COMPUTER-CONTROLLED HIGH-VOLTAGE INJECTOR

This paper reports the results of the operation, under active computer control, of a high-voltage (400 kV) injector. The automation system u ses a microcomputer placed on the high-voltage deck of the ion source, which takes over some of the process control decisions, and a master IBM-PC at ground potential. Various ion beams (p, H-2(+), H-3(+), d, H e+, He2+) have been produced, proving the reliability of the system. A maximum value of 460 kV accelerating potential has been reached durin g the tests. The beam fulfills the requirements for the operation of a room-temperature IH linac. By using a modular expandable computer sys tem the acceleration voltage is continuously adjusted keeping its stan dard error within 0.1%. A future enlargement of the injector has been taken into account and the upgrading of the control system for an elec tron cyclotron resonance ion source would be very simple. (C) 1996 Ame rican Institute of Physics.