24-channel dual microcontroller-based voltage controller for ion optics remote control

Highlights: • 24-channel remote control of ion optic voltages. • Versatile dual microcontroller instrument in NIM/desktop design. • Miniature LEMO coax outputs for easy connection to common Wenzel high voltage supplies. • User friendly LabVIEW GUI and local readout via LCD display. • Easy upgrading of microcontrollers' firmware via in-circuit serial interfaces. The design of a 24-channel voltage control instrument for Wenzel Elektronik N1130 NIM modules is described. This instrument is remote controlled from a LabVIEW GUI on a host Windows computer and is intended for ion optics control in electron affinity measurements on negative ions at the CERN-ISOLDE facility. Each channel has a resolution of 12 bits and has a normally distributed noise with a standard deviation of <1 mV. The instrument is designed as a standard 2-unit NIM module where the electronic hardware consists of a printed circuit board with two asynchronously operating microcontrollers.