DIII-D neutral beam control system operator interface

Abstract

A centralized graphical user interface has been added to the DIII-D neutral beam (NB) control systems for status monitoring and remote control applications. This user interface provides for automatic data acquisition, alarm detection and supervisory control of the four NB programmable logic controllers (PLC) as well as the mode control PLC. These PLCs are used for interlocking, control and status of the NB vacuum pumping, gas delivery, and water cooling systems as well as beam mode status and control. The system allows for both a friendly user interface as well as a safe and convenient method of communicating with remote hardware that formerly required interruption of machine operations to access. In the future, to enable high level of control of PLC subsystems, complete procedures can be written and executed at the touch of a screen control panel button. The system consists of an IBM compatible 486 computer running the FIX DMACS for Windows data acquisition and control operator interface software, a Texas Instruments/Siemens communication card and Phoenix Digital optical communications modules. Communication is achieved via the TIWAY (Texas Instruments) protocol link utilizing both fiber optic communications and a copper local area network (LAN). Hardware and software capabilities will be reviewed. Data and alarm reporting, extended monitoring and control capabilities will also be discussed.