TOFSim: A LabView Based Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer Simulation

Digital learning tools and laboratory simulations have been an area of great interest not only due to the advancements of at-home learning but also by allowing students and institutions access to experiences they would not have otherwise due to the high cost of commercial instrumentation. The need for online learning tools became especially relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic, when students and educators were forced to embrace new ways to construct a learning environment. A time-of-flight mass spectrometer virtual instrument named TOFSim, written in National Instrument's LabVIEW graphical programming language, is presented here as a means for teaching the principles of time-of-flight mass spectrometry through first-hand experience and guided exercises. TOFSim is capable of generating realistic data that allows the user to explore and optimize their virtual instrument outside of a traditional laboratory environment.