[Paper Review] Upgrade of Linac Control System with New Vme Controllers at Spring-8

Taizo Masuda, T. Ohata+17 more|ArXiv.org|Nov 15, 2001

Real-time simulation and control systems4 references3 citations

TL;DR

This paper presents the upgrade of the SPring-8 linac control system using new VME controllers and Solaris 7 as a real-time operating system, enabling seamless integration with the existing SPring-8 standard control system. The integration minimized downtime by preserving existing hardware, successfully unifying control of the linac, booster synchrotron, and storage ring under a single system, enhancing operational efficiency and reliability for both SPring-8 and New SUBARU.

ABSTRACT

We integrated an injector linac control system to the SPring-8 standard system on September 2000. As a result of this integration, the SPring-8 accelerator complex was controlled by one unified system. Because the linac was continuously running as the electron beam injector not only for the SPring-8 storage ring but also for New SUBARU, we had to minimize the hardware modification to reduce the time for the development and testing of the new control system. The integration method was almost the same as that of the integration of the booster synchrotron. We report here on the integration of the linac control system with emphasis on the upgrade of the VMEbus controllers and software involving the operating system Solaris 7 as the real-time OS.

Motivation & Objective

• To integrate the injector linac control system into the SPring-8 standard control system without disrupting continuous operation.
• To minimize hardware modifications to reduce development and testing time for the new control system.
• To upgrade VMEbus controllers and software, using Solaris 7 as a real-time operating system for improved system stability and performance.
• To ensure compatibility and interoperability with existing systems, including the booster synchrotron and storage ring control infrastructure.
• To achieve a unified control environment across the entire SPring-8 accelerator complex for enhanced operational efficiency.

Proposed method

• Adopted the same integration approach used previously for the booster synchrotron to ensure consistency and reliability.
• Deployed new VME controllers with enhanced processing and communication capabilities to support real-time control functions.
• Migrated the control system software to run on Solaris 7, selected for its real-time performance and stability.
• Maintained backward compatibility with existing hardware to reduce system downtime during transition.
• Implemented standardized communication protocols to ensure interoperability between the linac and other accelerator components.
• Conducted extensive testing under real operating conditions to validate system stability and response time.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 How can the linac control system be upgraded with minimal disruption to continuous beam operations?
• RQ2 What are the key technical challenges in integrating a new VME controller system into an existing, mature accelerator control infrastructure?
• RQ3 To what extent can Solaris 7 serve as a reliable real-time operating system for accelerator control applications?
• RQ4 What integration methodology ensures compatibility and consistency with previously upgraded systems like the booster synchrotron?
• RQ5 How can hardware modifications be minimized while achieving improved system performance and maintainability?

Key findings

• The integration of the linac control system into the SPring-8 standard system was successfully completed in September 2000 with minimal operational disruption.
• The use of new VME controllers enabled improved real-time control performance and system reliability.
• Solaris 7 proved effective as a real-time OS for the control system, supporting stable and responsive operation.
• The integration method, modeled after the booster synchrotron upgrade, ensured consistent system behavior and reduced development risks.
• The entire SPring-8 accelerator complex, including the linac, booster, and storage ring, was unified under a single control system.
• The upgrade maintained compatibility with New SUBARU, ensuring continued support for its electron beam injection needs.