The RF Control System of the NAL Accelerator

The Booster and Main Accelerator RF Systems at NAL share many common devices and have nearly identical control requirements. The equipment for each cavity is controlled and monitored via a Module Interface Unit (MIU). The MIU´s, connected to a MAC-16 computer via a 50 ohm parallel daisy chain cable system, serve the dual functions of interfacing the equipment to the computer and of providing facilities for manual control and monitoring of an accelerating module. The MIU is a general interface having the capacity to control 32 and monitor 128 binary lines, control 16 analog channels, and monitor 64 analog channels via an attached Multiplexed A/D Converter (MADC). The assignment of channels to equipment functions may be easily changed at each module. Each of three RF control centers contains a MAC-16 computer, an MIU and MADC for control of non-modular equipment, a timing controller to provide computer-controlled timing signals, and a computer-independent core memory curve generator providing repetitive driving waveforms. Each MAC-16 may be controlled locally using a portable I/O cart containing a teletype, paper tape reader, and control knobs, or from the main control room consoles via serial data links to a Sigma 2 computer.