NSNS Integrated Control System

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EPICS Recent Applications and Future Directions
Bob Dalesio June 12, 2001
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EPICS is a Suitable for a Large Range of Control
Installations

• PVs I/O
  Controllers
• K Advanced Photon Source 300K 170
• E KEK B 240K 94
• CCEBAF 180K 98
• BBESSY II 150K 110
• SSwiss Light Source 90K 160
• DD0 (FNL) 60K 124
• PPEP II RF and Longitudinal Control 19K
  21
• LLow Energy Demonstrator Accelerator 15K 18
• CCompass 1K 1
• KKeck II 2K 2
• GGemini Telescope 35K 17
• Next Linear Collider Test Accelerator 3K
  2
• Diamond 50K 180
• Japanese Hadron Facility 50K 100
• PF-AR 25K 50
• Spallation Neutron Source 150K 150

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EPICS Supports a Standard Control System
Architecture
Workstations Sun Hp
DEC/Alpha Silicon Graphics PC
Site LAN/WAN
I/O Controllers VME VXI
PCI
Remote and Local I/O Buses Control Net, PCI,
CAN-Bus, Industry Pack, VME, VXI, PCI, ISA,
CAMAC, GPIB, Profibus, Bitbus, Serial,
Allen-Bradley, Modbus, Yokogawa, G-3,
Ethernet/IP
Field I/O
Field I/O
Field I/O
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Support For This Extensive Code Base is Divided
into Core and Extensions
Archive Viewing
Archive Analysis
Program Interfaces C, C, Fortran, JAVA IDL /
Matlab / Mathematica ActiveX / DDE /
VisBasic SDDS / SAD / tcl / PERL / Python State
Notation Lang / FSQT
User Tools DM/MEDM/DM2K/EDM/JDM Alarm Handler /
stripTool/ knobManager
Archive Access
Archiving
Channel Access Client (CAC) Connection Data
Transfers
Connection Server
WAN/LAN
Connection Data Transfers Channel Access
Server (CAS)
Connection Data
Transfers Portable Channel Access Server (CAS)
DB Engine
Generic Data Descriptor
Active X
Types
Access Lib
Device Support
Any Data Store
Driver Support
Channel Access Client
Labview / Excel..
I/O Controller
Gateway
Portable CAS
PCAS - Windows
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Modifications to Core are Tightly Controlled and
Rigorously Tested

• CCore operational on LINUX, SOLARIS, Windows, RT
  Linux, and RTEMS eliminates the requirement to
  purchase vxWorks and supports a single computer
  control system ANL, LANL, Canadian Light
  Source, KEK.
• NNew Data Object enables future modifications to
  the Channel Access Protocol and Event Mechanisms
  LANL, BESSY, ANL
• CConversion from 68K platforms to Power PC for
  Process Database supports the execution of 100K
  process variables per second. (33
  input-gtcontrol-gtoutputloops at 1 KHz) KEK,
  Jlab, and SLAC.
• RReplace the Data Object in the Gateway with the
  New Data Object for Higher Throughput and Greater
  Reliability- BESSY
• RRemove Array Size Limitations and String Length
  Limitations - LANL and ANL
• RReplace the Original Channel Access Server with
  the Portable Channel Access Server and New Data
  Object to Reduce Code Management Costs - LANL and
  ANL

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The Port of the EPICS Database Makes Single Box
Systems Possible
Site LAN/WAN
Gateway
Control System LAN/WAN
Operating Systems Linux, Windows, Solaris I/O
support GPIB and Serial Devices so far.
Field I/O
Field I/O
Field I/O
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EPICS Has Well Defined Interfaces for Extensions
at all Levels
Archive Viewing
Archive Analysis
Program Interfaces C, C, Fortran, JAVA IDL /
Matlab / Mathematica ActiveX / DDE /
VisBasic SDDS / SAD / tcl / PERL / Python State
Notation Lang / FSQT
User Tools DM/MEDM/DM2K/EDM/JDM Alarm Handler /
stripTool/ knobManager
Archive Access
Archiving
Channel Access Client (CAC) Connection Data
Transfers
Connection Server
WAN/LAN
Connection Data Transfers Channel Access
Server (CAS)
Connection Data
Transfers Portable Channel Access Server (CAS)
DB Engine
Generic Data Descriptor
Active X
Types
Access Lib
Device Support
Any Data Store
Driver Support
Channel Access Client
Labview / Excel..
I/O Controller
Gateway
Portable CAS
PCAS - Windows
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Extensions are Made and Maintained Throughout the
Collaboration

• NNew Driver, Device, and Record support is
  developed at nearly every project that has used
  EPICS.
• PProcess Database Configuration tools have been
  developed for graphical and relational
  representations at PSI, LANL and ANL.
• DDisplay Managers have been developed at ORNL,
  Jlab, LANL, BESSY, and ANL.
• SState Notation Language was developed at LANL
  and then extended and supported by first Keck
  and now SLAC.
• TThe Alarm Manager is maintained by ANL.
• DData Archiving and Viewing has been done in
  parallel by LANL, DESY, Jlab, SLAC, BESSY, ANL.
• CClient connections to scripting languages
  Python, PERL, Tcl are available from KEKand
  LANL.
• CClient connections to Matlab, Mathmatica, IDL,
  Active X (Labivew, Excel etc..) are supported by
  the APS Beamlines and LANL
• SServer support to Active X (LabView, Excel
  etc..) is done by LANL.
• SSupport for standard buses is available from
  ANL, LANL, BESSY, LBL, DESSY, KEK, BNL with the
  list maintained at LBL.
• HHost Based Name Server JLab

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New Graphical Process Database Configuration Tool
Done by JSI for PSI
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New Process Database Configuration Tools for
Oracle Import Files and Allow Editing
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The Extensible Display Manager (EDM) from ORNL
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Wide Area Network Support is Becoming More
Commonplace

• MThe MEDM Display Manager is in test at Jlab
  using a web aware file system to download
  displays and channel access client interface to
  communicate to the control system.
• A CORBA interface to the archiver data is being
  developed at Jlab.
• EElectronic Log Books with web browsing
  capability is available from Jlab.
• CChannel Archiver, configured and managed over a
  web interface, was developed at LANL.
• AWeb-based archive data viewing and export was
  developed at LANL.

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Web Based Archive Retrieval is Used to Find Data
and Export in Other Formats
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Web Based Electronic Log Book from Jefferson
Laboratory
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Channel Access Protocol is Being Made Extendable

• A A new data object was recently completed to
  enable the protocol to be extended.
• LLarge array support will be available this month
  in the embedded server, and this year in the
  portable server.
• EExtensions for notification on new classes of
  events like metadata changes, related channel
  change, and timed monitors will be made with this
  new support.
• TThe current two servers will be replaced by one
  high performance, object oriented, flexible
  server reducing the time to implement new
  features.
• NNew and extended composite data structures can
  be supported that enable the creation of beam
  data, history data, and statistical data
  structures to support network based high level
  applications.

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There is Increased Involvement of Industry in the
EPICS Community

• ALaboratories face tighter cost control and
  technical expertise is more difficult to find, so
  large budget peaks that occur during construction
  are managed with more industrial support.
• PPSI recently completed the SLS with the RF and
  LINAC being delivered by commercial companies
  complete with EPICS systems.
• SSNS will contract out the conventional
  facilities and have them delivered with an EPICS
  control system.
• AAt LANL we have had RF and vacuum systems
  delivered with PLC systems that are then
  integrated into EPICS with minimal effort.
• KKEK trained Mitsubishi to develop and maintain
  the KEKB control system with lab supervision.
• WWe hope to encourage more industrial support
  when EPICS is made open-source - in the very near
  future.

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Some Aspects of the EPICS Approach Are Still
Difficult for Newcomers

• IIn EPICS, there is frequently more than one tool
  available to implement an aspect of the system.
  Deciding the correct approach is confusing for
  beginners.
• TThe distributed nature of the collaboration also
  presents no coherent set of documentation for new
  users so much of the information is
  disseminated through collaboration meetings and
  personal contacts. There is a good guide at the
  LBL sight.
• TThe work of supporting new users is not funded
  by any organization and as such, the ability to
  support this is limited to training workshops and
  documents that are written to support local
  groups.

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The EPICS Collaboration Continues to Expand
Support for Physics Projects

• MModifications to the channel access protocol
  will enable protocol extensions to support
  network communication for high level physics
  applications.
• EEPICS should soon be open source with no
  licensing or secret handshake requirements.
• NNew Hardware and Software Platforms are tested
  and integrated by members of the collaboration to
  take advantage of the latest technology.
• WWeb based and wireless technology is being
  incorporated for improved operations.
• NNew tools continue to be developed that reduce
  the cost of developing and maintaining our
  systems.

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