Data Requirements and Handshake for Thf CERN Antiproton Transfer Operations from the AA and PS to Client Machines
The CERN Antiproton Accumulator(AA) fulfils its role as a p¿ source for all the diverse needs at CERN ranging from a few 109 p¿'s in a single bunch for the Low Energy Antiproton Ring(LEAR) every hour or so upto 1011 p¿'s in 3 bunches for the Super Proton Synchrotron(SPS) Collider operations every 24 hours. The geographically dispersed accelerators involve large distances and proper synchronisation is mandatory for successful transfer operations. While every transfer operation needs preparatory work on all the machines involved in the chain with and without verbal communication in-between operators and control centres, an essential element has been the data exchange over the computer network linking the various processors in the PS and SPS Collider complex. This paper attempts to show some of the specialised data requirements which arose for the p¿ transfer operations and the essential software linking of various processes in different computers leading to a complete transfer operation from the AA, via the transfer lines and PS, to the SPS Collider or LEAR. For the Collider runs, the pre- and post-countdown data synchronisation and interchange involves upto a dozen computers in the PS and SPS computer networks.
Aspects of automation and applications in the CERN antiproton source
Abstract The CERN antiproton source is comprised of two concentric accelerators and a production target zone. The Collector is a large-acceptance ring which acts as a buffer between the target and the Accumulator ring where the antiprotons are stored before being extracted. From the early days of the Accumulator (AA), various automatic procedures and tools have been introduced to assist in machine studies and diagnostic and to facilitate day-to-day operations for antiproton production and transfers to the CERN Collider. With the upgrade of the source in 1987 by the addition of the Collector ring (AC), the complexity of the source has at least doubled. New facilities have been added and the existing ones improved. This paper describes some of the applications, techniques and tools used for beam diagnostics, setting-up and routine operation of ththe antiproton source complex at CERN.
Fast Synchronous Beam Property Modulation Using a Large Distributed Microprocessor System
One of the design objectives of the new CPS controls system is to permit changing the setting conditions from one machine cycle to the next in order to serve different users with different beam properties. Cycles may be as short as 650 ms and for the PS Booster (PSB) about 1000 parameters may have to be refreshed each cycle. This task is handled by 20 microprocessor-based Auxiliary CAMAC Crate Controllers (ACC). This layout offers three major possibilities: (i) fast and reliable parameter refreshment in each cycle; (ii) the microprocessors constitute a distributed database, which allows autonomous execution of complicated tasks triggered by simple commands from the process computer; (iii) the microprocessors allow complete decoupling between the severe process real-time constraints and human interaction: asynchronous operator commands are executed in a precise synchronous way with the process.