The New RF Control System for the CERN SPS Accelerator

The old SPS RF control system designed in 1972 has been replaced completely, hardware and software. The new sys-tem has to control both RF equipment conceived during the last 23 years, and future (modern) equipment. Using infor-mation analysis method, we derived a model of an RF com-mand and designed a database accordingly (ORACLEr). Information from this database is used for command gener-ation, processing, and also for archiving settings. The ad-vantage is purely generic software, that is the same com-puter code is used for switching on an RF amplifier, or for setting a frequency synthesizer. New equipment is added very simply by entering new records in the database. Addi-tional features include a reservation scheme whereby a user can take private control of an equipment, a reporting facil-ity notifying the user of the simultaneous control activity by other users on RF equipment, and a capability scheme as-signing a level of expertise to each user restricting action on the equipment. 1 THE SPS RF EQUIPMENT The SPS is a 7 km long machine accelerating protons, elec-trons, positrons and heavy ions. The RF equipment consists of the following systems: 200 MHz TWC. 4 cavities at 200 MHz, of the travel-ling wave type, used for protons and ions acceleration. 200 MHz SWC. 21 cavities at 200 MHz, of the stand-ing wave type, used for leptons acceleration. 100 MHz SWC. 6 cavities at 100 MHz, of the standing wave type, used for leptons acceleration. 352 MHz SUPRA. 4 supraconducting cavities at 352 MHz, used for leptons acceleration. 400 MHz SUPRA. 1 supraconducting cavity at 400 MHz, prototype of the cavity for the future LHC. Beam Control. Settings and acquisitions: Radial loop, phase loop, frequency program... RF Synchronization. Settings and acquisitions for synchronizing the bunch into bucket transfers from CPS into SPS, and from SPS into LEP. 352 MHz SUPRA beam dump and veto field. Moni-toring of the faults in the cavity. Measurements. Acquisition of data for diagnostics.