[Sneap] Labview vs. Epics vs. ???

[Richard Pardo]

Dear Dave,

Sorry for such a slow response.  At ATLAS we are using a commercial
software, VISTA, for accelerator control.  VISTA has its roots with EPICS at
LANL, both being due to Peter Clout.  But for RIA (or whatever eventually
gets built) we anticipate using EPICS.  EPICS has certainly evolved
significantly over the past few years and can now be implemented with a
fairly modest manpower investment, but it still does require significant
local expertise to make functional.  Lab View is now used by a number of
labs for a wide variety of applications, as you know.  Development of
drivers and lower level software can usually be avoided and so can be
implemented with fewer dedicated programmers.  Also its high level interface
allows users to develop fairly sophisticated software for modest efforts.
We use Lab View in a number of locations these days in support of
operations, including a new cryogenics alarm system that is still under
development.

All in all I would think Lab View would be a good choice for a facility the
size of ANU.

Richard Pardo

-----Original Message-----
From: sneap-bounces at tunl.duke.edu [mailto:sneap-bounces at tunl.duke.edu] On
Behalf Of David Weisser
Sent: Sunday, October 29, 2006 11:07 PM
To: Sneap
Cc: davidson; Kennedy; David Anderson
Subject: [Sneap] Labview vs. Epics vs. ???

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IT SNEAPERS,

With the retirement of Gordon Foote, our computer guy, we are forced to
consider where our accelerator computer control system should head in the
future.  Many labs are using Lab View.  Is this solution suitable for
largish facilities like the 14UD plus LINAC?  Several large facilities, like
the Australian Light Source, are using EPICS.  Are there any down sides with
this solution?

All opinions welcome.

David



********************************************
D.C. Weisser
Nuclear Physics Department
Research School of Physical Sciences and Engineering Australian National
University Canberra A.C.T. 0200 AUSTRALIA

Tel:    + 61 (0)2 6125 2080
Fax:    + 61 (0)2 6125 0748
Mobile: + 61 (0)414 249 209

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