Data acquisition and control of the Zero Gradient Synchrotron 500 MeV booster synchrotron

A data acquisition and control philosophy for the Zero Gradient Synchrotron (ZGS) 500 MeV booster has involved a top down design incorporating all of the systems comprising the booster. Consideration of operational complexity was necessary because the booster is to be used simultaneously for ZGS injection, and solid state physics studies. Existing software and hardware capabilities of the ZGS computer were considered. The resulting data acquisition and control system is based on a mix of sequential logic and a minicomputer. Hardware considerations were based on a ten year life expectancy of the booster. Due to time, budget, and manpower constraints, the incorporation of the total design has been divided into three phases of implementation. The first phase is covered and the remaining phases are outlined