From the LHC Reference Database to the Powering Interlock System

The protection of the magnet powering system for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) currently being built at CERN is a major challenge due to the unprecedented complexity of the accelerator. The Powering Interlock System of the LHC will have to manage more than 1600 DC circuits for magnet powering, different in their structure, complexity and importance to the accelerator. For the coherent description of such complex system, a Reference Database as unique source of the parameters of the electrical circuits has been developed. The information, introduced via a generic circuit description language, is first used for installing the accelerator and making all electrical connections. The data is then used for tests and commissioning. During operation, the Powering Interlock System manages all critical functions. It consists of 36 PLC based controllers dis tributed around the machine and requires a flexible and transparent way of configuration, since each controller manages different numbers and types of electrical circuits. The PLC process is customised using configuration data downloaded from the Reference Database in order to ensure a correct mapping of the electrical circuit parameters to the operation of the interlock system.