Instrumentation and Controls Autumn '21 Meeting

Name: Instrumentation and Controls Autumn '21 Meeting
Start: 2021-05-27T09:00:00+10:00
End: 2021-05-28T17:00:00+10:00
Location: Zoom

27 May 2021, 09:00 → 28 May 2021, 17:00 Australia/Melbourne

Zoom

David Button (ANSTO), Matthew Rees, Andraz Pozar (Australian Synchrotron)

Description

Two-day meeting of controls and instrumentation teams from around Australia. The meeting will be separated in two parts:

27 May 2021 - Interfacing devices with EPICS
Continuing from where we left off at the last meeting, we'll take you through a few different ways of interfacing devices with EPICS. The training will have a practical element for which a virtual environment will be prepared.

See the EPICS Training page for more information.

28 May 2021 - Talks and discussions
See the timetable on this page by selecting "Timetable" from the menu on the left.

Participants

Alan Ng
Andraz Pozar
Andrew Bolin
Andrew Downes
Andrew Starritt
ben baldwinson
Craig Haskins
Daniel Tempra
Danny Wong
David Brodrick
David Button
David Garton
Douglas Clowes
Euan Troup
JIAN WANG
Matteo Volpi
Matthew Rees
Mee Kwan
Nader Afshar
Nikolai Lobanov
Nikolas Paneras
Norman Xiong
Peter Linardakis
Rosemary Waghorn
Ross Hogan
Scott Williams
Simin Chen
Simon Hoyle
Stephen Battisson
Stephen Mudie
Stephen Oelofse
Susi Seibt
Thomas Tunningley
Yasser Mafi Nejad
Zai Wang
Zoe Taylor

Thursday, 27 May
- Thu, 27 May
- Fri, 28 May
- 09:00 → 10:30
  
  Interfacing Devices With EPICS - Training: Morning
- 10:30 → 11:00
  
  Morning Tea 30m
- 11:00 → 12:30
  
  Interfacing Devices With EPICS - Training: Morning
- 12:30 → 13:30
  
  Lunch 1h
- 13:30 → 15:00
  
  Interfacing Devices With EPICS - Training: Afternoon
- 15:00 → 15:30
  
  Afternoon Tea 30m
- 15:30 → 17:00
  
  Interfacing Devices With EPICS - Training: Afternoon
Friday, 28 May
- Thu, 27 May
- Fri, 28 May
- 09:00 → 09:10
  
  Open Session
  
  Talk
- 09:10 → 10:30
  Morning Session
  - 09:10
    
    Advanced Instrumentation Technology Centre at ANU 20m
    
    The Advanced Instrumentation Technology Centre (AITC), at ANU's Mount Stromlo Observatory, is a largely self-funding body, receiving contracts to develop optical and infrared instrumentation for some of the world's largest telescopes. We also host the Australian Space Test Facility and are a node of the Australian Astronomical Optics (AAO) consortium, operating and providing instrumentation for Australia's premier telescopes.
    
    This presentation provides a brief introduction to the AITC, some of our current projects and the control systems used to realise them.
    
    Speaker: David Brodrick (ANU)
    
    Advanced Instrumentation Technology Centre.pdf YouTube talk recording
  - 09:30
    
    MEX Crystal Spectrometer 20m
    
    The Crystal Spectrometer is one of the first equipment arrived onsite for ANSTO's BR-IGHT program.
    - Where it came from?
    - What changes were made?
    - How it is currently implemented?
    - Engineering GUI
    - video of Spectrometer in Action
    - What's next?
    
    Speaker: Danny Wong
    
    Spectrometer Presentation.pptx Talk recording (YouTube)
  - 09:50
    
    Script based GUI builder for instrument control and data treatment 20m
    
    A new feature has been added to the Gumtree software that allows users to create their own graphical user interfaces for controlling the neutron scattering instruments and treating data. Users without any GUI design experience can write simple Python scripts in this software environment, and the system will automatically generate the GUI accordingly. These scripts can be used for a mixed of purposes such as driving devices, collecting neutrons, treating the data, and plotting them.
    
    Speaker: Norman Xiong (ANSTO)
    
    ScriptBasedGUI.pptx Talk recording (YouTube)
  - 10:10
    
    Computer Control Operation and Future Upgrade Plan in STAR Accelerator Facility at ANSTO 20m
    
    STAR is a 2MV tandetron accelerator that can perform both IBA and AMS analyses. It has three ion sources which include two duoplasmatron sources for hydrogen and helium, and a solid target sputter source used primarily for ionising carbon samples for AMS. The STAR accelerator currently has 3 beamlines, a multi-elemental surface analysis beamline (SIBA1), a high-resolution depth profiling and irradiation beamline (SIBA2), and a 14C beamline (AMS).
    This presentation will firstly introduce the current computer control system, and look at its history and developments. These include partial modification of the original C14-OS package in Windows NT, and upgrade from Windows NT to Windows XP.
    Due to the age of the system, and the base hardware, operation and maintenance of the control system has become problematic. Consideration for a future upgrade of the STAR computer control system are in there early stage. This presentation will also explore two possible upgrading and replacement options.
    
    Speaker: Dr JIAN WANG (CAS ANSTO)
    
    STAR_Con_Ops_Upg.pptx Talk recording (YouTube)
- 10:30 → 11:00
  
  Morning Tea 30m
- 11:00 → 12:20
  Morning Session
  - 11:00
    
    Fast ORM Measurement for Australian Synchrotron 20m
    
    The fast ORM measurement system would be capable of reducing the measurement time of the storage ring’s corrector to position response matrix from 15 minutes down to around 1 minute.
    
    The fast ORM measurement system is designed to generate sinusoidal excitation of the electron beam with or without FOFB correction data for fast response measurements. It is also equipped with a white noise generator for closed loop gain analysis. With a much larger FPGA, the FOFB correction data can be encoded as UDP packets and sent to IOCs for archiving and offline analysis.
    
    Speaker: Simin Chen (ANSTO)
    
    Fast ORM Measurement in Australian Synchrotron.pptx Talk recording (YouTube)
  - 11:20
    
    Developing a High Voltage Generator controller for the 2MV Tandetron accelerator 20m
    
    The aim of this project is to develop a controller to run the High Voltage Generator (HVG) for the 2MV Tandetron accelerator (Small Tandem Accelerator for Research (STAR)) at ANSTO.
    
    The HVG is a solid state voltage multiplier used instead of a belt or pellet chain to generate the high potential for the accelerator terminal.
    
    The current HVG controller PCB is damaged and is running in a static, fixed frequency mode. The current controller is constructed of obsolete components that have no direct replacements. The repair of this PCB in not a feasible option.
    
    The new control hardware is based on a NI cRIO-9035 PLC using a NI9401 (Ultra-fast digital output), NI9403 (Digital Input/Output) and a NI9205 (Analogue Input). We are using LabVIEW 2019 for the software development environment.
    
    This PLC consists of a FPGA and a Real Time unit within an ARM based processor. The accelerator controller is in charge of tracking the resonant frequency of the accelerator. This is achieved within the FPGA section by implementing a phase-locked loop (PLL). The output stage IGBTs are controlled also by the FPGA using PWM in real parallel execution. Moreover, the interlock system will be developed in Real Time controller.
    
    The implemented wideband PLL will maximise power delivery efficiency to the HVG. The PLL free-running VCO is able to tune from 35 kHz to 47 kHz (25%) with a lock in range of 40.7 to 41.3 kHz. This enables the controller to precisely track the drift in the resonant frequency of the HVG.
    
    The controller can also precisely vary the width of the pulse (PWM) from 1% to 99% (operational range from 5 – 30 %) with the resolution of 1% at the entire frequency band. This will enable the accelerator to run at different voltages terminals.
    
    Experimental results shows that our new HVG control system not only runs the accelerator efficiently and safely, but also provides remote monitoring and upgradability.
    
    Speakers: Mr Nikolas Paneras, Mr Yasser Yasser Mafi Nejad
    
    STAR High Voltage Generator replacement- (Nikolas Paneras, Yasser Mafinejad) 27.05.pdf Talk recording (YouTube)
  - 11:40
    
    Interfacing to Xilinx Alveo Accelerator Cards using caproto and pyOpenCL 20m
    
    Xilinx Alveo FPGA processing cards are used for DSP in beamformers for both CSIRO Parkes telescope CryoPAF and SKA-Low Telescope Correlator and Beamformer projects. The telescope control systems use EPICS and TANGO respectively. We have used pyOpenCL to create a control-system-independent layer to the beamformer firmware in the Alveo card then used caproto to create a Python IOC for interface to the Parkes control system. This talk will describe these systems with details of the caproto Python script
    
    Speaker: Euan Troup (CSIRO Astronomy and Space)
    
    epics meeting 2021 May 28.pptx Talk recording (YouTube)
  - 12:00
    
    Float64 Motor Record 20m
    
    In the Australian Synchrotron, we have standardised our motion controls based on Omron's PowerBrickLV(r), an advanced and versatile controller platform.
    
    In order to utilise the advanced features of these controllers while maintaining the complexity that comes with the versatile and multi-purposed controller, DLS developers team led the community by setting up a software stack with modules in the controller firmware up to the motor record.
    
    In the Controls Systems team, we took on the task of advancing the DLS software stack and Motor Record to meet our new requirements for PPMAC namely: supporting fractional readbacks in engineering units from controller, improved performance of the driver, additional protection functions at the controller level and streamlined routines e.g. homing routines, without backward compatibility requirements.
    
    Now we are testing our beta version of the software stack, with an improved Motor Record, driver and IOC templates.
    
    Speaker: Mr Nader Afshar (Australian Synchrotron - ANSTO)
    
    Ppmac Software Stack.pptx Talk recording (YouTube)
- 12:20 → 13:20
  
  Lunch Break 1h
- 13:20 → 14:40
  Afternoon Session
  - 13:20
    
    CSBS - Control System Breakdown Structure 20m
    
    At the Australian Synchrotron we use a tool to allow entry of the operational area controls system structure which includes both the assembly and control hierarchies. This tool also includes auto generate of component (devices, controllers, hosts, IOCs) names, and API endpoints that can be used by other applications.
    
    Speaker: Rosemary Waghorn (Australian Synchrotron)
    
    csbs_instr_2021_final.pptx Talk recording (YouTube)
  - 13:40
    
    Automatically generated engineering GUIs 20m
    
    At the Australian Synchrotron we will use a combination of tools to capture the operational area controls system structure and from it generate engineering GUIs for that area at a click of a button.
    
    Speaker: Andraz Pozar (Australian Synchrotron)
    
    Automatic generation of Engineering GUIs.pptx Talk recording (YouTube)
  - 14:00
    
    Physics Instrumentation Engineers of Australia - Let's Collaborate More! 20m
    
    Having been engaged in the development of radio telescopes, neutron facilities, and optical and infrared astronomy facilities, I can't help observe that many of the engineering building blocks are precisely the same. At the same time I see that, in practice, so few of the instrumentation engineers in Australia have the opportunity to share experiences with, or learn lessons from counterparts at other Australian physics facilities.
    
    The ANU Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics have recently allocated strategic funding to support better collaboration and communication with our instrumentation counterparts supporting other realms of science in Australia.
    
    The intent of this talk is to provide a background to the initiative while leaving time for discussion on ways in which better engagement may enrich us all.
    
    Speaker: David Brodrick (ANU)
    
    Lets Collaborate.pdf Talk recording (YouTube)
  - 14:20
    
    Docker for Beamline Controls 20m
    
    The SAXS/WAXS beamline at the Australian Synchrotron has been successfully using docker containers to run epics IOCs, including Galil motor controllers and GigE video cameras, since 2016. This system has proved extremely reliable, easy to maintain, and self documenting. The current system uses Docker Swarm for High Availability/Redundancy, and where possible reuses docker images for multiple IOCs, with configuration injected at run time. This talk will give an introduction to Docker and present an overview of the implementation of Docker on the Australian Synchrotron SAXS/WAXS beamline.
    
    Speaker: Stephen Mudie (ANSTO)
    
    Docker For IOC Deployment and Management.pptx Talk recording (YouTube)
- 14:40 → 15:10
  
  Afternoon Tea 30m
- 15:10 → 15:50
  Afternoon Session
  - 15:10
    
    Machine Vision Applications 20m
    
    At the Centre for Accelerator Science (CAS) in ANSTO Lucas Heights, we have recently been evaluating solutions incorporating the use of Machine Vision as a tool for improving our systems and operations.
    This talk will provide a brief introduction to Machine Vision and its applications in general industry. We will discuss how Machine Vision has been used previously here at CAS and explore its future potential.
    
    Speaker: Matthew Rees (ANSTO)
    
    machine vision applications.pptx Talk recording (YouTube)
  - 15:30
    
    Science NET 20m
    
    ScienceNet Update May 2021.pptx Talk recording (YouTube)
- 15:50 → 16:30
  Open Discussion Session
  - 15:50
    
    Architecture and maintenance of accelerator control system 20m
    
    Under current University re-structure, we have limited resources allocated for upgrades and regular maintenance of the HIAF control system. We will structure this talk as an open discussion session dedicated to the current status and future development of HIAF control system and potentially engaging some collaborators from the delegation to form an advisory/workforce group to address those issues.
    
    Speakers: Nikolai Lobanov (ANU), Peter Linardakis (Australian National University), Mr Daniel Tempra (ANU), Mr Stephen Battison (ANU)
    
    Talk recording (YouTube)
  - 16:10
    
    Open Discussion 20m
    
    General open discussion
    
    Discussion recording (YouTube)
- 16:30 → 16:50
  
  Feedback/Future Meeting Requests
- 16:50 → 17:00
  
  Close-out

Instrumentation and Controls Autumn '21 Meeting

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