Virtual Beam Line++ (VBL++) is an advanced nonlinear optical beam propagation code used for the design and operation of high-energy and high-power laser systems. It is the latest tool employed to precisely setup the National Ignition Facility’s (NIF) laser beams and support a broad range of missions from fusion ignition to high energy density science. VBL++ also plays a critical role in supporting a growing base of users with emerging and diverse laser designs, technologies, and applications. Beyond its use in NIF operations, this tool actively contributes to the design of novel architectures proposed by NIF researchers and collaborators. VBL++ offers an intuitive user interface for building optical chains and supports high-resolution runs using HPC resources. This talk will focus on a subset of features in VBL++ that help users to elevate their modeling above single simulations. These features include: - Parameterization and optimization of inputs - An interface for smooth desktop-to-HPC integration. - An inverse solver used to determine the input low-power pulse shape that will achieve the high-power request on target. - An interface written in Python, MATLAB, and IDL that enables users to build chains and run simulations with greater configurability. This application is still under active development: new models and enhanced features are added regularly to address evolving user’s needs at the cutting edge of inertial fusion class laser design and operations.

The Laser MegaJoule (LMJ), a 176-beam laser facility developed by CEA, is located at the CEA CESTA site near Bordeaux. The LMJ facility is part of the French Simulation Program, which combines improvement of theoretical models and data used in various domains of physics, high performance numerical simulations and experimental validation. It is designed to deliver about 1.4 MJ of energy on targets, for high energy density physics experiments, including fusion experiments. With 19 bundles operational by the end of 2025, the operational capabilities are gradually increasing until full completion of the LMJ facility by 2027. At present, there is no global control and measurement of the synchronization system*. It's up to each individual subassembly to check that the trigger or fiducial signals are correct. To ensure that the LMJ synchronization system works perfectly, a new diagnostic was developed and tested on several 1w and 3w laser bundles in comparison with central chamber synchronization. In this paper, a review of the LMJ’s first synchronization measurement is given with a description of the prototype measurement diagnostic, the main values measured and a presentation of the future deployment of this diagnostic on all 22 bundles.

Time-stamping of neutron events and environment parameters at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) instruments is based on Network Time Protocol (NTP) to distribute GPS time to the instrument front-ends. We are presenting an alternative way of distributing GPS time using fiber optical channels. Instead of millisecond accuracy for NTP, we distribute GPS IRIG-B signaling to remote IRIG-B receivers with an accuracy in nanoseconds. The new approach is implemented in VHDL and demonstrated on an FPGA development board using Vivado design tools.

The SPIRAL2 accelerator began operating in 2021. One of the key applications of the control system is the management of all devices' parameters (magnets, RF …), roughly 80000 EPICS variables. That application is fundamental for optimizing the setup time of the accelerator and for easily reproducing the configuration of a given beam from year to year. Because web-based technologies are believed to offer many advantages, such as portability, easier maintenance, optimized use of hardware resources, and centralized security, we decided to evaluate this technology in order to form our opinion from the perspective of a wider renovation project. This paper will explain how the software architecture is designed, both on the client and server side, and what technologies we used (web framework, REST APIs, web server, database and ORM). It will also describe the outcomes we achieved in terms of features of the application, such as beam characteristics management, reload of a given beam configuration and application to the devices, storage of the accelerator setup, and calculation of parameters based on the concept of optic configurations. After 4 months of operation in 2024 with that new application, we will also discuss the question: are web based technologies a good choice for SPIRAL2 control system user interface?

Research conducted at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) seeks to increase the safety of space exploration. The NSRL uses beams of heavy ions extracted from Brookhaven's Booster synchrotron to simulate the high-energy cosmic rays found in space. To accomplish this, the source machines provide many potential beam species, ranging in atomic number (Z) from 1, hydrogen/protons, to 83, bismuth and we have gone as high as Uranium. To test large-area samples, beams can be shaped to the user's specifications from a small-format 1-cm radius circular beam up to 20-cm by 20-cm uniform-area rectangular beams. This requires a complex transfer line of 24 magnets, including 9 quadrupole and 2 octupole magnets. Given the wide range of beam rigidity and size possibilities, operators tune the optics by hand while observing the beam profile on a phosphor screen imager. Successful tests have been conducted using a machine learning (ML) workflow for tuning. We capture the beam image, then process and parameterize the beam to assess centroid, shape, tilt, edge thickness, and uniform area size. These parameters are fed to the Badger software stack to avoid re-inventing a UI, using an Xopt-based Bayesian optimization algorithm for iterative tuning. The requirement to start from an image, which can be very noisy, and quantify it, makes the workflow more complex than the standard ML cookie-cutter approach of reading from traditional beam instrumentation fed to an algorithm.

The ALPI linear accelerator at the Legnaro National Laboratories serves as the final superconducting stage in a complex chain designed to accelerate heavy ions—from carbon to uranium—for nuclear and applied physics experiments. It also plays a key role in the SPES project, aimed at re-accelerating exotic radioactive ion beams. Within the TANDEM-PIAVE-ALPI (TAP) complex, the PIAVE injector provides superconductive acceleration of very low velocity ions before they enter ALPI. Managing the interface between these two systems poses significant operational challenges: manual tuning is often required, resulting in lengthy setup procedures and reduced transmission efficiency. Beam instabilities further complicate operations, requiring frequent manual re-adjustments. To address these limitations, advanced optimization strategies based on swarm intelligence and Bayesian algorithms have been applied. These methods enable coordinated control of multiple subsystems, including beam optics, RF settings, and ion source parameters, offering a more autonomous and adaptive tuning process. Experimental results demonstrating the effectiveness of this approach will be presented.

After being successfully deployed to read out a subset of the ATLAS detectors during LHC Run 3 (2022-2026), FELIX will serve all ATLAS detectors in LHC Run 4 (2030-2033). FELIX is a router between custom serial links from front-end ASICs and FPGAs to data collection and processing components via a commodity switched network. FELIX is also capable of fixed-latency forwarding the LHC clock, trigger accepts, and resets received from the TTC (Timing, Trigger and Control) system to front-end electronics. FELIX uses FPGA-based PCIe I/O cards installed in commodity servers. To cope with the increased data rate expected after the major upgrade to the LHC and the detector in between runs, the FLX712 Run 3 PCIe Gen3x16 card, based on an AMD Kintex Ultrascale XCKU115 FPGA, will be replaced with the FLX155, a bifurcated 2x PCIe Gen5x8 card equipped with an AMD Versal Premium VP1552 FPGA/SoC. Firmware installed on the FPGA and software running on the FELIX server are also being upgraded to handle the increased data rate.

​The PETRA-IV Fast Orbit Feedback (FOFB) system will be a large-scale Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) control system, utilizing 790 Beam Position Monitors (BPM) and 560 Fast Corrector Magnets (FCM) to maintain the desired orbit trajectory. Data acquisition and distribution will be managed across 16 supply areas and connected via an extended star network topology. This contribution focuses on system integration test setups while describing the Model-Based Design (MBD) methodologies that are being used for developing, verifying, and commissioning the complete system step by step. Integration of the components of such a large system must be systematic so that potential issues can be isolated and fixed efficiently. The setups will also be used for the characterization of sensors, actuators, and transmission lines. Subsystem identification is of utmost importance for a comprehensive understanding of the system dynamics, which will guide the design of appropriate filters and control strategies to ensure optimal orbit stabilization performance. The analysis will also precisely assess the overall system latency, which is critical for feedback bandwidth and stability.

HEPS (High Energy Photon Source) will be the first high-energy (6 GeV) synchrotron radiation light source in China, which is mainly composed of accelerator, beamlines and end-stations. Phase I of the project includes 14 user beamlines and one test beamline. Construction of HEPS began in June 2019 and is scheduled for completion in late 2025. Meanwhile, beamlines have completed photon beam commissioning, marking HEPS' official transition to the joint-commissioning phase, starting from March 27th, 2025. The beamline controlled devices are mainly divided into two categories: one category is optical adjustment devices such as slits, K-B Mirrors, monochromators, etc.; the other category is optical diagnostic and detection devices such as XBPMs (X - ray Beam Position Monitors), fluorescence targets, detectors, etc. The beamline control system has been designed, based on the EPICS framework. Beamline network topology consists of three networks, namely the data network, control network, and equipment network. In order to enhance the software reusability and maintain version uniformity, package management technology is utilized to manage both application software and system software. Here, the design and construction of beamline control system are presented.

The LCLS-II optical delivery system supports multiple interaction points across multiple experiment hutches using only a handful of laser sources. This reduces financial burden and space usage at the cost of increased complexity for the optical laser systems. To ameliorate this complexity, each interaction point is supplied with a Modular Optical Delivery System (MODS) to inject, shape, and compress the beam before it is further conditioned for the experimental use. To meet operational demands, these MODS must be highly configurable, flexible, and robust while supporting 140+ control points in a dense enclosure. With control points spanning piezoelectric motors, optical imaging, digitizers, and more, the EPICS control system framework simplifies driver maintenance and allows growth of community-driven solutions. Each control point is accessible remotely via pyDM GUI which enables the operator to control these various alignment and diagnostic tools. Managing the deployment and operational stability of these modular systems is nontrivial and has presented several challenges in recent runs that inspired significant design changes for the future of the MODS. This talk takes a closer look at these operational challenges and the solutions we’ve implemented.

The Elettra 2.0 storage ring, scheduled for commissioning in 2026, introduces a novel control system architecture, departing from distributed front-end computers. High processing power and intelligent devices, such as magnet power converters, beam position monitors, beam loss monitors, low-level RF systems, and fast interlocks, support centralization. These devices connect through a dual-network design: a standard Ethernet link, managed by virtual servers running Tango, handles supervision, while a high-speed fibre-optic link with custom protocols enables real-time control. Fast interfaces feed a centralized, multi-core real-time (RT) server, where hardware partitioning and the Data Plane Development Kit (DPDK) allow low-latency processing up to 1.1 MHz. Conceptually, each core mimics a front-end computer, while the server’s RAM acts as a high-speed communication bus minimizing delay and latency. This architecture simplifies the infrastructure, improves scalability and enables advanced machine-wide control, ensuring reliability for next-generation accelerators.

The control network in J-PARC is a dedicated network that enables to control distributed power supplies and measuring instruments used for the accelerator. It is independent from the office network, but some communications are permitted through a firewall. The control network consists of a lot of switches: (a) core switches in the central control building, (b) aggregation switches in each accelerator facility, and (c) edge switches. The control network started in 2005, and this year, 2025, marks its 20th anniversary. At J-PARC, the network equipment has been updated about every 7 years. The third phase of update began around 2018, and in Main Ring it was completed in 2023. This report describes how the control network changed from the original design up to the third phase of update. It also discusses the planned fourth phase, including big changes on operation and maintenance support.

The S3 (Super Spectrometer Separator) project involves the installation of laser systems in the building housing the S3 separator. To ensure personnel safety, a dedicated safety system is required. This system manages signaling, beam-blocking components, and laser power supplies. It ensures that all safety conditions are met to authorize the production and transmission of laser beams in the designated areas. The constraints enforced for the implementation of this control panel include to use non-programmable system to facilitate maintenance and diagnostics by the laser operations team. The system must also allow that a single failure does not result in the loss of the safety function. This article describes the system architecture, the sensors and actuators selected to answer these requirements, as well as the relay-based safety processing system. It also describes the system's responses to component failures and the tests conducted to demonstrate proper system functionality.

The Machine Protection System is a group of devices used to ensure the safety of the accelerator and experimental facility by automatically stopping beam operation and aborting the beam in the event of equipment failure. The Machine Protection System in the J-PARC Main Ring (MR) is called MR-MPS and has been in operation since 2008, when the MR started operation. Development of a new MR-MPS to replace the ageing MR-MPS started around 2020 and was completed in April 2022. New MR-MPS introduced to protect those equipment when the main magnet power supply is renewed and new RF power supply is introduced from autumn 2022. The good results obtained in its operation have led to the completion of mass production of the new MR-MPS, which is now progressively being replaced by the new MR-MPS. This presentation will report on the configuration of the MR-MPS, its EPICS-based operation and the timeline for its complete replacement to be completed in the future

At SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory's Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), a series of optics and diodes in the X-ray Correlation Spectroscopy (XCS) beam line's split-and-delay chamber divide the beam into two equal intensity pulses. One pulse is intentionally delayed, facilitating X-ray Photon Correlation Spectroscopy techniques that operate at nanosecond time scales for experiments in biology, chemistry, and materials science. However, achieving precise beam alignment with this setup poses significant challenges because meticulous adjustments to each of the beam line optics are required in succession each time the split-and-delay chamber is used, and this process is very time and effort intensive. To address these challenges, the implementation of the split and delay graphical user interface (GUI) streamlines x-ray beam alignment by enabling remote control of the motorized optical components and displaying user-friendly, live-time monitoring of the beam diagnostics. Work is on-going to allow automatic optimization of beam alignment by stepping the motorized optical components through various positions, measuring the beam intensity, and moving optics on motorized stages to the preferred positions. This advancement will further streamline alignment of the beam through the split-and-delay chamber and thus increase time available for data collection at XCS.