Implanting a Computer Control System in Accelerators

Oded HeberDepartment of Particle Physics Weizmann

Institute of Science76100, Rehovot ISRAEL

May 30, 2006Bucharest , ROMANIA

OUTLINE

• General Introduction to Weizmann Institute

• Introduction to Accelerators Computer Control Systems

• Upgrading and new system concepts1. New System (in new accelerator)2. Upgrading an existing system3. Installing new system in an old accelerator

• The WI Pelletron system and other labs.• Summary

Weizmann – Facts and Figures

• Established on 1934• 2500 people• 250 research groups • 1000 MSc, PhD students and postdocs• 850 scientific support staff• 80 buildings on 1.2 sq. km.• Budget (2005): about $185 Million/year

(32% by the government).

Nature 430, 311-316 (15 July 2004)

25% of the country Science is done at WI

Yeda – WI technology transfer company

Yeda became a world leader in Technology Transfer

• Tens of products from Weizmann on the market.

• Total annual royalty-generating sales in 2004: $6,000,000,000.

• Over 40 new companies where established around Yeda’s technologies (some already public), 18 in the last 5 years.

What is a computer control system

for accelerator ?The ability to control

and maintain a full process using computers:

• Industrial - manufacture floor, fab

• Civil, Public – traffic control, electricity

• Scientific oriented facility – accelerators, nuclear reactor

Definition: SCADA

Acronym for supervisory control and data acquisition, a computer system for gathering and analyzing real time data

Sensors – I/O points

PLC and I/O cards

serverclients

Field bus

Control busCommunication bus

hardware

SCADA Software

• Control of many (103-105) I/O points• Continues communication with many busses

(RS485, GPIB, Ethernet, modbus…) and PLCs (usually OPC server).

• Data logging – data bases• Security• Process control (PID)• Alarms• Graphical interface• Flexibility• Connectivity to nonstandard and scientific

instruments

What is special in SCADA for accelerators (for basic science) ?

• Research facility – flexible

• Many nonstandard and prototype equipments

• Timing - synchronization (bunching, coincidence)

• Physicist proof system

Computer Control Accelerator Hardware (Software) Trends

Home made instruments Off the shelf instruments

Home made controller CAMAC - VME Industrial

PLC

“large” computersPDP , IBM

Mini computersVAX

Personal computers

Fortran, Assembler

EPICS Industrial

scada

IBM AS/400

Example Case 1: a system for new accelerator

SARAF 40 MeV super conductor LINAC

at Soreq NRC ISRAEL

Accelerator purchasedfrom Accel GmbH,Bergisch-Gladbach,Germany

SARAF Main Control System (MCS) – General Architecture

User Clients Soreq Clients Development Clients

Client Network Ethernet

Radiation Safety

System (RSS)

S7-F

Cryogenics

S7

Building and

General Safety

S7

Applications

FP, VME

Server for:Backup, Data Logging

Beam Lines

S7, FP

Operator Clients

I/O Network Ethernet

Servers located in Server Room

Clients located in MCR and throughout facility and Soreq

Servers for:

Accelerator, Beam Lines, RSS, Cryogenics, Building, Applications

Accelerator

S7, FP, PXI

Servers and Client computers running LabVIEW + DSC + OPC

Main Control System (MCS)

• Choose Commercial Software– Established companies– Widely used software in control applications– No need to write custom drivers

• Choose Commercial Hardware– Hardware incorporating OPC standard – Companies that produce both hardware and software

• Minimize types of Hardware and Software– Optimize with sub-contractor constrains– Settle for several types if inter-communication possible

Realization Guidelines (1)

• Choose Server-Client architecture• Improves reliability• May provide redundancy• Consider backup server with a smooth automatic

transition in case of main server crash• Client crash should not affect server or other clients

• Computers and Hardware on one network

• Use Fiber Optics in EM-noisy environments

Main Control System (MCS)Realization Guidelines (2)

• SoftwareSoftware - LabVIEW with DSC module and OPC server

• LabVIEW is flexible and scientific oriented• Client licenses are not so expensive and do not depend on

number of I/O channels

• HardwareHardware – FieldPoint, PXI from NI and S7, S7-F from Siemens

• All types are chosen due to sub-contractor constraints• All types are OPC compatible• S7-F compatible with international safety standards

• Network and BusesNetwork and Buses – Ethernet

Realization Decisions

Main Control System (MCS)

A Possible LabVIEW DSC Main Screen

Main selection

Functional panel

Main panel

Alarm panel

Sub selection

Case 2: Upgrading existing CC system

• Change I/O points ?

• Change PLCs ? (CAMAC to Industrial)

• Change software or upgrading (experience)

• Change computers ?(VAX to PC)

• Change OS ? (VMS, Unix to Linux, Windows)

• Money?

• Shutdown time?

Case 3 : Installing a system for the first time Example: 14UD Pelletron ( and VDG)

Goal: All the controls and indicators should be integrated in the CC system. Changing accelerator parameters (different masses different energies) in a minute time scale with high stability (AMS requirements).

constrains• Money

• Manpower

• Continue normal operation + maintenance

• Controls in high voltages high pressure environment (14 MV terminal, 120kV source, SF6 gas).

solution• Bottom up philosophy - first select

the I/O point R/W solution.• Connect first the points that are

already at the old control room, afterwards the “easy points” and the most important ones.

• Select Hardware that are most common used in electrostatic accelerators and easy to expand.

Group3 Control Features

• Fiber Optics - high voltage isolation – noise immunity.• Small Size - easy mounting - keep wiring short to minimize noise pickup.• High Resolution - 16 bit analogs• High Update Rate - scan rates of up to 32,000 channels per second• High channel Density - several thousandchannels per computer slot• Diagnostic Port - on device interfaces forsystem development and debugging.

5 loops1000 I/OGPIB, RS232DAQ

1 loop100 I/O

1 loop200 I/ORS232DAQ

19 PLC’sRS485

Software and OS

• LabVIEW by NI (start at version 3.1)• Computer PC + windows (start with

WIN 3.11 on one 486 machine)

•Few Upgrades to LabVIEW DSC (7.0 and 8.0 – full SCADA)•15 P-IV computers in server client architecture.

Laser room

Ion sources

Source control

Linear trap

Bent trap

control room

SUMMARY

• Computer control system is a crucial part for any accelerator.

• SCADA selection depends on many constraints such as money, manpower, laboratory expertise and third party constructors.

• The trend is to use industrial hardware, PC computers and commercial SCADA software.