Component/Connection/Signal Modeling of Accelerator Systems

This paper presents a pragmatic global approach to data modeling a complex facility such as a particle accelerator. By successively partitioning the facility into collaborating subsystems, one eventually arrives at the component level--the point at which the subsystem is replaceable as a single unit. The fundamental goal of the model is to capture the dynamical relationships (i. e., the connections) that exist among the accelerator-components. Components participate in one or more of three connection types: control, housing, and power. These connections are captured in a multi-hierarchical model capable of handling any component of the accelerator, from the macro scale (magnets, power supplies, racks, etc.) to the embedded scale (circuit board components), if desired. The connection approach has been used to model the signal flows between the components via their port connections. The result is a schema for a cable database that provides end-to-end signal tracing throughout the facility. The paper will discuss the multi-hierarchy nature of the model and its success in replacing the “Revision Controlled Drawing” approach to system documentation.