Design of the Advanced Light Source timing system

The Advanced Light Source (ALS) is a third generation synchrotron radiation facility, and as such, has several unique timing requirements. Arbitrary storage ring filling patterns and high single bunch purity requirements demand a highly stable, low jitter timing system with the flexibility to reconfigure on a pulse-to-pulse basis. This modular system utilizes a highly linear Gauss clock with “on the fly” programmable setpoints to track a free-running booster ramping magnet and provides digitally programmable sequencing and delay for the electron gun, linac, booster ring, and storage ring RF, pulsed magnet, and instrumentation systems. It has proven itself over the last year of accelerator operation to be reliable and rock solid