Converter Control

Content

Mandate

The converter control team is responsible for the maintenance of the software running on the various hardware platforms that control, monitor and diagnose power converters. In addition, new features are added as new requirements from either the operators or the power converter experts are requested. The converter control team is deeply invested in the development of the new generation of control platform known as FGC4.

Technologies

FGC2

The second generation of the Function Generator/Controller (FGC2) embedded controller was developed between 1998 and 2005. It was used for the 1700 power converters in the LHC and LHC experiments. Converters in the LHC have been operated with an FGC2 since 2008.
Picture of an FGC2

FGCLite

Due to radiation-induced beam dumps, a radiation tolerant variant of the FGC2 platform known as the FGCLite was developed between 2013 and 2016. Today 1022 FGCLite devices and 710 FGC2 devices are in operation in the LHC.

FGC3.1

The third generation of the Function Generator/Controller (FGC3) was developed during 2007 and 2011. Currently, this platform is used in all accelerators and experimental areas at CERN. Over 1,500 FGC3 devices are in operation controlling a large variety of power converters.

The FGC3 embedded hardware include one microprocessor, a DSP, and a microcontroller. Further, an FPGA serves to implement peripherals and glue logic.

Picture of an FGC3

FGC4

The 4th generation of the Function Generator/Controller (FGC4) is currently in an active development phase and will use the DI/OT as its hardware base. Both devices (DI/OT and the future version of the FGC controller – FGC4) are completely new products – in terms of hardware as well as software. As such, they require a lot of design choices to be made and currently many questions are still left open and unanswered.
Picture of an FGC4

Products

Class 51: LHC_PC
FGC2
Controls power converters in the LHC in non-radiation areas
Number of devices:
710
Class 53: POPS
FGC2
Controls the PS Mains power converter
Number of devices:
1
Class 59: RF_FGEN
FGC2
Used for function generation in the LHC RF system
Number of devices:
15
Class 62: FPC
FGC3
Controls fast-pulsed converters
Number of devices:
290
Class 63: PC
FGC3
Controls converters that require function generation and regulation
Number of devices:
1150
Class 64: SVC
FGC3
Controls Static VAR Compensator converters
Number of devices:
4
Class 65: EPIC
FGC3
Used for diagnostics of Beam Interlock Systems
Number of devices:
6
Class 91: MUGEF
MUGEF
Control of power converter in SPS with analog current regulation.
Number of devices:
226
Class 92: FGCLite
FGCLite
Controls power converters in the radiation areas in the LHC using radiation-tolerant FGClite I/O module.
Number of devices:
1022
Class 93: ISEG
ISEG
Controls high-voltage low-power ISEG converters.
Number of devices:
446
Class 94: DIGMUGEF
DIGMUGEF
Controls the SPS main circuit power converters with high-resolution digital current regulation.
Number of devices:
3

Team Members

Current members of the Converter Control Team, ordered by start date.

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Quentin King
From the United Kingdom
Dual citizenship: Switzerland


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Section Leader
Embedded Software Developer
Physicist
at CERN since 1998
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Raul Murillo
From Spain


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Team Leader
Embedded Software Developer
at CERN since 2004-12
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Dariusz Zielinski
From Poland
FGCDv2 Project Leader
Software Developer
at CERN since 2016-09
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Przemyslaw Plutecki
From Poland
Software Developer
at EPC-CCS since 2021-01
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Adam Solawa
From Poland
Software Developer
at EPC-CCS since 2022-03
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Dominik Arominski
From Poland


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Software Developer
at EPC-CCS since 2022-05
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Franziska von Albedyll
From Germany


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Software Developer
at EPC-CCS since 2024-04

Alumni

Former members of the Converter Control Team, ordered by end date.

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Martin Cejp
From Czech Republic


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Software Developer
at EPC-CCS from 2021-03 to 2024-02
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Michael Lettrich
From Germany


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Software Developer
at EPC-CCS from 2022-09 to 2023-09
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Filipe Rosa
From Portugal


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Software Developer
at CERN from 2020-01 to 2022-12
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Diogo Gonçalves
From Portugal


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Software Developer
at CERN from 2018-01 to 2020-12
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João Afonso
From Portugal


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Software Developer
at EPC-CCS from 2017-11 to 2020-07
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Dimitrios Milios
From Greece


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Software Developer
at EPC-CCS from 2017-09 to 2019-08
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Krzysztof Lebioda
From Poland


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Software Developer
at CERN from 2014-01 to 2019-05
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Victor Garcia
From Spain


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Software Developer
at CERN from 2016-08 to 2018-07
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Michal Dudek
From Poland


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Project Manager
Site Reliability Engineer
Software Engineer
at CERN from 2010-02 to 2018-07
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Michael Davis
From Ireland
Dual citizenship: United Kingdom


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Software Developer
at EPC-CCS from 2014-08 to 2017-03