Bag stu8ff

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General overview of control systems and
philoshophy Richard Farnsworth Lead Controls
systems Engineer
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• We have a small team delivering beamlines
  controls and instrumentation services therefore
  standards are critical.
• Five permanent Instrumentation and Controls staff
  planned four Engineers and one IT specialist.
• Much will be outsourced

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• Two Instrumentation Controls specialist
  engineers are working on specifications at the
  moment
• Dr Mark Clift a background in similar systems
  in research and commercial IT
• Mr Wayne Lewis A background in large
  distributed industrial control systems.

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• The essential dilemma
• The controls team wants standards because
• Software support is greatly reduced.
• Hardware spares and logistics are easier.
• Expertise on Beamlines is transferable.
• Off the shelf solutions are less expensive.
• Integration is easier.

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• The essential dilemma II
• The users like non standard solutions because
• The standard hardware is not always the best
  device for the job
• The standard software may not drive the device in
  an optimum fashion
• The complexity for a given task is greater
  therefore less reliable

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• Insisting on standards all the time will only
  lead to Tears and blood on the floor
• But without any standards will lead to
• Late delivery, interface problems, and difficult
  to use software

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• As usual in most Engineering, a compromise is the
  way forward the philosophy being
• Standardise where you can
• Customise where you must

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• Drivers of standards include
• Generic Technology e.g.
• Communications standards TCP/IP, Ethernet, RS232
• Hardware standards (e.g. PCI, VME, VXI)
• Wiring standards (Red or Brown ?)
• Interface standards (active high or low)

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• Drivers of standards include
• Site specific technology choices e.g.
• Stepper motor Controllers
• Supervisory software (e.g. EPICS)
• GUI Software
• GUI style (red danger, green safe vs Red
  stop, green go)
• Operating systems (Unux, Windows)

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• We are here discuss these issues. Our agenda will
  include the possibilities of standardisation
  where possible AND convenient, but not
  eliminating the possibilities of other standards
  or choices

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• However
• The Accelerator is using EPICS and it is very
  suitable for much beamline work. However we are
  not using traditional EPICS hardware we are
  using Linux and PC based hardware.

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• In consultation with the Beamlines Scientists
• EPICS has been chosen as the most suitable
  control system for the Protein crystallography
  line (PX). We will prefer, but not mandate
  Hardware.
• The User Interface will be Blu-ice.
• Many of the stepper motor controllers will be
  Standardised.

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• The PX beamline will be beamline 1 and will be a
  Production type beamline that is the beamline
  itself will not be experimental.
• The user interfaces will be regular and
  controlled
• The machine control will be a service to the user
  and not exposed.

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• There are two common types of systems across most
  Beamlines
• These are the Personnel Safety Systems (PSS) and
  the Equipment Protection systems (EPS)
• These systems will be separated from the rest of
  the Beamlines and are prime candidates for
  standardardisation.

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Possibilities

• The Accelerator is using Pilz SIL3 rated safety
  systems and Schneider PLC based equipment
  protection systems,
• We have standard software interfaces from EPICS
  to Modbus devices also to Labview and
  applications.
• Others interfaces are around.

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• Systems Development planning
• - System requirements - Systems plan in first
  release
• Development model least risk, most important
  features first

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System Engineering Support
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Systems Engineering iterative
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System Engineering requirements for accelerator

• Documented over 500 control systems requirements
• Components e.g. Timing, vacuum, RF, EPS(bulk)
• Functional requirements e.g. Safety, stats,
  Operator interface..)
• Non Functional (e.g. Network, Comms, Time synch,
  security, standard

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Summary of Accelerator contracts

• Levels of integration requirements will vary
  depending on capability of supplier
• EPICS is now common enough in the community
  for it to be leveraged on, industry can supply.
• EPICS is being specified to ease integration
  problems and risk. This approach is consistent
  with the general project approach.
• IOCs - in general will not be free issued
• Suppliers if not capable can now seek
  independent help .
•  

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EPICS details Using late version (n-1). Next
major release due after first turn. Training -
Epics course included Industry reps EPICS
collaboration Meeting. Hardware will use
commercial off the shelf as much as possible IOC
selection - favour RT Linux
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The development system

• Purchased hardware still being configured
• Includes dedicated build machines
• Configuration Management (Perforce Front end to
  CVS),
• bug tracking (Bugzilla integrated browser),
  Webserver,
• specialist coding machines and
• Machines Simulator.
•  

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EPICS Toolbox selections

• EDM for simple displays, bulk displays
• Linux Windows OS
• Matlab MCA, rewritten by us, incredibly
  powerful, for complex displays and high level
  control (e.g. SOFB)
• Archivers latest version very powerful
• EPICS CA Gateways for security and separation
• Standard Alarm Handling until after
  commissioning, others may be required later.

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Driver developments

• Bench development of Controllers
• Varian
• Gamma
• HPS guage controller
• PLC Modicon (Schneider Pilz)
• Now it only takes few days to get most simple
  devices talking to EPICS

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MCA - 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.
• Lets us be close to the AP

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Development and Support System
Simulate everything at the start and then
replace. Separate development and
production Systems engineering, Configuration
management