Beamline Controls Infrastructure

['John P. Quintana' <jpq@tomato.dnd.aps.anl.gov>]

As many of you know, DND is beginning to gear up to support another
CAT (LS-CAT).  We are starting to look at different options/directions
that we want to pursue and this applies to beamline controls. One of these
is
in control systems infrastructure.
It is actually not too soon to consider this since we are in the costing
phase of the project and need to worry about basic infrastructure.
Things have changes in the automation industry in the last few years
and we are looking at what we should be doing for the next five to ten
years on our beamlines. We are likely to move new activities at DND over to
whatever we choose for LS-CAT.
So, my question is how many CATs (other than SRI) are still using EPICS
as the basis for their control systems infrastructure?  Anyone use it and
then give it up?  Anyone that started using something else and then went
to EPICS?  I don't mean
specialty applications (like the timing module or undulator control), but
as the true underlying glue which holds everything together.  Of the new
CAT's that are coming on board (e.g. HP, SER, SGI ...), what are your plans.
It seems like it would be a good idea to get a sense of this before Tim's
beamline controls meeting. Finally, how many CAT's have SPEC, Labview, or
other commercially purchased control system package
on their beamlines
(at least as an option)?.   If you don't want to pollute the list, email
me privately and I'll put together a table and repost.

Cheers,

John

--
John P.G. Quintana             jpq@northwestern.edu
Northwestern University        Phone: 630-252-0221
DND-CAT                        FAX: 630-252-0226
Building 432/A008              http://www.dnd.aps.anl.gov
9700 South Cass Avenue
Argonne, IL  60439