Problem We Solve: One of the crucial monitoring systems of any particle accelerator is the Beam Position Monitor (BPM). The purpose of a BPM is to provide information on the position, phase and current of the beam along the accelerator line.

Why It Is Important: CEA Saclay must provide all beam diagnostics for SARAF-LINAC PHASE II in particular BPM. Based on the technical specifications of the CEA, SAFRAN ELECTRONICS & DEFENSE SPAIN S.L.U is in charge of the design, development, manufacture and testing of the electronic system. A preliminary version of this system has been already installed in the SARAF accelerator in Israel at the beginning 2022 and the first results are what we show here.

How we solve it:
Our digital beam position monitoring system (BPM) based on uTCA technology provides an accurate measure of the beam position in the XY plane defined by the section of the accelerating cavities. It plays a crucial role in the commissioning and operation of the cavities that compose any particle accelerator. In addition to position, thanks to the BPM system, the spread and the current of the beam as well as the time of flight (TOF) can be successfully measured. Our solution is tailored to customer needs and takes full advantage of our expertise on PCIe-S BPM equipment working with the most advance crate technologies.

Software Architecture:

The solution includes a control system, EPICS integrated within the hardware, which is capable of controlling up to two BPM sensors and 8 RF signals. By using a SoC, communications between the FPGA and the PS are very fast and simple. Additionally, an Ethernet port is used for communication between the EPICS IOC and the outside, allowing easy access through a user interface.

EPICS as Control system (asynPortDriver, databases, PV, autosave…)

Integrated libraries for FPGA/ARM communication (AXI based)

2 BPM IOCs with complete functionality

System Performance Measured:

Precision in position and phase at 176 MHz

Range of measurement -75 to -65 dBm for fine position and averaged phase for a response time < 60 us

Why Choose Us: Safran collaborates on many breaking-through challenges all around the world, providing best-in class and highly innovative solutions for the most demanding scientific facilities. We’re widely known as a world-wide leader in accurate sub-nanosecond time transfer and frequency distribution as well as having high expertise in advanced control systems for particle accelerators. Our company collaborates on many breaking-through challenges all around the world, providing best-in class and highly innovative solutions for the most demanding scientific facilities.