A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H   I   K   L   M   N   O   P   Q   R   S   T   U   V   W  

target

Paper Title Other Keywords Page
MOAB02 The Laser Megajoule Facility: Control System Status Report laser, controls, diagnostics, feedback 10
 
  • J. P. Arnoul, J. J. Dupas, J. I. Nicoloso, P. J. Betremieux
    CEA, Bruyères-le-Châtel
  • F. P. Signol
    CESTA, Le Barp
  The French Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique (CEA) is currently building the Laser MegaJoule (LMJ), a 240-beam laser facility, at the CEA Laboratory CESTA near Bordeaux. LMJ will be a cornerstone of CEA's "Programme Simulation," the French Stockpile Stewardship Program. LMJ is designed to deliver about 2 MJ of 0.35 μm light to targets for high energy density physics experiments, including fusion experiments. LMJ technological choices were validated with the Ligne d'Intégration Laser (LIL), a scale 1 prototype of one LMJ bundle, built at CEA/CESTA. Plasma experiments started at the end of 2004 on LIL. The construction of the LMJ building itself started in March 2003. An important milestone was successfully achieved in November 2006 with the introduction of the target chamber into the building. LMJ will be gradually commissioned from 2011 and will then begin an experimental program toward fusion. The presentation discusses LIL experience feedback, transverse requirements intended to ultimately federate control packages from different contractors, strategy for developing the Centralized Supervisory Controls, and process for computer control system global integration.  
slides icon Slides  
 
MOPB02 XAL Status SNS, quadrupole, beam-losses, feedback 34
 
  • C. K. Allen, S. M. Cousineau, J. Galambos, J. A. Holmes, A. P. Shishlo, Y. Zhang, A. P. Zhukov, T. A. Pelaia
    ORNL, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
  • P. Chu
    SLAC, Menlo Park, California
  XAL is a Java framework for developing accelerator physics applications for the commissioning and operation of the Spallation Neutron Source. It was designed to be extensible and has evolved to support ongoing accelerator operations. In particular, the on-line model and applications have been extended to support the Ring. Core XAL design features eased the extension from Linac to Ring support and in some cases made it transparent. We discuss the recent advances and future directions in XAL and the current efforts to open the project to broader collaboration.  
slides icon Slides  
 
TOAA02 Status of the Control System for HICAT at an Advanced Stage of Commissioning: Functions, Restrictions and Experiences controls, ion, diagnostics, ion-source 47
 
  • R. Baer, M. Schwickert, T. Fleck
    GSI, Darmstadt
  One and a half years after installation of the first components, much progress has been made in commissioning of the accelerator for the clinic in Heidelberg. In the final state it is designed to produce different kinds of heavy ions with energies up to 430 MeV/u to treat about 1300 tumor patients a year at three therapy rooms. Presently the specified parameter space for patient treatment is filled to meet the correct combinations of energies, beam foci, and intensities for the therapy. In this contribution we will first shortly describe the concept of the control system which was designed by GSI but developed by an all-industrial partner who furthermore delivered the front-end control units and has another contract with Siemens Medical Solutions to meet the requirements at the interface to the therapy control system. We will mainly focus on its abilities and experiences with it: different kinds of beam requests, time accuracy, real-time analysis, assurance of consistent device data, offline-diagnostics and the beam diagnostic systems. We also report on known restrictions and the concept to securely provide different operation modes for accelerator adjustment or patient treatment.  
slides icon Slides  
 
TPPA03 Software Factory Techniques Applied to Process Control at CERN controls, factory, monitoring, collider 87
 
  • M. D. Dutour
    CERN, Geneva
  The LHC requires constant monitoring and control of large quantities of parameters to guarantee operational conditions. For this purpose a methodology called UNICOS was implemented to standardize the design of process control applications. To further accelerate the development of these applications, we migrated our existing UNICOS tooling suite toward a software factory in charge of assembling project, domain, and technical information seamlessly into deployable PLC–SCADA systems. This software factory delivers consistently high quality by reducing human error and repetitive tasks and adapts to user specifications in a cost-efficient way. Hence, this production tool is designed to hide the PLC and SCADA platforms, enabling the experts to focus on the business model rather than specific syntax. Based on industry standards, this production tool along with the UNICOS methodology provides a modular environment meant to support process control experts to develop their solutions quickly. This article presents the user requirements and chosen approach. Then the focus moves to the benefits of the selected architecture and finishes with the results and a vision for the future.

LHC:Large Hadron ColliderUNICOS:UNified Industrial COntrol SystemsPLC:Programmable Logic ControllerSCADA:Supervisory Control And Data AcquisitionTerms:Process control, software engineering

 
 
TPPA07 The Development Plan of High Level Applications for CSNS SNS, controls, survey, synchrotron 99
 
  • P. Chu
    SLAC, Menlo Park, California
  • C. H. Wang, Q. Gan
    IHEP Beijing, Beijing
  This paper surveys the recent developments in high level applications. Especially, the XAL framework and its new progress in LCLS is studied. The design philosophy and requirement analysis of CSNS high level applications are also discussed.  
 
TPPA09 XAL Application Framework and Bricks GUI Builder SNS, controls 105
 
  • T. A. Pelaia
    ORNL, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
  The XAL Application Framework is a framework for rapidly developing document-based Java applications with a common look and feel along with many built-in user interface behaviors. The Bricks GUI builder consists of a modern application and framework for rapidly building user interfaces in support of true Model-View-Controller compliant Java applications. Bricks and the XAL Application Framework allow developers to rapidly create quality applications.  
 
TPPA21 MDSplus Real-Time Data Access in RTAI controls, feedback, plasma, background 132
 
  • A. Barbalace, A. Luchetta, C. Taliercio, G. Manduchi
    Consorzio RFX, Euratom ENEA Association, Padova
  • T. W. Fredian
    MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts
  • J. A. Stillerman
    MIT/PSFC, Cambridge, Massachusetts
  The MDSplus package is widely used in Nuclear Fusion research for data acquisition and management. Recent extensions of the system provide useful features for real-time applications, such as the possibility of locking selected data items in memory and real-time notification. The real-time extensions of MDSplus have been implemented as a set of C++ classes and can be easily ported to any target architecture by developing a few adapter classes. The real-time data access layer of MDSplus is currently available for Windows, Linux, VxWorks and RTAI. In particular, the RTAI platform is very promising in this context because it allows the co-existence of offline, non-real-time tasks with real-time ones. It is hence possible to devise an architecture where real-time functionality is handled by a few selected tasks using the real-time data access layer of MDSplus, whereas background, non-real-time activity is carried out by “traditional” Linux tasks. This organization may be of interest for the next generation of fusion devices with long-duration discharges, during which the system has to provide feedback control in real time and to sustain continuous data acquisition and storage.  
 
TPPA23 The ACOP Family of Beans: A Framework Independent Approach controls, simulation 138
 
  • P. K. Bartkiewicz, P. Duval, H. G. Wu
    DESY, Hamburg
  • I. Kriznar, J. Bobnar
    Cosylab, Ljubljana
  The current ACOP (Advanced Component Oriented Programming)* controls set has now been expanded to include a wide variety of graphical java beans, which simultaneously act as displayers of control system data. Besides the original ACOP Chart, the set of ACOP beans also includes a Label, Slider, Table, Gauge, Wheel, and image control, along with an invisible Transport bean, which is itself embedded in the ACOP GUI beans. The new ACOP beans all offer design-time browsing of the control system to expedite data end-point selection. Optionally a developer can choose to connect and render the incoming data automatically, obviating the need for writing code. The developer can either forgo this option or choose to override the generated code with his own, allowing for rich client development. At the same time a user can browse and add or change the control system endpoints at run-time. If the application is using the Component Object Manager (COMA)** then all visual aspects of the application can be edited at run-time, allowing for simple client development. This scenario is independent of a framework, and the developer is free to choose the IDE of choice.

* http://acop.desy.de** "The Run-Time Customization of Java Rich Clients with the COMA Class," P. Bartkiewicz, et al., these proceedings.

 
 
TPPB10 Target Diagnostic Instrument-Based Controls Framework for the National Ignition Facility (NIF) diagnostics, controls, power-supply, laser 184
 
  • J. H. Kamperschroer, J. R. Nelson, D. W. O'Brien, R. T. Shelton
    LLNL, Livermore
  The extreme physics of targets shocked by NIF’s 192-beam laser are observed by a diverse suite of diagnostics including optical backscatter, time-integrated and gated X-ray sensors, and laser velocity interferometry. Diagnostics for fusion ignition are being planned. Many diagnostics are developed at other sites, but ad hoc controls could prove costly or unreliable. The instrument-based controls (IBC) framework facilitates development and eases integration. Each diagnostic typically uses an ensemble of electronic instruments attached to sensors, digitizers, and other devices. Each individual instrument is interfaced to a low-cost WindowsXP processor and Java application. Instruments are aggregated as needed in the supervisory system to form the integrated diagnostic. Java framework software provides data management, control services, and operator GUIs. IBCs are reusable by replication and configured for specific diagnostics in XML. Advantages include small application codes, easy testing, and better reliability. Collaborators save costs by reusing IBCs. This talk discusses target diagnostic instrumentation used on NIF and presents the IBC architecture and framework.  
 
TPPB15 The CSNS Controls Plan controls, power-supply, monitoring, SNS 196
 
  • X. C. Kong, Q. Le, G. Lei, G. Li, J. Liu, J. C. Wang, X. L. Wang, G. X. Xu, Z. Zhao, C. H. Wang
    IHEP Beijing, Beijing
  The China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) is an accelerator-based high-power project currently under planning in China. For the similarities between the CSNS and the U. S. Spallation Neutron Source (SNS), the SNS control framework will be used as a model for the machine controls. And the software framework used at SNS, XAL, is a natural choice for the CSNS. This paper provides a controls overview and progress. Also, the technical plan, schedule, and personnel plan are discussed.  
 
TPPB31 Status of the SOLEIL Control System controls, synchrotron, feedback, closed-orbit 229
 
  • B. Gagey, N. L. Leclercq, M. O. Ounsy, A. Buteau
    SOLEIL, Gif-sur-Yvette
  The SOLEIL synchrotron light source is based on a 2.75 GeV electron storage ring that was commissioned in 2006 at Saint Aubin, France. The first 10 beamlines are currently commissioned, and regular user operation is planned for summer 2007. SOLEIL is also the first 100% TANGO-controlled facility. Originally developed at the ESRF, the object-oriented TANGO Control Framework is now the core component of a close collaboration between four synchrotron facilities: ESRF, SOLEIL, ELETTRA, and ALBA. The SOLEIL control system is an example of the TANGO capability of federating heterogeneous off-the-shelf technologies into a coherent whole on the basis of a single concept: the device. The aim of the presentation is to provide an overview of the “Service-Oriented Architecture,” which is now routinely used for the control of both the SOLEIL accelerators and beamlines. The ubiquity of the TANGO services will be illustrated on both server and client sides of the control system architecture. The main software subsystems will be presented. We will conclude with a feedback report by presenting some figures and statistics about the control system's stability after its first year of operation.  
 
WOAB02 CAD Model and Visual Assisted Control System for NIF Target Area Positioners controls, alignment, laser, simulation 293
 
  • T. S. Paik, E. F. Wilson, E. A. Tekle
    LLNL, Livermore
  The National Ignition Facility (NIF) contains precision motion control systems that reach up to 6 meters into the target chamber for handling targets and diagnostics. Systems include the target positioner, an alignment sensor, and diagnostic manipulators. Experiments require a variety of arrangements near chamber center to be aligned to an accuracy of 10 micrometers. These devices are some of the largest in NIF, and they require careful monitoring and control in three dimensions to prevent interferences. Alignment techniques such as viewing target markers and cross-chamber telescopes are employed. Positioner alignment is a human-control process incorporating real-time video feedback on the user interface. The system provides efficient, flexible controls while also coordinating all positioner movements. This is accomplished through advanced video-control integration incorporating remote position sensing and real-time analysis of a CAD model of target chamber devices. This talk discusses the control system design, the method used to integrate existing mechanical CAD models, and the offline test laboratory used to verify proper operation of the integrated control system.  
slides icon Slides  
 
WPPA06 An Embedded EPICS Controller Based on Ethernet/Serial Box controls, power-supply, vacuum, ion 328
 
  • L. R. Shen, G. Y. Jiang
    SSRF, Shanghai
  The control system of SSRF takes the Ethernet as backbone. All kinds of serial devices such as vacuum pumps are connected to Linux IOCs via a kind of Ethernet/serial box made by Moxa company. In the preresearch stage of SSRF, the old model of this Ethernet/serial box was only a simple Ethernet/serial protocol converter which was functioned by firmware. Aim to this, we have developed several kinds of EPICS device drivers based on NetDev for our serial devices. Recently, Moxa company has upgraded the converter by replacing old arm9 CPU with a more powerful Intel Xscale CPU. It supports Monta Vista Linux as its embedded OS, also cross-compiler is provided to make further development available. Since we have decided to use the new model of converter in our facility finally, we manage to port EPICS IOC core on Monta Vista Linux and implement the same function on the new converter as old one's to avoid modifying existent EPICS device driver. By these, the dedicated Linux IOC can be omitted and the whole system can be more efficient and expandable. Details of the necessary integration work and initial operation experience will be discussed in this paper.  
 
WPPA09 Development of Embedded System for Running EPICS IOC by Using Linux and a Single Board Computer controls, vacuum, diagnostics, power-supply 334
 
  • M. Kase, M. Komiyama
    RIKEN/RARF/CC, Saitama
  • A. Uchiyama
    SHI Accelerator Service ltd., Tokyo
  We constructed a control system based on the Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS) for the RIKEN RI-beam Factory (RIBF) project. Nowadays, the PC-based EPICS Input Output Controller (IOC) is used in many laboratories because it is available for use on the Linux x86 platform since EPICS was upgraded to version R3.14. If the number of PC-based IOC increases, the probability of trouble rises dramatically. Consequently, it is difficult to supply reliable hardware. Furthermore, if a lot of desktop PCs are used for running IOC only, it is very hard to maintain it. The purpose of this development is to give the high durability system for running IOC computer and the ability for all accelerator operators to maintain it easily. We expect we can solve the problems described above using a diskless and fanless embedded single board computer (SBC) for running IOC and managing IOC in the fileserver collectively. For this reason, we developed a compact and simple Linux distribution specialized for running IOC and introduced IOC, which is installed in the SBC, into RIBF control system. In our contribution, we report this system and present the status in detail.  
 
WPPA27 Commissioning TRIUMF’S 2C Solid Target Facility Controls controls, cyclotron, site, kaon 371
 
  • I. A. Aguilar, E. Klassen, K. S. Lee, D. R. Pearce, J. J. Pon, T. M. Tateyama, P. J. Yogendran, M. Mouat
    TRIUMF, Vancouver
  The upgraded Beamline 2C Solid Target Facility was recently commissioned at TRIUMF. The original facility had run successfully producing radioisotopes since 1989. To improve reliability and maintainability, and to allow increased incident beam currents, an upgrade project was established. The basic functionality of the facility was retained but changes were made in a number of areas such as aspects of the control system and physical components in the beamline. The process and results of the commissioning, the reasons for upgrading, and the lessons learned are discussed.  
 
WPPA28 Ubiquitous Tango controls, synchrotron, instrumentation, site 374
 
  • J. Butanowicz, L. Slezak, A. Gotz
    ESRF, Grenoble
  • G. Gaio, C. Scafuri
    ELETTRA, Basovizza, Trieste
  Tango is a control system based on the device server concept. It is currently being actively developed by 4 (soon 5) institutes, 3 of which are new institutes. This alone is a good reason that Tango integrates the latest developments in control systems evolution. One of the evolutions in computing is ubiquitous computing. Ubiquitous computing in control systems means integrating computers and intelligence into every aspect of the control system. This paper will present how Tango has been integrated into a wide variety of embedded systems from FPGAs, Gumstix, Liberas, and even PS3s (if my boss would buy me one).  
 
WPPA33 Console System Using Thin Client for the J-PARC Accelerator linac, controls, monitoring, klystron 383
 
  • T. Iitsuka, S. Motohashi, M. Takagi, S. Y. Yoshida
    Kanto Information Service (KIS), Accelerator Group, Ibaraki
  • N. Kamikubota, T. Katoh, H. Nakagawa, J.-I. Odagiri, N. Yamamoto
    KEK, Ibaraki
  An accelerator console system, based on a commercial thin client, has been developed for J-PARC accelerator operation and software development. Using thin client terminals, we expect a higher reliability and longer life-cycle due to more robust hardware (i.e., diskless and fanless configuration) than standard PCs. All of the console terminals share a common development/operation environment. We introduced LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) for user authentication and NFS (Network File System) to provide users with standard tools and environment (EPICS tools, Java SDK, and so on) with standard directory structures. We have used the console system for beam commissioning and software development in the J-PARC. This paper describes early experiences with them.  
 
WPPB02 The LHC Central Timing Hardware Implementation controls, proton 400
 
  • J. H. Lewis, J. Serrano, P. Alvarez
    CERN, Geneva
  The LHC central timing requirements are very different from those of the injector chain. Not only is machine's safety and reliability critical, but there are other important differences that have forced a new approach. Unlike the injector chain, the LHC processes cannot be usefully broken up into basic time periods and cycles; rather, they are independent, asynchronous, and of arbitrary duration. This paper presents the hardware and low-level software solutions we adopted and the technologies we used to implement them—in particular, the use of reflective memory, reliable use of the global positioning system as a precise time reference, redundancy, transmission-time calibration, safe beam parameter distribution, and the multitasking event generation hardware we developed to control the LHC machine processes.  
 
WPPB04 Convergence Computer–Communication Methods for Advanced High-Performance Control System controls, monitoring, impedance, instrumentation 406
 
  • V. I. Vinogradov
    RAS/INR, Moscow
  Based on analysis of advanced computer and communication system architectures, a future control system approach is proposed and discussed in this paper. Convergence computer and communication technologies are moving to high-performance modular system architectures on the basis of high-speed switched interconnections. Multicore processors become more perspective ways to high-performance systems, and traditional parallel bus system architectures are extended by higher-speed serial switched interconnections. Compact modular system on the base of passive 3-4 slots PCI bas with fast switch network interconnection are described as examples of a modern, scalable control system solution, which can be compatible extended to advanced system architecture on the basis of new technologies (ATCA,μTCA). Kombi wired and wireless subnets can be used as effective platforms also for large experimental physics control systems and complex computer automation in an experimental area with human interactions inside systems by IP-phones.  
 
WPPB24 High Dynamic Range Current Measurements with Machine Protection SNS, extraction, beam-transport, injection 448
 
  • D. A. Bartkoski, C. Deibele, C. Sibley, D. H. Thompson
    ORNL, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
  At the SNS a beam current measurement technique called CHuMPS (Chopper Machine Protection System) has been developed that is fast, has a large dynamic range, and is droop-free. Combined with the LEBT chopper controller, a beam in gap measurement is possible that can accurately measure the beam in the chopper gaps. The beam in gap measurement can then provide machine protection in the case of chopper failure. The same application can also measure waste beam from the ring injection stripper foil and provide fast protection from stripper foil failure.  
 
WPPB34 Information Technology Security at the Advanced Photon Source controls, photon, monitoring 463
 
  • W. P. McDowell, K. V. Sidorowicz
    ANL, Argonne, Illinois
  The proliferation of “bot” nets, phishing schemes, denial-of-service attacks, root kits, and other cyber attack schemes designed to capture a system or network creates a climate of worry for system administrators, especially for those managing accelerator and large experimental-physics facilities as they are very public targets. This paper will describe the steps being taken at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) to protect the infrastructure of the overall network with emphasis on security for the APS control system.  
 
WPPB39 130-MHz, 16-Bit Four-Channel Digitizer controls, feedback, factory, impedance 475
 
  • R. Akre, T. Straumann, K. D. Kotturi
    SLAC, Menlo Park, California
  The PAD (Phase and Amplitude Detector) was designed to digitize high-speed analog input data with large dynamic range. Because of its high speed and high resolution processing capability, it has been useful to applications beyond measuring phase and amplitude of RF signals and klystron beam voltages. These applications include beam-position monitors, bunch-length monitors, and beam-charge monitors. The digitizer used is the Linear Technologies LTC2208. It was the first 16-bit digitizer chip on the market capable of running at 119MHz; it is specified to run up to 130MHz. For each channel, the 16-bit digitized signal from the LTC2208 is clocked into a 64k sample FIFO. Commercial FIFOs are available that store up to 256k samples in the same package. The data are then read from the FIFO into the Arcturus Coldfire uCDIMM. A CPLD is used to handle triggering, resetting the FIFO, interfacing the Coldfire processor to the 4 FIFOs, and interrupting the Coldfire processor. The processor runs RTEMS version 4.7 and EPICS 3.14.8.2. There is an optional add-on available that attaches to the QSPI port on the PAD for reading 8 slow, 24-bit analog signals.  
 
ROAA02 Automatic Alignment System for the National Ignition Facility controls, alignment, laser, optics 486
 
  • A. A.S. Awwal, S. W. Ferguson, B. Horowitz, V. J. Miller Kamm, C. A. Reynolds, K. C. Wilhelmsen
    LLNL, Livermore
  The Automatic Alignment System for the National Ignition Facility (NIF) is a large-scale parallel system that directs all 192 laser beams along the 300-m optical path to a 50-micron focus at target chamber in less than 30 minutes. The system commands 9,000 stepping motors to adjust mirrors and other optics. Twenty-two control loops per beamline request image processing services from a dedicated Linux cluster running Interactive Data Language tools that analyze high-resolution images of the beam and references. Process leveling assures the computational load is evenly spread. Algorithms also estimate measurement accuracy and reject off-normal images. One challenge to rapid alignment of beams in parallel is efficient coordination of shared devices, such as sensors that monitor multiple beams. Contention for shared resources is managed by the Component Mediation System, which precludes deadlocks and optimizes device motions using a hierarchical component structure. A reservation service provided by the software framework prevents interference from competing automated controls or the actions of system operators. The design, architecture and performance of the system will be discussed.  
slides icon Slides  
 
ROAB01 Software Engineering Processes Used to Develop the NIF Integrated Computer Control System controls, laser, diagnostics, alignment 500
 
  • R. W. Carey, R. D. Demaret, L. J. Lagin, U. P. Reddi, P. J. Van Arsdall, A. P. Ludwigsen
    LLNL, Livermore
  The National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is a 192-beam laser facility for high-energy density physics experiments. NIF is operated by the Integrated Computer Control System (ICCS), which is comprised of 60,000 devices deployed on 850 computers. Software is constructed from an object-oriented framework based on CORBA distribution. ICCS is 85% complete, with over 1.5 million lines of verified code now deployed online. Success of this large-scale project was keyed to early adoption of rigorous software engineering practices, including architecture, code design, configuration management, product integration, and formal verification testing. Verification testing is performed in a dedicated test facility following developer integration. These processes are augmented by an overarching quality assurance program featuring assessment of quality metrics and corrective actions. Engineering processes are formally documented, and releases are managed by a change control board. This talk discusses software engineering and results obtained for the NIF control system.  
slides icon Slides  
 
ROAB02 Software Development and Testing: Approach and Challenges in a Distributed HEP Collaboration controls, site, feedback, background 503
 
  • D. Burckhart-Chromek
    CERN, Geneva
  In the development of the ATLAS Trigger and Data Acquisition (TDAQ) software, the iterative waterfall model, evolutionary process management, formal software inspection, as well as lightweight review techniques are applied. The long preparation phase with a geographically widespread team required that the standard techniques be adapted to this HEP environment. Special emphasis is given to the testing process. Unit tests and check targets in nightly project builds form the basis for the subsequent software project release testing. The integrated software is then run on computing farms that give further opportunity for gaining experience, fault finding, and acquiring ideas for improvement. Dedicated tests on a farm of up to 1000 nodes address the large-scale aspect of the project. Integration test activities on the experimental site include the special purpose-built event readout hardware. Deployment in detector commissioning starts the countdown towards running the final ATLAS experiment. These activities aim at understanding and completing the complex system, but also help in forming a team whose members have a variety of expertise, working cultures, and professional backgrounds.  
slides icon Slides  
 
ROPA01 Lessons Learned from the SNS Relational Database SNS, controls 514
 
  • E. Danilova, J. G. Patton, J. D. Purcell
    ORNL, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
  The Spallation Neutron Source Project relies heavily on many different applications that require and depend on the SNS integrated relational database. Although many of the projects undertaken have been successful, the majority of time and energy spent on producing products has resulted in opportunities lost. The percentage of time lost or wasted has been very similar to that of software development projects everywhere. At the SNS the variety of factors that have influenced these projects can be traced to some specific areas: management support, project deadlines, user expectations, graphical user interfaces, and the database itself. This paper presents a look at the factors that have helped make different projects a success and factors that have led to less favorable results.  
slides icon Slides  
 
RPPA05 Software Management of the LHC Detector Control Systems controls, background, collider, hadron 532
 
  • F. Varela
    CERN, Geneva
  The control systems of each of the LHC experiments contain on the order of 150 computers running the back-end applications that are based on the PVSS SCADA package and the Joint Controls Project (JCOP) Framework. These inter-cooperating controls applications are being developed by different groups all around the world and have to be integrated by the experiments’ central controls teams. These applications will have to be maintained and eventually upgraded during the lifetime of the LHC experiments, ~20 years. This paper presents the centralized software management strategy based on the JCOP framework installation tool, a central repository shared by the different controls applications and an external database that holds the overall system configuration. The framework installation tool allows installation of software components in the sub-detector PVSS applications and eases integration of different parts of a control system. The information stored in the system configuration database can also be used by the installation tool to restore a computer in the event of failure. The central repository provides versioning of the various software components integrating the control system.  
 
RPPB04 SNS Logbook SNS, controls, instrumentation 609
 
  • M. Giannella, B. V. Horn, J. G. Patton, T. A. Pelaia
    ORNL, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
  An electronic logbook has been developed for the Spallation Neutron Source. This logbook serves as a means of chronologically recording daily operations activities and experiences and communicating them to appropriate groups. The logbook is database-driven and integrates into our existing database schema. The interface to the logbook is web-based and works with most modern web browsers on the major platforms. Additionally, a Java package provides a simple mechanism to post entries from within our XAL applications.  
 
RPPB06 Device Control Tool for CEBAF Beam Diagnostics Software controls, diagnostics, monitoring, instrumentation 615
 
  • P. Chevtsov
    Jefferson Lab, Newport News, Virginia
  By continuously monitoring the beam quality in the CEBAF accelerator, a variety of beam diagnostics software created at Jefferson Lab makes a significant contribution to very high availability of the machine for nuclear physics experiments. The interface between this software and beam instrumentation hardware components is provided by a device control tool, which is optimized for beam diagnostics tasks. As a part of the device/driver development framework at Jefferson Lab, this tool is very easy to support and extend to integrate new beam instrumentation devices. All device control functions are based on the configuration (ASCII text) files that completely define the used hardware interface standards (CAMAC, VME, RS-232, GPIB) and communication protocols. The paper presents the main elements of the device control tool for beam diagnostics software at Jefferson Lab.  
 
RPPB14 Systematic Production of Beamline and Other Turnkey Control Systems controls, background, extraction, site 632
 
  • A. Kosrmlj, R. Sabjan, I. Verstovsek, K. Zagar, G. Pajor
    Cosylab, Ljubljana
  Turnkey oriented accelerator control system production is often quite complex and challenging. It involves software development as well as substantial project management effort and, almost always, an on-site installation. Most of the labs have developed solutions that to some extent support such processes, but are tailored to the lab's particular needs and environment. We could not recycle these solutions, as we had to keep the choices open for defining the naming convention and choosing the operating system, platform, and even the control system. Based on our experience with control systems, we have defined a complete set of processes that prescribe the highest level of quality and efficiency in all the project segments. To implement these processes, we have developed a number of tools for composing, configuring, and deploying the control system software. Use of these tools enforces strict version control and traceability, enables centralized configuration of the system, and largely reduces the possibility of human errors. These tools also enable us to reuse well-tested building blocks, leaving us more time for system-wide quality assurance.  
 
RPPB26 The New Soft-IOC-Based Alarm Handler at the Spallation Neutron Source controls, SNS, cryogenics, vacuum 665
 
  • G. S. Lawson, J. Munro, W. H. Strong, E. Williams, P. A. Gurd
    ORNL, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
  The standard EPICS alarm handler tool (ALH) does not integrate well with other EPICS client applications. At SNS, we wanted the ability to incorporate alarm summaries and alarm controls such as masks and resets into screens in the display manager as well as the ability to call display screens from alarm screens. To achieve these aims, we built a soft-IOC-based alarm handler that runs in Linux soft IOCs. A set of scripts builds EPICS databases, display manager screens, and startup scripts for standard Linux soft IOCs from old style (ALH) or .xml configuration files. With this new tool the summaries, masks and latch status can be incorporated into other EPICS client applications. In this paper we describe our experience building and using the soft-IOC-based alarm handler everywhere that alarms are defined in the SNS control system.

SNS is managed by UT-Battelle, LLC, under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725 for the U. S. Department of Energy.

 
 
RPPB27 A Proposed Alarm Handling System Management Plan for SNS with Application to Target Control System controls, SNS, monitoring 668
 
  • R. E. Battle, E. Danilova, R. L. Sangrey, E. Williams, J. Munro
    ORNL, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
  We have developed a set of requirements for an SNS alarm handling system and have applied these to the control system for the SNS liquid mercury target to gain experience with an implementation first on a limited scale before applying them to the whole accelerator. This implementation is based on the EPICS alarm handler ALH. The requirements address such topics as alarm classification, priorities, types of warning, hierarchies, and management under different modes of target operation. Alarms are currently organized by system and subsystem. Target control systems considered in the examples here include the Hg loop, three light-water and one heavy-water cooling loops. Modifications to ALH include addition of “drag and drop” capabilities for individual PVs and drop-down lists of selectable actions. One such action provides access to the alarm response procedures required for a process variable that shows an alarm. Alarm and operator action log files are maintained separately from instances of ALH launched for operator displays. Database reporting tools have been developed to aid analysis of data in these files. Examples of the use of our tools and features will be presented.  
 
FOAA03 The CERN LHC Central Timing, a Vertical Slice controls, proton, synchrotron, injection 711
 
  • P. Alvarez, J. C. Bau, S. Deghaye, I. Kozsar, J. Serrano, J. H. Lewis
    CERN, Geneva
  The design of the LHC central timing system depends strongly on the requirements for a Collider-type machine. The accelerators in the LHC injector chain cycle in sequences, each accelerator providing beam to the next as the energy increases. This has led to a timing system in which time is divided into cycles of differing characteristics. The LHC timing requirements are completely different, there are no cycles, and machine events are linked to machine processes such as injection, ramping, squeezing, physics, etc. These processes are modelled as event tables that can be played independently; the system must also provide facilities to send asynchronous events for punctual equipment synchronization and a real-time channel to broadcast machine information such as the beam type and its energy. This paper describes the implementation of the LHC timing system and also gives details on the synchronization in the LHC injector chain that manufactures various beams for LHC.  
slides icon Slides  
 
FOAB01 Imaging System Integration at the SNS SNS, laser, radiation, controls 714
 
  • W. Blokland, K. C. Goetz, T. A. Pelaia, T. J. Shea
    ORNL, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
  Over the past several years, a variety of imaging systems have been deployed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory's (ORNL's) Spallation Neutron Source (SNS). The systems have supported accelerator instrumentation, neutron beam measurement, target commissioning, and laser diagnostics. For each application, performance requirements drove the choice of camera technology, and this naturally led to a variety of interfaces. This paper will describe the experience gained during the integration and operation of these systems. Several challenges will be highlighted, including algorithms for quantitative measurements, correlation with other accelerator data, real-time video distribution, and storage of large data sets. Although heterogeneous systems must continue to be deployed to meet imaging needs, some common tools and technologies have been identified and are expected to enhance system integration efforts.  
slides icon Slides