The Controls Electronics and Mechatronics Group within the Beams Department (BE-CEM) develops and maintains a centralized competence in controls hardware and low-level software; electronics design, production and radiation tolerance; mechatronics and robotics; test and measurement systems.
The Group is responsible for:
- the specification, design, procurement, integration, installation, commissioning and operation of generic hardware controls infrastructures for all CERN accelerators, their transfer lines and the experimental areas. The domain of responsibility includes field buses, accelerator timing, embedded real-time front-end computers and generic custom controls electronic modules, for which low-level software is also developed (i.e. Linux device drivers, C/C++ libraries and associated test programs).
- the CERN central service for the layout, industrialization and production of electronic cards and systems using both industrial standards and particle detector specific technologies.
- maintaining a competence in the development of radiation-tolerant electronics, and providing CERN-wide support for radiation testing, CERN irradiation test facilities and radiation monitoring for evaluating the dose to electronics installed in radiation areas.
- providing general mechatronics support for the Accelerator and Technology Sector, in particular responsible for the operation of the mechatronics of the LHC collimators and all other beam-intercepting devices used throughout the CERN accelerator complex.
- the development of robotic solutions for use in remote inspections and tele-manipulation in highly radioactive areas.
- providing CERN-wide support for all test and measurement systems based on the LabVIEW systems engineering software package and an associated set of commercial off-the-shelf products.