HIDRA control system (HCS): A LabVIEW-based program to control the Hybrid Illinois Device for Research and Applications

With a semi-complex research device such as the Hybrid Illinois Device for Research and Applications (HIDRA), there comes a need for an efficient program that can be used to control the machine. Such a program must be able to safely and effectively control all aspects of the machine from a remote location to provide maximum safety for the operators. This control system must be able to control the toroidal and helical magnetic fields, magnetron, plasma diagnostics, and more. Along with controlling the machine comes the need to monitor and collect data during operation. Motivated by these needs, we present the HIDRA control system (HCS), an open source program to control HIDRA. This software fills the critical void of safe and effective control software for the machine.