A Retrospective View to the Magnet Interlock Systems at CERN

Several thousands of both, superconducting and normal conducting magnets are in charge of guiding the particle beams in CERN’s accelerator complex. In order to protect the magnet and powering equipment from damage, dedicated magnet interlock and protection systems are deployed throughout the various accelerators and transfer lines. These systems have worked extremely well during the first years of LHC operation, providing highly dependable interlocking of magnet powering based on industrial COTS components. This paper reviews the performance and experience with more than 70 individual installations during the first LHC running period and compares the operational experience with the initial expectations of dependability. Additional improvements required to address specific operational needs and observed shortcomings are presented. Finally, we review the existing magnet interlock infrastructure in the LHC injector complex and the ongoing renovation works during the first long shutdown.