Post on 25-Feb-2016
description
Australian SynchrotronAustralian Synchrotron
Richard FarnsworthRichard FarnsworthWith Steven Banks and Mark Clift With Steven Banks and Mark Clift
ControlsControls
The Australian Synchrotron ProjectNaming:
•ASP for the project.•Boomerang for the ring, or worse – Boomering•AusSy favoured by the IMACThe only official name is •“The Australian Synchrotron.”Politics:•Not part of a lab. No operating authority yet.•Funding to build is established •First beam mid 2007•Funding for initial suite of 12 Beamlines
Australian Synchrotron Australian Synchrotron
ControlsControlsArtists ImpressionArtists Impression
ControlsControlsAustralian Synchrotron being builtAustralian Synchrotron being built
ControlsControlsJust before we started buildingJust before we started building
ControlsControlsDrive in - Circa 1970’sDrive in - Circa 1970’s
ControlsControlsPlansPlans
Technical illustration of the layout of the facility
Roof span 116m
Footprint of 10,600 m2
400+ km cabling
400+ magnets
4000 m3 concrete
Equivalent of 3 storeys
Temperature controlled to +/- 1º C
The Australian Synchrotron The Australian Synchrotron
ControlsControlsChoosing EPICSChoosing EPICS
• Selected EPICS last year. • Unknown to us - third Australian user –
previously used on a 10 MeV tandem accelerator and on a telescope (Part of Gemini - destroyed by bushfire Jan 2003 – being rebuilt)
• The most comparable Australian Facility is the Neutron source in Sydney, which uses SICS from PSI
ControlsControlshttp://www.synchrotron.vic.gov.auhttp://www.synchrotron.vic.gov.au
ControlsControlsControls GroupControls Group
• Richard Farnsworth, Steven Banks, Mark Clift• All are Melbourne locals, Engineers and
Physicists with an IT background, combined engineering experience with large control systems including Water, Sewerage, railways, Electrical Power systems, Large scale radar, Computer Hardware, Radiation dose accelerators, Computer Maintenance engineering, Animatronics, Cyclotron, Hydrographics surveys.
• No prior EPICS or Synchrotron experience
ControlsControls
The weak anthropomorphic principle argues that the universe appears to be well designed for the existence of life forms such as ourselves because, if it was not then we wouldn’t be here to observe how poorly it was designed for our existence.
As applied to EPICS: If it is very difficult to do in EPICS, it probably isn’t needed to operate a synchrotron ! This is a great comfort at times !
WAP and EPICSWAP and EPICS
ControlsControlsEPICS ToolboxEPICS Toolbox
• Too much to choose from – spanning a huge variety of times, technologies and choices.
So, we decided to:• Using EDM and Matlab (MCA) for complex GUIs• Using Linux where possible• IOC choice not settled – Like the idea of RT linux
a lot (More later), not keen on VxWorks.• Not put much in the IOC• Possibly will put in a middle layer
ControlsControlsEpics and the development systemEpics and the development system
Choice of operating systems•We chose Linux for Servers : compatible, common, cheap, reliable, open. EPICS seems well supported.•And Windows (XP for the moment). Common, “comfortable”, can run other standard office type things. Cheap and cheerful.•Can use X terminal packages for Unix displays.
•All hardware uses standard PC commodity
ControlsControlsIssues with EPICS Issues with EPICS
•Build system was bit painful•More and better “how-to’s” would be nice•Full examples would be good •Sample IOCs with real functionalityi.e. A real database, or design patterns•Will try to avoid VME hardware and VxWorks (and wind river)•There is lots of stuff out there – but it’s not all on a single website (e.g the EPICS home page).
ControlsControlsGood things about EPICSGood things about EPICS
•The price (but free Software .ne. free Beer)•The wide support for Operating systems (let us choose what suits us at the time)•The community (VERY important). Huge support •Getting things working•Designed for our type of facility•Observatory Sciences gave us a course •Gateways can give a bit of security•Channel access solid
ControlsControlsMCA - Matlab Channel accessMCA - Matlab Channel access
Work on MCA
•Removed 1000 Channel Limit •Matlab “Monitor Callbacks” now fully supported
•Is Favoured by our Accelerator Physicists•Will use for complex displays and some processing•Slots into Accelerator Toolbox - Important for us to simulate as we have no machine.• See Steven Banks offline for more detail
ControlsControls•Development and Support SystemDevelopment and Support SystemSimulate everything at the start and then replace.Separate development and productionSystems engineering, Config management