An EPICS to TINE Translator

Abstract

Accelerator control at DESY has in the past been hampered by the 'many-control-systems' syndrome, where different subsystems were controlled by completely different means offering no possibility of intercommunication. Today, practically all subsystems of HERA are controlled by TINE. Important exceptions include the Proton Vacuum(DOOCS), cryogenics control(D3), and the super-conducting electron RF cavities and the power and cooling subsystems, the latter two of which are controlled by EPICS IOCs. A step toward integrating the EPICS IOCs into the HERA mainstream has been taken in that an EPICS to TINE translator process has been written, which runs directly on the EPICS IOC and offers a TINE view of the hardware control to the rest of the control system. This in effect renders the EPICS IOC into a bi-lingual server, and highlights the principal difference between a 'translator' and a 'gateway'. Details of this translator are presented in this paper.