Control Software for Interlocks¶
Interlocks Control Software in a nutshell¶
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and its injection chain at CERN is a complex system of a multitude of subsystems: instrumentation, powering, vacuum, cryogenics, protection, etc.
The machine protection group provides the interlock systems which are responsible for ensuring that, if any component goes in an incorrect state, the high energy beams of the accelerators can be extracted safely. More information can be read on this CERN Courier article.
The TE-MPE-MI section is responsible for specifying and designing the hardware interlock systems: - Beam Interlock System (BIS) - Safe Machine Parameters (SMP) - Fast Magnet Current change Monitor (FMCM) - Powering Interlock Controller (PIC) - Warm magnet Interlock Controller (WIC)
The BIS and SMP are custom electronic boards designed specifically at CERN, based on FPGAs and CPLDs. The TE-MPE-CB section is responsible for integrating these interlock systems within the global CERN accelerator controls and into operations. Both sections work closely to integrate interlocks hardware and software together, and then deploy, commission and support the operation of the whole system.
The boards are interfaced with VME or VME64x buses, and they use the same control system architecture: - Real-time control and data acquisition layer to manage the communication with the hardware devices and expose endpoints to higher supervision layers. - Supervision layer with APIs and user interfaces for high level interaction with the interlock systems.
This design leverages the common accelerator controls services and infrastructure, and integrates with several other accelerator control systems.
The FMCM system is very similar, except for the fact that it was not designed at CERN but at GSI.
The PIC and WIC are designed with PLCs and are interfaced with TCP/IP. The control systems for the WIC and the PIC are implemented with the SCADA technology WinCC OA and designed by the BE-ICS group. TE-MPE-CB designs solutions to manage the information and to perform the automated commissioning of the WIC and PIC.
Technologies¶
C++17, and the CERNFESAframework for the real-time control softwarePython 3andDependency Injector, andJavawith theSpring Frameworkfor the high-level software: data processing and transformation, GUIs, data analyticsPrometheus,OpenSearch,Kibana,Grafanafor monitoring and tracingFlywayand Oracle databases for the storage solutionSwing,JavaFX,AngularandPyQtfor the Graphical User interfaces