The Control and Data Acquisition of the LHC Test String

R.Saban, D.Brahy, J.Casas-Cubillos, D.Lavielle,
G.Leo, L.Madaro, A.Rijllart, M.Skiadelli

AT Division, CERN


CERN has built and commissioned the first version of the LHC Test String which consists of one quadrupole and two full-scale twin aperture dipole magnets. An experimental programme aiming at the validation of the LHC systems operation has started. This programme includes cryogenic, thermal hydraulical, power, quench protection, mechanical and vacuum tests.

Due to limited manpower, the utmost care has been taken to benefit from the experience of controls in industry and therefore adapt the specification to the commercial offer. The control system is based on industry standard Programmable Logic Controllers programmed either in-house or by the supplier of the equipment which they control. The PLCs are interfaced to the operators via industrial networks and a commercial supervision software package running on a commercial computer platform. For the data acquisition, a technical specification was written and the system was purchased turn-key from industry. It consists of VME crates interfaced to a commercial computer platform running a commercial application enabler.

The present paper describes the control system, the data acqusition system and the database used as a repository of experimental data, it explains the strategy used to purchase from industry, and makes an assessment of the outcome of this approach.