Keyword: instrumentation
Paper Title Other Keywords Page
MOPKN024 The Integration of the LHC Cyrogenics Control System Data into the CERN Layout Database database, controls, cryogenics, interface 147
 
  • E. Fortescue-Beck, R. Billen, P. Gomes
    CERN, Geneva, Switzerland
 
  The Large Hadron Collider's Cryogenic Control System makes extensive use of several databases to manage data appertaining to over 34,000 cryogenic instrumentation channels. This data is essential for populating the firmware of the PLCs which are responsible for maintaining the LHC at the appropriate temperature. In order to reduce the number of data sources and the overall complexity of the system, the databases have been rationalised and the automatic tool, that extracts data for the control software, has been simplified. This paper describes the main improvements that have been made and evaluates the success of the project.  
 
MOPMU015 Control and Data Acquisition Systems for the FERMI@Elettra Experimental Stations controls, data-acquisition, framework, TANGO 462
 
  • R. Borghes, V. Chenda, A. Curri, G. Gaio, G. Kourousias, M. Lonza, G. Passos, R. Passuello, L. Pivetta, M. Prica, M. Pugliese, G. Strangolino
    ELETTRA, Basovizza, Italy
 
  Funding: The work was supported in part by the Italian Ministry of University and Research under grants FIRB-RBAP045JF2 and FIRB-RBAP06AWK3
FERMI@Elettra is a single-pass Free Electron Laser (FEL) user-facility covering the wavelength range from 100 nm to 4 nm. The facility is located in Trieste, Italy, nearby the third-generation synchrotron light source Elettra. Three experimental stations, dedicated to different scientific areas, have been installed installed in 2011: Low Density Matter (LDM), Elastic and Inelastic Scattering (EIS) and Diffraction and Projection Imaging (DiProI). The experiment control and data acquisition system is the natural extension of the machine control system. It integrates a shot-by-shot data acquisition framework with a centralized data storage and analysis system. Low-level applications for data acquisition and online processing have been developed using the Tango framework on Linux platforms. High-level experimental applications can be developed on both Linux and Windows platforms using C/C++, Python, LabView, IDL or Matlab. The Elettra scientific computing portal allows remote access to the experiment and to the data storage system.
 
poster icon Poster MOPMU015 [0.884 MB]  
 
WEPMN027 Fast Scalar Data Buffering Interface in Linux 2.6 Kernel Linux, interface, hardware, controls 943
 
  • A. Homs
    ESRF, Grenoble, France
 
  Key instrumentation devices like counter/timers, analog-to-digital converter and encoders provide scalar data input. Many of them allow fast acquisitions, but do not provide hardware triggering or buffering mechanisms. A Linux 2.4 kernel driver called Hook was developed at the ESRF as a generic software-triggered buffering interface. This work presents the portage of the ESRF Hook interface to the Linux 2.6 kernel. The interface distinguishes two independent functional groups: trigger event generators and data channels. Devices in the first group create software events, like hardware interrupts generated by timers or external signals. On each event, one or more device channels on the second group are read and stored in kernel buffers. The event generators and data channels to be read are fully configurable before each sequence. Designed for fast acquisitions, the Hook implementation is well adapted to multi-CPU systems, where the interrupt latency is notably reduced. On heavily loaded dual-core PCs running standard (non real time) Linux, data can be taken at 1 KHz without losing events. Additional features include full integration into the sysfs (/sys) virtual filesystem and hotplug devices support.  
 
WEPMU012 First Experiences of Beam Presence Detection Based on Dedicated Beam Position Monitors operation, injection, pick-up, extraction 1081
 
  • A. Jalal, S. Gabourin, M. Gasior, B. Todd
    CERN, Geneva, Switzerland
 
  High intensity particle beam injection into the LHC is only permitted when a low intensity pilot beam is already circulating in the LHC. This requirement addresses some of the risks associated with high intensity injection, and is enforced by a so-called Beam Presence Flag (BPF) system which is part of the interlock chain between the LHC and its injector complex. For the 2010 LHC run, the detection of the presence of this pilot beam was implemented using the LHC Fast Beam Current Transformer (FBCT) system. However, the primary function of the FBCTs, that is reliable measurement of beam currents, did not allow the BPF system to satisfy all quality requirements of the LHC Machine Protection System (MPS). Safety requirements associated with high intensity injections triggered the development of a dedicated system, based on Beam Position Monitors (BPM). This system was meant to work first in parallel with the FBCT BPF system and eventually replace it. At the end of 2010 and in 2011, this new BPF implementation based on BPMs was designed, built, tested and deployed. This paper reviews both the FBCT and BPM implementation of the BPF system, outlining the changes during the transition period. The paper briefly describes the testing methods, focuses on the results obtained from the tests performed during the end of 2010 LHC run and shows the changes made for the BPM BPF system deployment in LHC in 2011.  
 
THCHAUST06 Instrumentation of the CERN Accelerator Logging Service: Ensuring Performance, Scalability, Maintenance and Diagnostics database, extraction, distributed, framework 1232
 
  • C. Roderick, R. Billen, D.D. Teixeira
    CERN, Geneva, Switzerland
 
  The CERN accelerator Logging Service currently holds more than 90 terabytes of data online, and processes approximately 450 gigabytes per day, via hundreds of data loading processes and data extraction requests. This service is mission-critical for day-to-day operations, especially with respect to the tracking of live data from the LHC beam and equipment. In order to effectively manage any service, the service provider's goals should include knowing how the underlying systems are being used, in terms of: "Who is doing what, from where, using which applications and methods, and how long each action takes". Armed with such information, it is then possible to: analyze and tune system performance over time; plan for scalability ahead of time; assess the impact of maintenance operations and infrastructure upgrades; diagnose past, on-going, or re-occurring problems. The Logging Service is based on Oracle DBMS and Application Servers, and Java technology, and is comprised of several layered and multi-tiered systems. These systems have all been heavily instrumented to capture data about system usage, using technologies such as JMX. The success of the Logging Service and its proven ability to cope with ever growing demands can be directly linked to the instrumentation in place. This paper describes the instrumentation that has been developed, and demonstrates how the instrumentation data is used to achieve the goals outlined above.  
slides icon Slides THCHAUST06 [5.459 MB]