Design and implementation of a Macintosh-CAMAC based system for neutral beam diagnostics

An automated personal computer-based CAMAC data-acquisition system is being implemented on the DIII-D neutral beamlines for certain diagnostics. The waterflow calorimetry (WFC) diagnostic is the first system to be upgraded. It acquires data with a Macintosh II computer containing an IEEE-488 card, and uses LabView software. Macintosh communicates with CAMAC through an IEEE-488 crate controller. The Doppler-shift spectroscopy, residual gas analysis, and armor-tile infrared image diagnostics will be modified in similar ways. To reduce the demand for Macintosh CPU time, the extensive serial highway data activity is performed by means of a new Kinetic Systems 3982 list-sequencing crate controller dedicated to these operations. A simple local area network file server is used to store data from all diagnostics together, and in a format readable by a standard commercial database. This reduces the problem of redundant data storage and allows simpler interdiagnostic analysis