Communication Software for the ALICE Detector Control System at CERN

The book describes the development and implementation of the Front-End-Electronics communication software (FeeCom). FeeCom is used in the Detector Control System (DCS) of various detectors in ALICE, one of the experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. It is divided into a detector-independent and -specific part, in order to adapt easily to different detectors. The tasks of FeeCom are to exchange data between sensors and actuators, placed on embedded systems, and their Control-PCs. Monitored values (like temperatures) are committed from the embedded systems to the control layer; in the vice versa direction data for configuring the related hardware are transferred. Checksums take care of safe operations. FeeCom integrates the field devices into ALICE DCS, a vital system to steer this particle accelerator experiment. For connecting the different parts FeeCom uses DIM a framework well suited for heterogeneous system environments with limited resources and high performance tasks. A major focus has been put on safety and efficiency aspects. The book is aimed for scientists and software engineers working in the field of designing detectors for large scale research projects.