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Cryogenics
Wiki > The Backend System > Specific Device IOC > Cryogenics
IOC for devices connected with cryogenic.
Use the information below determine which tickets/IOCs relate to various types of low temperature device. For example, if you are asked to add a Variox cryostat to a configuration, look for Variox below to see that you need to use two IOCs (one for the ITC, one for the ILM).
These are controlled using Eurotherms. No need to communicate directly with the CCR itself.
These are controlled using Eurotherms. No need to communicate directly with the Cryostat itself.
These are manufactured by Oxford Instruments (OI). They are controlled by 2 devices:
- Intelligent Temperature Controller (ITC) (See #1389, #3189)
- Intelligent Level Meter (ILM) (See #1390)
Controlled by a Mercury ITC (See #1199)
A Mercury ITC may or may not be the same thing as an Oxford Instruments ITC.
(Can someone please clarify: is there any difference between a Mercury ITC and an OI ITC?)
We have not yet encountered one of these (when we do, please update this section).
See mercury heliox
Triton dilution fridges are "parasitic" devices. They need to be used in conjunction with a cryostat or CCR which provides the initial cooling down to a low temperature. The dilution fridge then provides the final stage of cooling, down to a very low temperature. Triton dilution fridges can be used with, either
- Variox (Blue) Cryostats, which can be controlled by either:
- ILM & ITC503 (see above)
- Mercury ITC (a newer model of ITC - it uses a separate driver)
- CCRs (note: dilution fridges are not run in CCRs at ISIS for technical cryogenic reasons - but in theory they could be).
Note: it may be possible to run a Triton dilution fridge in a non-parasitic fashion, but we haven't encountered this situation (yet). In practice, the Triton IOC might actually be indifferent to parasitic and non- parasitic modes of operation.
The 7.5T magnet is controlled by 3 devices:
- Intelligent Power Supply (IPS) (See #1391)
- Intelligent Temperature Controller (ITC) (See #1389, #3189)
- Intelligent Level Meter (ILM) (See #1390)
See also #2593
The 9T Chopper magnet is controlled by 3 devices:
- Intelligent Power Supply (IPS) #1391
- Intelligent Temperature Controller (ITC) (See #1389, #3189)
- Intelligent Level Meter (ILM) (See #1390)
See also #2765
The 2T 3D vector magnet is manufactured by Scientific Magnetics (i.e. not Oxford Instruments) so it does not use ILM, IPS, ITC. It has its own control system for which the manufacturer has provided LabVIEW VIs:
- we interface with these via lvDCOM (See #1398)
Does what it says on the tin - measures the level of helium in a cryostat.
- support for Cryogenics Ltd He Level Gauge - See #2350
The Oxford Instruments Intelligent Level Meter (ILM) (see #1390) is also a type of He level gauge.
These controllers used to be run in a rack with a single serial connection under SECI (this used an ISIS isobus expander crate to split the signals). This is because, in SECI, there was only one process which talked to all of the pieces of equipment (in various combinations).
In IBEX, support for the individual devices has been written into separate IOCs to increase the flexibility of the drivers. Under Windows, this means that they cannot talk to the same COM port (because each IOC has exclusive access to the port). Therefore, under IBEX, separate connections from the moxa to each bit of kit are required.
The kit takes 25-way serial cables.