The multi-computer control system for the CERN 400 GeV accelerator

Discusses three trends in the application of computer control to accelerators. These are the trends towards multi-computer control systems, the use of computer driven operator interaction devices, and the use of interpretive highlevel language software. The computer control system for the new CERN 400 GeV synchrotron carries these trends to their extremes. It consists of 24 essentially similar computers linked together using serial data links and a message transfer computer. The software is based on an interpreter for a high level interactive language NODAL. This is used as an operator command language and as a high level application programming language. (2 refs).