The paper presents the technical problems related to the electrical control
and command system (ECC system) for the plasma focus installation IPF-4/5A
having the following main parameters: 1 MA plasma current and 40 kJ energy
stored at 20 kV charging voltage. The ECC system applies 23 interlocked lo
gical commands, acquires and processes 28 logical states, acquires, process
es and displays continuously the main slow-varying signals coming from IPF-
4/5A subassemblies. All the plasma focus installation operational sequences
are governed by strict hard and soft interlocking using in parallel two co
ntrol and command systems: one based on PC-control methods and another base
d on classical control techniques.