Development of an automatic control and analysis system for the conditioning of high-power couplers at IHEP

Abstract

A new radio frequency (rf) conditioning system for power couplers has been developed for the High Energy Photon Source (HEPS) project. The system adopted a function-driven modular design, and the control software development was based on Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS) platform to be compatible with the HEPS control system. Dedicated data acquisition system and in-house developed interlock system, as well as universal instruments and devices, constitute the main hardware infrastructure, while distributed EPICS input/output controllers, tailor-made operator interfaces, and data archiving comprise the control software pillars. Automatic control logics were developed to adjust the conditioning parameters according to vacuum pressure readings, thus largely spares human misoperations and considerably reduces the operator’s workload. Limited human supervision is required and the conditioning efficiency may be improved. Besides, data analysis and automatic report generation programs were developed and integrated into the conditioning system. Performances and behaviors of the couplers being conditioned can be easily obtained to help identify potential issues. The system has been used in the conditioning of power couplers and has also been customized to accommodate high-power tests of several other rf components thanks to its modular nature. The performance of both the hardware and the control software was excellent during the tests. The design, realization, and operation of the new rf conditioning system are presented.