The CERN SPS Low Level RF: The Beam-Control

The Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) Low Level RF (LLRF) has been completely upgraded during the CERN long shutdown (LS2, 2019-2020). The old NIM and VME based, mainly analog system has been replaced with modern digital electronics implemented on a MicroTCA platform. The architecture has also been reviewed, with synchronization between RF stations now resting on the White Rabbit (WR) deterministic link. This paper is the first of a series of three on the SPS LLRF upgrade. It covers the Beam-Control part, that is responsible for the generation of the RF reference frequency from a measurement of the magnetic field, and beam phase and radial position. It broadcasts this frequency word to the RF stations, via a White Rabbit network. The paper presents the architecture, gives details on the signal processing, firmware, hardware and software. Finally, results from the first year of beam commissioning are presented (2021).