TANGO Control Research Articles

Large Language Model-Informed X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Data Analysis

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) remains a fundamental technique in materials science, offering invaluable insights into the chemical states and electronic structure of a material. However, the interpretation of XPS spectra can be complex, requiring deep expertise and often sophisticated curve-fitting methods. In this study, we present a novel approach to the analysis of XPS data, integrating the utilization of large language models (LLMs), specifically OpenAI’s GPT-3.5/4 Turbo to provide insightful guidance during the data analysis process. Working in the framework of the CIRCE-NAPP beamline at the CELLS ALBA Synchrotron facility where data are obtained using ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (APXPS), we implement robust curve-fitting techniques on APXPS spectra, highlighting complex cases including overlapping peaks, diverse chemical states, and noise presence. Post curve fitting, we engage the LLM to facilitate the interpretation of the fitted parameters, leaning on its extensive training data to simulate an interaction corresponding to expert consultation. The manuscript presents also a real use case utilizing GPT-4 and Meta’s LLaMA-2 and describes the integration of the functionality into the TANGO control system. Our methodology not only offers a fresh perspective on XPS data analysis, but also introduces a new dimension of artificial intelligence (AI) integration into scientific research. It showcases the power of LLMs in enhancing the interpretative process, particularly in scenarios wherein expert knowledge may not be immediately available. Despite the inherent limitations of LLMs, their potential in the realm of materials science research is promising, opening doors to a future wherein AI assists in the transformation of raw data into meaningful scientific knowledge.

Distributed Control Software for the Active Surface System of Tian-ma Radio Telescope

The Tian-ma Radio Telescope (TMRT) applies an Active Surface System (ASFS), which corrects for large-scale deformations due to gravity and thermal on the primary reflector. The centralized and automated management of the ASFS using software has become a challenge, for which we have developed the TMRT Active Surface System Control Software (TASCS). This paper describes the design and implementation of TASCS for device control, status monitoring, human-computer interaction, and data management functionalities. TASCS adopts the open-source Tango Controls framework and distributes middleware technology to realize real-time automated adjustment of the primary reflector through remote centralized control of a large number of actuators. At present, it has been successfully deployed on the TMRT and has played an important role in Event Horizon Telescope observations.

Tango Controls and data pipeline for petawatt laser experiments

Abstract The Centre for Advanced Laser Applications in Garching, Germany, is home to the ATLAS-3000 multi-petawatt laser, dedicated to research on laser particle acceleration and its applications. A control system based on Tango Controls is implemented for both the laser and four experimental areas. The device server approach features high modularity, which, in addition to the hardware control, enables a quick extension of the system and allows for automated data acquisition of the laser parameters and experimental data for each laser shot. In this paper we present an overview of our implementation of the control system, as well as our advances in terms of experimental operation, online supervision and data processing. We also give an outlook on advanced experimental supervision and online data evaluation – where the data can be processed in a pipeline – which is being developed on the basis of this infrastructure.

New development of SGII-UP laser facility control system based on tango controls

The SGII-UP laser facility is currently undergoing an upgrade from early 2022 to increase the energy output and support direct-driver double-cone ignition fusion experiments. This upgrade requires broad changes to the existing control system. Since the first beam, the SGII-UP laser facility has been driven by a control system built by a few decentralised computers, and with the growing scale of the facility and the need for a physics experiment operation, the existing control system no longer meets the requirements of the operation.The novel control system is built around the Tango Controls, and it is a great challenge to apply Tango Controls to this high-power laser facility, which includes eight kilojoule-class nanosecond laser beams and one picosecond petawatt laser beam. The system employs a hierarchical structure that comprises device, service and GUI layers, and these implement communication via a unified Tango communication protocol interface. Physical devices of subsystems are encapsulated into virtual device services, which are processes implementing a set of device classes. This encapsulation allows easy access to data, while hiding the complex set of instructions for physical devices. The service layer collects data from the device services, processes them, and sends commands to physical devices. Based on Tango's interface, client GUIs are developed under QT. The flexibility of communication using the Tango protocol allows multiple access to the device.

Laboratory time-resolved X-ray diffractometry for in situ studies of crystalline materials under uniaxial compression and vibration

A novel laboratory diffractometer for time-resolved high-resolution X-ray diffraction studies of reversible and irreversible processes in crystalline materials under uniaxial compression and vibration is described. Temporal resolution up to milliseconds for double-crystal and up to tens of seconds for triple-crystal diffraction experiments was achieved with a single adaptive bending X-ray optics element. Design solutions and techniques for applying and controlling uniaxial compression and vibration for in situ time-resolved studies are described. Results are presented for various static and dynamic load experiments, controlled by a system based on the TANGO Controls framework. Rocking curves of paratellurite (TeO2) under quasi-static compression and lithium fluoride (LiF) under ultrasonic vibration were measured with temporal resolution. Reciprocal-space maps of LiF under static compression and quartz (SiO2) under ultrasonic vibration were collected.

Thermometry System of NICA Booster Superconducting Magnets

The NICA accelerator complex is developed on the JINR base in Dubna for performing physical experiments on colliding beams of heavy ions. It consists of the injection complex, booster synchrotron, upgraded Nuclotron synchrotron, and heavy-ion collider. The booster is currently under assembly. The system, developed at the LHEP JINR to perform precise temperature measurements of superconducting magnets of the booster synchrotron, is described. The thermometry system includes more than 240 resistive TVO-type temperature sensors, the National Instruments data acquisition system, software based on Tango Controls technology, and a web-client application.

Программное обеспечение для системы архивирования данных ЛИУ-20

The control system of the X-ray complex LIA-20 is based on the Tango Controls framework. Data archiving subsystem HDB++ was improved during the work for efficient storage of waveforms. PostgreSQL DBMS support as a storage was added. PostgreSQL extension “pguint” for unsigned numbers support was modified to support the binary transfer mode during this work. Performance testing of the modified “pguint” extension and the new DBMS interface was performed. This solution allowed to significantly increase the performance of HDB++, reduce the amount of data stored in the database, as well as remove restrictions on the size of the stored data.

Необходимость применения интеллектуальных систем управления в экспериментальных ядерно-физических комплексах (типа NICA). Ч.I: Проблема нештатных ситуаций

In the article (Part I) the necessity of application of end-to-end quantum technologies of intelligent computing in problems of structure elements control of complex experimental accelerator complex NICA is analyzed. Given a description of possible unforeseen situations, their classification is given to include adjustments to the decision-making application of production rules, logic knowledge bases of intelligent control systems based on emerging information risk increment. In the second part (Part II) the proposed two-level intelligent control system, a physical experimental setup of the NICA complex, in which the lower Executive level is a traditional control system based on expert control using the Tango control system Controls, while the upper (intelligent) level control actions are generated using the methods of quantum end-to-end IT design quantum fuzzy controller. Part II presents the QSCIT (Quantum Soft Computational Intelligence Toolkit), based on soft and quantum computing, to design robust knowledge bases in self-organizing intelligent control systems.

BUILDING A SYNCHROTRON ONTOLOGY: AN ANALYSIS OF A SYNCHROTRON CONTROL SYSTEM IN A COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENT

This paper presents research on building a synchrotron ontology using analysis of a synchrotron control system and the aspects of collaborative ontology engineering. It includes a general description of the studied domain and the method used to develop a synchrotron domain ontology. The ontology is being created on the basis of a Solaris synchrotron control system in cooperation with the synchrotron facilities belonging to the Tango community. The first Polish synchrotron radiation facility Solaris is located at Jagiellonian University’s Third Campus in Krakow, Poland. Synchrotron is an unique source of electromagnetic radiation known as synchrotron radiation. This paper discusses the impact of the Solaris control system on the building of a synchrotron ontology. It also includes the main assumptions relating to the collaborative knowledge acquired for this domain. The synchrotron ontology will support the optimization of existing control systems and the development of a new synchrotron control system based on Tango controls or other technologies in a consistent manner. Using the same general assumptions and terms, this could be later used for integration and data sharing purposes. The synchrotron ontology can facilitate interoperation by the integration of information from different sources from one or many synchrotron control systems and integrate different parts of the controls systems that provide analogical or similar services. It can also be used to support the translation between different representations, especially regarding particular devices. Knowledge sharing and reuse is a big challenge in complex, distributed systems where the knowledge required is very specialized for different sets of functionalities or subsystems. Regarding synchrotron systems, many specialists must provide their support so the IT specialists are able to develop and maintain a control system. In this case, the synchrotron ontology can be a guideline for knowledge sharing and reuse.

Development of tools for real-time betatron tune measurements at the Nuclotron

A betatron tune measurement system was developed and tested at the Nuclotron. A white noise and chirp signals were used for transverse beam motion excitation. A custom FlexRIO digitizer module was developed which provides excitation signal generation for kicker electrodes and real-time signal acquisition from pickup electrodes. A high resolution FFT algorithm was implemented inside a NI PXI FPGA module, connected to digitizer. The measurement system is integrated with the NICA control system based on the TANGO Controls. Results and tests performed with the Nuclotron beam are presented.

TANGO standard software to control the Nuclotron beam slow extraction

TANGO Controls is a basis of the NICA control system. The report describes the software which integrates the Nuclotron beam slow extraction subsystem into the TANGO system of NICA. Objects of control are power supplies for resonance lenses. The software consists of the subsystem device server, remote client and web-module for viewing the subsystem data.

LabVIEW interface with Tango control system for a multi-technique X-ray spectrometry IAEA beamline end-station at Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste

A new synchrotron beamline end-station for multipurpose X-ray spectrometry applications has been recently commissioned and it is currently accessible by end-users at the XRF beamline of Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste. The end-station consists of an ultra-high vacuum chamber that includes as main instrument a seven-axis motorized manipulator for sample and detectors positioning, different kinds of X-ray detectors and optical cameras. The beamline end-station allows performing measurements in different X-ray spectrometry techniques such as Microscopic X-Ray Fluorescence analysis (µXRF), Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence analysis (TXRF), Grazing Incidence/Exit X-Ray Fluorescence analysis (GI-XRF/GE-XRF), X-Ray Reflectometry (XRR), and X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS). A LabVIEW Graphical User Interface (GUI) bound with Tango control system consisted of many custom made software modules is utilized as a user-friendly tool for control of the entire end-station hardware components. The present work describes this advanced Tango and LabVIEW software platform that utilizes in an optimal synergistic manner the merits and functionality of these well-established programming and equipment control tools.

High-speed readout of high-Z pixel detectors with the LAMBDA detector

High-frame-rate X-ray pixel detectors make it possible to perform time-resolved experiments at synchrotron beamlines, and to make better use of these sources by shortening experiment times. LAMBDA is a photon-counting hybrid pixel detector based on the Medipix3 chip, designed to combine a small pixel size of 55 μm, a large tileable module design, high speed, and compatibility with ``high-Z'' sensors for hard X-ray detection. This technical paper focuses on LAMBDA's high-speed-readout functionality, which allows a frame rate of 2000 frames per second with no deadtime between successive images. This takes advantage of the Medipix3 chip's ``continuous read-write'' function and highly parallelised readout. The readout electronics serialise this data and send it back to a server PC over two 10 Gigabit Ethernet links. The server PC controls the detector and receives, processes and stores the data using software designed for the Tango control system. As a demonstration of high-speed readout of a high-Z sensor, a GaAs LAMBDA detector was used to make a high-speed X-ray video of a computer fan.

Some aspects of SR beamline alignment

Based on the Synchrotron Radiation (SR) beamline optical element-by-element alignment with analysis of the alignment results an optimized beamline alignment algorithm has been designed and developed. The alignment procedures have been designed and developed for the MAX-lab I911-4 fixed energy beamline. It has been shown that the intermediate information received during the monochromator alignment stage can be used for the correction of both monochromator and mirror without the next stages of alignment of mirror, slits, sample holder, etc. Such an optimization of the beamline alignment procedures decreases the time necessary for the alignment and becomes useful and helpful in the case of any instability of the beamline optical elements, storage ring electron orbit or the wiggler insertion device, which could result in the instability of angular and positional parameters of the SR beam. A general purpose software package for manual, semi-automatic and automatic SR beamline alignment has been designed and developed using the developed algorithm. The TANGO control system is used as the middle-ware between the stand-alone beamline control applications BLTools, BPMonitor and the beamline equipment.