A new control system for an old tandem

In an effort to maintain the most flexible environment for accelerator-based atomic physics research at ORNL EN Tandem facility, a recirculating terminal stripper project has been in development. In the early stages of planning for this upgrade, the necessity for monitoring and control of various parameters in the accelerator terminal was considered. To provide proper flexibility and accuracy, telemetry via computer seemed to be the obvious route. Since the development of a robust system not prone to upset from sparks was necessary, a phased development approach was taken. This involves first converting the accelerator`s ground potential systems, then ion source ({similar_to}100 kV) systems that can be easily accessed by merely running down high voltage supplies, and finally terminal potential systems operating in high pressure gas at potentials over 7 MV. Progress to date, including hardware arrangement and software development, is discussed