ISIS linear accelerator upgraded at RAL

Diversified Technologies, Inc., (DTI) has recently installed two solid-state switches at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) to eliminate numerous operating difficulties with their legacy systems and reduce operating costs.

RAL, one of the national scientific research laboratories in Britain, has been operating the ISIS Linear Accelerator since 1984. Recent tetrode switch tube failures, however, prompted them to replace their legacy, low power cathode modulators used on its 2 MW RF triodes with high power, solid-state anode modulators from Diversified Technologies, Inc.

DTI installed the solid-state switches between the power supplies and tetrode which prevented high fault energy from destroying the tetrode, saved approximately 25% in electricity costs, and increased the overall reliability of their older generation ISIS Linear Accelerator.

According to Michael Kempkes, DTI VP, “the solid-state switches are drop-in replacements. DTI specializes in modernizing any vacuum tube RF amplifier or transmitter such as Klystrons, TWTs, and magnetrons.”

Tilt sensors

New digital tilt indicators
Converts inclinometer output to display angle, with a resolution as low as to 0.001°

Sherborne Sensors has announced the launch of the DTI series, a family of 5-digit, programmable digital panel meters, offering improved tilt measurement system versatility and performance.

The DTI series is designed to take an output from any of their gravity referenced inclinometer, provide the necessary trigonometric conversions, and display the output as an angle, with a resolution down to 0.001°. For seamless interface with a data acquisition system, two supplementary outputs, an analog voltage output and a RS422/485 serial output, are supplied. The enclosure is manufactured from recyclable and flame retardant (VO) materials, with front panel conformance to IP65: NEMA 4.

Because of its versatility, the DTI Series can be effectively implemented into simple, measurement-only applications, as well as those requiring digital communications, alarms and mathematical functions. The powerful menu-driven software, also supplied, enables fast and flexible set-up from the front panel or via serial communications link. In addition, built-in, comprehensive alarm functions for the DTI Series makes them particularly suitable for monitoring, switching and control functions. The hysteresis facility prevents noisy signals from switching alarms erroneously, with high and low deviations facilitating control around a set point. On and off delay times can be set with individual alarms, configured as latching or non-latching, depending on user requirements.

The DTI Series is suitable for use with most of their gravity-referenced inclinometers, as well as other manufacturers' products. An integral 12 VDC power supply is intended to provide excitation voltage for MEMS- based inclinometers. Bi-polar voltage supplied inclinometers may be also powered via Sherborne Sensors XT-0102 or XT-0103 series power supply modules. For customer convenience, the DTI Series can also be supplied as a completely calibrated tilt monitoring system, including the inclinometer.