A rapidly developed control system for WITCH

A. Lindroth, V. Kozlov

Contents

• Requirements

• Design choices

• Architecture

• Status

• Future improvements: next shutdown

Requirements

• Ready simultaneously with experiment!!

• Easy to develop further

• Control everything in the experimental set-up

• Scans & other things needed for trap experiments

• Cheap

Control System ”definition”

Physical system

Experimental hardware

ElectronicsComputer

control

Control SystemExperiment

Order of decisionsBuy this or that piece of experimental hardware

Buy/design a

Controller unit

What type of connection between controller and PC?

Include the relevant code in the Control System

The physical side allways must come first flexibility needed

System ready fast less flexibility possible, but one should not ”paint oneself into a corner”: commit only to few decisions

System ready fast not complete functionality at first

Design choices: Software Commitments

• Use LabView: Save time• Use DSC, not replaceble: Save time, NI is big

this dependence is not likely to cause problems• Make some minimal architecture choices, that can

be kept even when the system keeps developing, thus not constraining the possibilities– Communiction architecture: Queued TCP/IP

– Possible to hook on new programs to communication architecture

DSC Write Datasocket

SMC

GUI mainAnalysis

Communication

DSC

GPIB CAN RS-232 CYCLE

Vacuum GUIHV GUI

Config-GUIs

GPIB Config

CAN Config

RS232 Config

LOOP? Config?

DIO Config

Physical-Parameter namemap

CaDAQGate

CaDAQ Heart

FILE

Process

BIProcess

Queue Variables which are used in the VIs, and loaded from files at start-up. Or simply files.

Computer

Diagnostics GUI Traps Cycle GUI

Scans GUI

SCANS ISOBUS

INTERLOCKS

ANALOG OUT

Communication

TCP/IP

Software architecture

Design Choices: Computer Hardware• One powerful I/O PC (but making sure the

software allows addition of further I/O PCs)– Passive backplane: many PCI and ISA slots– GPIB, 18ch RS232, CAN, DIO, AIO, ISOBUS,

PPG100 all on one PC– Many National Instruments cards

CadaqHeart

GPIBCard

USB-->RS-232 box

MIO24Card

DIO96Card

PPG100Card

CANCard

1 RU Screwpanel

2 RU LEMOpanel

ScrewPanelLong cables

(~15m)To devices

Design Choices: Controllers/Electronics

• Many controllers are built by our electronics department: cheaper, we get exactly what we want, they can repair/upgrade it, some things are not available commersially, we decide how to pack different functionality into separate modules, ...

DELAY BOX

•10 ns jitter

•100 ns precision

•0 ns to ~20s (+50ns allways)

•20 ch

•2 outputs/ch: delay/gate

•rs-232

Design Choices: Network•Our own, independent network, with a gateway to the ISOLDE network.

•The gateway will allow control of WITCH via the Web. We are now learning how to get the appropriate permissions from the CERN Network Security guys.

•An ISOLDE network PC for ISOLDE control.

”Cadaqgate”

”Cadaqheart”To ISOLDEnetwork

”Cadaqgate”

In light building

”Cadaqheart”

In ISOLDE hall

TCP/IP

To ISOLDEnetwork

Repeater?

Recent developments: Vacuum system

Gauge

ControllerValve

Valve Control boxRS232

Relay Vacuum

Interlock box

DIO card on CaDAQheart

Recent developments: Trap Electronics

COMPONENTS

•PPG100

•Delay box

•52 ch static voltage supply/switcher +/-20V

•24 ch rf splitter+static offset box

Temporary solution!

PPG100

Delay Box

Switchable Static Voltage supply

Rf splitter, inverter, offset adder

rf func. gen

rf func. gen

Recent Developments: Software Status

SMC

Communication

DSC

GPIB RS-232 CYCLE

Vacuum GUI

GPIB Config

RS232 Config

LOOP? Config?

DIO Config

Physical-Parameter namemap

CaDAQGate

CaDAQ Heart

Diagnostics GUI Traps Cycle GUI

Communication

Outlook

Near-future work

•Fill the software functionality gaps

•Secure quality of code

•Software Documentation

•Implement capacity enhancements based on test experiments this summer

•Upgrade to LabView 6.1

•Software control of Voltages

•Get new, computer controllable trap electronics

•Get, install detector electronics

Long-term work (starting in 6-12 months)

•Readback of electrode voltages: fieldbus

•Change so all PCs are of in-rack type

•Major upgrade of software functionality – where needs are found

•Focus on DAQ: separate computer with (highly) optimized readout speed