Implementation of PCs in the HERA Control System

P. Duval, et al. DESY-MKI, Hamburg


Progress in controlling the HERA machine at DESY with PCs is described, with emphasis on the use of producer-consumer communication links. To date the quench protection system for the superconducting proton ring, the proton collimators, and major portions of the beam diagnostic control and RF controls are incorporated in a control system using PCs running MS-DOS and WINDOWS-based software in a NOVELL network environment. Although dominated by PCs communicating with IPX protocols, the system also supports IP-based communications for links to UNIX machines and VME CPUs. HERA Magnet control is still performed by NORD minicomputers, but the coming upgrade is also discussed in the context of the PC magnet control system planned for the HERA pre-accelerators and peripheral machines, which is now being tested in the PETRA and DORIS rings.