A generic software platform for rapid prototyping of online control algorithms

Algorithmic control of accelerators is an active area of research that promises significant improvements in machine performance. To facilitate rapid algorithm prototyping, we have developed a generic interface between accelerator controls, beam physics modelling software andmodern scripting languages. The work-flow of a project using this interface begins with testing algorithms of choice offline in simulation. After off-line testing, the same code can be deployed on real machines via the Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS) API. We include noise in our simulations in order to mimic realistic accelerator behaviour and to evaluate robustness of algorithms to experimental uncertainties and long-term drifts. The results of test cases of using this framework are presented, including emittance tuning of the Cornell Electron Storage Ring (CESR), correction of diurnal drift in CESR steering and orbit correction on CESR and the Cornell-BNL ERL Test Accelerator (CBETA).