A high-data-transfer-rate VME system for TCP-IP remote real-time control of the ITER in-vessel vision system

Abstract

This paper describes the control and data acquisition system (CADAS) for the in-vessel vision system (IVVS) for ITER, which imposes special design requirements due to its reactor characteristics. CADAS provides remote real-time control of the motors (by TCP-IP), fast data acquisition (20 bytes/pixel at 100 kpixels/s), error management and sustainable network data transfer rates (by TCP-IP). It is composed of a supervisory workstation connected by a 100 Mbit/s Ethernet channel to a remote VME crate, housing a board based on a PowerPC604R CPU running LynxOS, and two on-site developed intelligent modules. The architecture of these VME modules as well as the operation software and the application protocol are described. The test results are presented as well as an image obtained during the test procedures performed at the ENEA-Frascati Laboratory.