Berlin 2014 – scientific programme
Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Updates | Downloads | Help
A: Fachverband Atomphysik
A 14: Poster: Precision spectroscopy of atoms and ions (with Q)
A 14.8: Poster
Monday, March 17, 2014, 16:30–18:30, Spree-Palais
A computer-control system for electron beam ion traps — •Daniel Hollain1,2, Hendrik Bekker1, Sven Bernitt1, and José Ramón Crespo López-Urrutia1 — 1Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Heidelberg, Germany — 2Ruprecht-Karls-University, Heidelberg, Germany
Modern experiments require computer control and computerized data acquisition systems. This is especially crucial for systematic and repetitive tasks during long runtimes, when many devices and complicated processes run simultaneously. We develop such a system in order to facilitate operations of electron beam ion traps with their attached detectors and power supply units, to reduce operator errors, and to record and evaluate data during beam times as well as at DESY or BESSY. An efficient computer control system reduces the risk of losses of critical experimental data and of operator errors in the laboratory. Automated systems also allow handling larger sets of data and improving the statistics for experiments. Clean programming, uncomplicated maintenance, and complete documentation are important requirements for the software. We develop a framework for the control of devices based on National Instruments I/O cards. We use routines from the PCASPY library from EPICS, the Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System in a client-server model written in Python2. Other system extensions are possible and will be presented. An important advantage is the fact that the recorded data can be directly used for evaluation of the experiment even during runtime.