The NSCL control system

This paper describes the historical development, current state, and future plans of the computer control system of the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL). A proposal entitled, “Proposal for a National Facility for Research with Heavy Ions using Coupled Superconducting Cyclotrons” was submitted to the National Science Foundation in September, 1976. The proposal was approved and the first cyclotron, the “K500”, came on-line with a limited experimental program in late 1982. The second cyclotron, the “K1200” (formerly called the K800), and another limited experimental program came on-line in early 1988. In late 1990 the entire facility came on-line along with a full experimental program. Up to now, no formal paper has been submitted describing the computer control system for this facility; this paper seeks to fill that void