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.
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.
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.
Products
Class 51: LHC_PC
Controls power converters in the LHC in non-radiation areas
Number of devices: 710
FGC2
Class 53: POPS
Controls the PS Mains power converter
Number of devices: 1
FGC2
Class 59: RF_FGEN
Used for function generation in the LHC RF system
Number of devices: 15
FGC2
Class 62: FPC
Controls fast-pulsed converters
Number of devices: 290
FGC3
Class 63: PC
Controls converters that require function generation and regulation
Number of devices: 1150
FGC3
Class 64: SVC
Controls Static VAR Compensator converters
Number of devices: 4
FGC3
Class 65: EPIC
Used for diagnostics of Beam Interlock Systems
Number of devices: 6
FGC3
Class 91: MUGEF
Control of power converter in SPS with analog current regulation.
Number of devices: 226
MUGEF
Class 92: FGCLite
Controls power converters in the radiation areas in the LHC using radiation-tolerant FGClite I/O module.
Number of devices: 1022
FGCLite
Class 93: ISEG
Controls high-voltage low-power ISEG converters.
Number of devices: 446
ISEG
Class 94: DIGMUGEF
Controls the SPS main circuit power converters with high-resolution digital current regulation.
Number of devices: 3
DIGMUGEF
Team Members
Current members of the Converter Control Team, ordered by start date.
Quentin
King
Section Leader
Embedded Software Developer
Physicist
at CERN since 1998
Raul
Murillo
Team Leader
Embedded Software Developer
at CERN since 2004-12
Dariusz
Zielinski
FGCDv2 Project Leader
Software Developer
at CERN since 2016-09
Przemyslaw
Plutecki
Software Developer
at EPC-CCS since 2021-01
Clement
Zrounba
Software Developer
at CERN since 2024-10
Job
Paardekooper
Software Developer
at CERN since 2025-09
Carlo Emilio
Montanari
C++ Developer
at EPC-CCS since 2026-04
Alumni
Former members of the Converter Control Team, ordered by end date.
Lorenzo
Rossi
Software Developer
at CERN from 2025-04 to 2026-06
Dominik
Arominski
Software Developer
at EPC-CCS from 2023-05 to 2026-03
Matthew
Lewis
Software Developer
at CERN from 2024-09 to 2025-08
Franziska
von Albedyll
Software Developer
at CERN from 2024-04 to 2025-01
Adam
Solawa
Software Developer
at CERN from 2022-03 to 2024-10
Martin
Cejp
Software Developer
at EPC-CCS from 2021-03 to 2024-02
Michael
Lettrich
Software Developer
at EPC-CCS from 2022-09 to 2023-09
Filipe
Rosa
Software Developer
at CERN from 2020-01 to 2022-12
Diogo
Gonçalves
Software Developer
at CERN from 2018-01 to 2020-12
João
Afonso
Software Developer
at EPC-CCS from 2017-11 to 2020-07
Dimitrios
Milios
Software Developer
at EPC-CCS from 2017-09 to 2019-08
Krzysztof
Lebioda
Software Developer
at CERN from 2014-01 to 2019-05
Victor
Garcia
Software Developer
at CERN from 2016-08 to 2018-07
Michal
Dudek
Project Manager
SRE & Software Engineer
at CERN from 2010-02 to 2018-07
Michael
Davis
Software Developer
at EPC-CCS from 2014-08 to 2017-03