engineering.
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LabControl is a modular software platform for controlling, monitoring, and automating laboratory and test systems. Developed by the Aerospace Engineering department at FOTEC, it enables the easy integration of a wide variety of devices and ensures reproducible, efficient, and traceable test processes.
What is LabControl?
LabControl is a modular software solution developed and used by the Aerospace Engineering (AE) department of FOTEC Research and Technology Transfer GmbH.
The platform combines measuring, testing, and laboratory equipment from various manufacturers in a single interface. This allows complex test setups to be controlled, monitored, and automated uniformly – without complex individual programming or manual interface work.
How does LabControl work?
The software is based on an internal communication library that serves as an interface between hardware and software.
This allows different devices – from power supplies to temperature sensors – to be seamlessly integrated.
LabControl automatically detects available parameters, actions, and measured values and displays them clearly in a graphical interface.
Control and Data Acquisition
Once set up, LabControl handles all communication with the connected devices:
- Automated reading and saving of measured values
- direct control via standardized operating elements
- Live visualization of relevant data
This makes tests reproducible, traceable, and efficient – regardless of the manufacturer. Test processes can be fully digitally mapped, and recurring tasks can be automated.
Use in Projects
LabControl is an integral part of many research and customer projects of the AE department at FOTEC.
Approximately 80% of all projects use the platform for data acquisition, control, or automation.
In the long term, the plan is to also offer LabControl as a web application to enable networked, location-independent testing environments.
Advantages for Companies and Partners
LabControl was developed to provide SMEs, research partners, and industrial users with flexible tools for laboratory and testing environments.
Thanks to its modular architecture, existing systems can be digitized and controlled uniformly in a cost-effective manner.
Advantages at a glance:
- Faster development and testing cycles
- Automated data acquisition and documentation
- Higher reproducibility of results
- Easy integration of existing devices