Data acquisition system for Alcator C-Mod

The Alcator C-Mod experiment requires an efficient data handling system to acquire and distribute the large number of measurements recorded during each pulse of the tokamak. Over 2000 signals amounting to over 80 megabytes of data are stored and distributed to 40 workstations for display and analysis. With machine pulses occurring every 10 to 15 min, most of the information must be distributed within 2 to 3 min after the pulse to enable the experimentalist to adjust the control settings for the next pulse. In addition to the local control room data distribution requirements, the system must also provide data access to remote sites which monitor diagnostics installed on the Alcator C-Mod experiment. This article will describe the hardware and software used to accomplish data handling tasks. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.