ICALEPCS2011 - List of Authors (Dedic, J.)

Paper

Title

Page

The MedAustron Accelerator Control System

9

J. Gutleber, M. Benedikt
CERN, Geneva, Switzerland
A.B. Brett, A. Fabich, M. Marchhart, R. Moser, M. Thonke, C. Torcato de Matos
EBG MedAustron, Wr. Neustadt, Austria
J. Dedič
Cosylab, Ljubljana, Slovenia

This paper presents the architecture and design of the MedAustron particle accelerator control system. The facility is currently under construction in Wr. Neustadt, Austria. The accelerator and its control system are designed at CERN. Accelerator control systems for ion therapy applications are characterized by rich sets of configuration data, real-time reconfiguration needs and high stability requirements. The machine is operated according to a pulse-to-pulse modulation scheme and beams are described in terms of ion type, energy, beam dimensions, intensity and spill length. An irradiation session for a patient consists of a few hundred accelerator cycles over a time period of about two minutes. No two cycles within a session are equal and the dead-time between two cycles must be kept low. The control system is based on a multi-tier architecture with the aim to achieve a clear separation between front-end devices and their controllers. Off-the-shelf technologies are deployed wherever possible. In-house developments cover a main timing system, a light-weight layer to standardize operation and communication of front-end controllers, the control of the power converters and a procedure programming framework for automating high-level control and data analysis tasks. In order to be able to roll out a system within a predictable schedule, an "off-shoring" project management process was adopted: A frame agreement with an integrator covers the provision of skilled personnel that specifies and builds components together with the core team.

Slides MOBAUST03 [7.483 MB]

MOPMN005

ProShell – The MedAustron Accelerator Control Procedure Framework

246

R. Moser, A.B. Brett, M. Marchhart, C. Torcato de Matos
EBG MedAustron, Wr. Neustadt, Austria
J. Dedič, S. Sah
Cosylab, Ljubljana, Slovenia
J. Gutleber
CERN, Geneva, Switzerland

MedAustron is a centre for ion-therapy and research in currently under construction in Austria. It features a synchrotron particle accelerator for proton and carbon-ion beams. This paper presents the architecture and concepts for implementing a procedure framework called ProShell. Procedures to automate high level control and analysis tasks for commissioning and during operation are modelled with Petri-Nets and user code is implemented with C#. It must be possible to execute procedures and monitor their execution progress remotely. Procedures include starting up devices and subsystems in a controlled manner, configuring, operating O(1000) devices and tuning their operational settings using iterative optimization algorithms. Device interfaces must be extensible to accommodate yet unanticipated functionalities. The framework implements a template for procedure specific graphical interfaces to access device specific information such as monitoring data. Procedures interact with physical devices through proxy software components that implement one of the following interfaces: (1) state-less or (2) state-driven device interface. Components can extend these device interfaces following an object-oriented single inheritance scheme to provide augmented, device-specific interfaces. As only two basic device interfaces need to be defined at an early project stage, devices can be integrated gradually as commissioning progresses. We present the architecture and design of ProShell and explain the programming model by giving the simple example of the ion source spectrum analysis procedure.

Poster MOPMN005 [0.948 MB]

MOPMS018

New Timing System Development at SNS

358

D. Curry
ORNL RAD, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
X.H. Chen, R. Dickson, S.M. Hartman, D.H. Thompson
ORNL, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
J. Dedič
Cosylab, Ljubljana, Slovenia

The timing system at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) has recently been updated to support the long range production and availability goals of the facility. A redesign of the hardware and software provided us with an opportunity to significantly reduce the complexity of the system as a whole and consolidate the functionality of multiple cards into single units eliminating almost half of our operating components in the field. It also presented a prime opportunity to integrate new system level diagnostics, previously unavailable, for experts and operations. These new tools provide us with a clear image of the health of our distribution links and enhance our ability to quickly identify and isolate errors.

WEPMN015

Timing-system Solution for MedAustron; Real-time Event and Data Distribution Network

909

R. Štefanič, J. Dedič, R. Tavčar
Cosylab, Ljubljana, Slovenia
J. Gutleber
CERN, Geneva, Switzerland
R. Moser
EBG MedAustron, Wr. Neustadt, Austria

MedAustron is an ion beam cancer therapy and research centre currently under construction in Wiener Neustadt, Austria. This facility features a synchrotron particle accelerator for light ions. A timing system is being developed for that class of accelerators targeted at clinical use as a product of close collaboration between MedAustron and Cosylab. We redesignedμResearch Finland transport layer's FPGA firmware, extending its capabilities to address specific requirements of the machine to come to a generic real-time broadcast network for coordinating actions of a compact, pulse-to-pulse modulation based particle accelerator. One such requirement is the need to support for configurable responses to timing events on the receiver side. The system comes with National Instruments LabView based software support, ready to be integrated into the PXI based front-end controllers. This paper explains the design process from initial requirements refinement to technology choice, architectural design and implementation. It elaborates the main characteristics of the accelerator that the timing system has to address, such as support for concurrently operating partitions, real-time and non real-time data transport needs and flexible configuration schemes for real-time response to timing event reception. Finally, the architectural overview is given, with the main components explained in due detail.

Poster WEPMN015 [0.800 MB]

WEPMN016

Synchronously Driven Power Converter Controller Solution for MedAustron

912

L. Šepetavc, J. Dedič, R. Tavčar
Cosylab, Ljubljana, Slovenia
J. Gutleber
CERN, Geneva, Switzerland
R. Moser
EBG MedAustron, Wr. Neustadt, Austria

MedAustron is an ion beam cancer therapy and research centre currently under construction in Wiener Neustadt, Austria. This facility features a synchrotron particle accelerator for light ions. Cosylab is closely working together with MedAustron on the development of a power converter controller (PCC) for the 260 deployed converters. The majority are voltage sources that are regulated in real-time via digital signal processor (DSP) boards. The in-house developed PCC operates the DSP boards remotely, via real-time fiber optic links. A single PCC will control up to 30 power converters that deliver power to magnets used for focusing and steering particle beams. Outputs of all PCCs must be synchronized within a time frame of at most 1 microsecond, which is achieved by integration with the timing system. This pulse-to-pulse modulation machine requires different waveforms for each beam generation cycle. Dead times between cycles must be kept low, therefore the PCC is reconfigured during beam generation. The system is based on a PXI platform from National Instruments running LabVIEW Real-Time. An in-house developed generic real-time optical link connects the PCCs to custom developed front-end devices. These FPGA-based hardware components facilitate integration with different types of power converters. All PCCs are integrated within the SIMATIC WinCC OA SCADA system which coordinates and supervises their operation. This paper describes the overall system architecture, its main components, challenges we faced and the technical solutions.

Poster WEPMN016 [0.695 MB]

Paper	Title	Page
MOBAUST03	The MedAustron Accelerator Control System	9
	J. Gutleber, M. Benedikt CERN, Geneva, Switzerland A.B. Brett, A. Fabich, M. Marchhart, R. Moser, M. Thonke, C. Torcato de Matos EBG MedAustron, Wr. Neustadt, Austria J. Dedič Cosylab, Ljubljana, Slovenia
	This paper presents the architecture and design of the MedAustron particle accelerator control system. The facility is currently under construction in Wr. Neustadt, Austria. The accelerator and its control system are designed at CERN. Accelerator control systems for ion therapy applications are characterized by rich sets of configuration data, real-time reconfiguration needs and high stability requirements. The machine is operated according to a pulse-to-pulse modulation scheme and beams are described in terms of ion type, energy, beam dimensions, intensity and spill length. An irradiation session for a patient consists of a few hundred accelerator cycles over a time period of about two minutes. No two cycles within a session are equal and the dead-time between two cycles must be kept low. The control system is based on a multi-tier architecture with the aim to achieve a clear separation between front-end devices and their controllers. Off-the-shelf technologies are deployed wherever possible. In-house developments cover a main timing system, a light-weight layer to standardize operation and communication of front-end controllers, the control of the power converters and a procedure programming framework for automating high-level control and data analysis tasks. In order to be able to roll out a system within a predictable schedule, an "off-shoring" project management process was adopted: A frame agreement with an integrator covers the provision of skilled personnel that specifies and builds components together with the core team.
	Slides MOBAUST03 [7.483 MB]

MOPMN005	ProShell – The MedAustron Accelerator Control Procedure Framework	246
	R. Moser, A.B. Brett, M. Marchhart, C. Torcato de Matos EBG MedAustron, Wr. Neustadt, Austria J. Dedič, S. Sah Cosylab, Ljubljana, Slovenia J. Gutleber CERN, Geneva, Switzerland
	MedAustron is a centre for ion-therapy and research in currently under construction in Austria. It features a synchrotron particle accelerator for proton and carbon-ion beams. This paper presents the architecture and concepts for implementing a procedure framework called ProShell. Procedures to automate high level control and analysis tasks for commissioning and during operation are modelled with Petri-Nets and user code is implemented with C#. It must be possible to execute procedures and monitor their execution progress remotely. Procedures include starting up devices and subsystems in a controlled manner, configuring, operating O(1000) devices and tuning their operational settings using iterative optimization algorithms. Device interfaces must be extensible to accommodate yet unanticipated functionalities. The framework implements a template for procedure specific graphical interfaces to access device specific information such as monitoring data. Procedures interact with physical devices through proxy software components that implement one of the following interfaces: (1) state-less or (2) state-driven device interface. Components can extend these device interfaces following an object-oriented single inheritance scheme to provide augmented, device-specific interfaces. As only two basic device interfaces need to be defined at an early project stage, devices can be integrated gradually as commissioning progresses. We present the architecture and design of ProShell and explain the programming model by giving the simple example of the ion source spectrum analysis procedure.
	Poster MOPMN005 [0.948 MB]

MOPMS018	New Timing System Development at SNS	358
	D. Curry ORNL RAD, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA X.H. Chen, R. Dickson, S.M. Hartman, D.H. Thompson ORNL, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA J. Dedič Cosylab, Ljubljana, Slovenia
	The timing system at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) has recently been updated to support the long range production and availability goals of the facility. A redesign of the hardware and software provided us with an opportunity to significantly reduce the complexity of the system as a whole and consolidate the functionality of multiple cards into single units eliminating almost half of our operating components in the field. It also presented a prime opportunity to integrate new system level diagnostics, previously unavailable, for experts and operations. These new tools provide us with a clear image of the health of our distribution links and enhance our ability to quickly identify and isolate errors.

WEPMN015	Timing-system Solution for MedAustron; Real-time Event and Data Distribution Network	909
	R. Štefanič, J. Dedič, R. Tavčar Cosylab, Ljubljana, Slovenia J. Gutleber CERN, Geneva, Switzerland R. Moser EBG MedAustron, Wr. Neustadt, Austria
	MedAustron is an ion beam cancer therapy and research centre currently under construction in Wiener Neustadt, Austria. This facility features a synchrotron particle accelerator for light ions. A timing system is being developed for that class of accelerators targeted at clinical use as a product of close collaboration between MedAustron and Cosylab. We redesignedμResearch Finland transport layer's FPGA firmware, extending its capabilities to address specific requirements of the machine to come to a generic real-time broadcast network for coordinating actions of a compact, pulse-to-pulse modulation based particle accelerator. One such requirement is the need to support for configurable responses to timing events on the receiver side. The system comes with National Instruments LabView based software support, ready to be integrated into the PXI based front-end controllers. This paper explains the design process from initial requirements refinement to technology choice, architectural design and implementation. It elaborates the main characteristics of the accelerator that the timing system has to address, such as support for concurrently operating partitions, real-time and non real-time data transport needs and flexible configuration schemes for real-time response to timing event reception. Finally, the architectural overview is given, with the main components explained in due detail.
	Poster WEPMN015 [0.800 MB]

WEPMN016	Synchronously Driven Power Converter Controller Solution for MedAustron	912
	L. Šepetavc, J. Dedič, R. Tavčar Cosylab, Ljubljana, Slovenia J. Gutleber CERN, Geneva, Switzerland R. Moser EBG MedAustron, Wr. Neustadt, Austria
	MedAustron is an ion beam cancer therapy and research centre currently under construction in Wiener Neustadt, Austria. This facility features a synchrotron particle accelerator for light ions. Cosylab is closely working together with MedAustron on the development of a power converter controller (PCC) for the 260 deployed converters. The majority are voltage sources that are regulated in real-time via digital signal processor (DSP) boards. The in-house developed PCC operates the DSP boards remotely, via real-time fiber optic links. A single PCC will control up to 30 power converters that deliver power to magnets used for focusing and steering particle beams. Outputs of all PCCs must be synchronized within a time frame of at most 1 microsecond, which is achieved by integration with the timing system. This pulse-to-pulse modulation machine requires different waveforms for each beam generation cycle. Dead times between cycles must be kept low, therefore the PCC is reconfigured during beam generation. The system is based on a PXI platform from National Instruments running LabVIEW Real-Time. An in-house developed generic real-time optical link connects the PCCs to custom developed front-end devices. These FPGA-based hardware components facilitate integration with different types of power converters. All PCCs are integrated within the SIMATIC WinCC OA SCADA system which coordinates and supervises their operation. This paper describes the overall system architecture, its main components, challenges we faced and the technical solutions.
	Poster WEPMN016 [0.695 MB]