An MTCA-based LLRF prototype system of LINAC in Hefei Advanced light facility

The linear accelerator (LINAC) system currently under construction at the Hefei Advanced Light Facility (HALF) employs acceleration tubes to accelerate the electron beam to 2.2 GeV. The RF field within the acceleration tube is controlled by an MTCA.4-based low-level radio frequency (LLRF) prototype system to meet stringent phase stability requirements. This paper introduces the structure of the LLRF system, encompassing both its hardware and software components. The LLRF system uses the non-IQ-sampling method to suppress odd harmonics through digital filters, achieving a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of approximately 73 dB. Given that the power sources of most acceleration tubes operate in a saturated state, the radio-frequency (RF) control algorithm within the software is based on a separate amplitude open-loop and phase close-loop to maintain stable phase control during amplitude disturbances. The design of the RF control logic, including digital filters, the REF phase tracking method, the close-loop feedback controller, and the output pulse mode control algorithm, is detailed. Offline pulse-to-pulse test results demonstrate that it achieves a phase stability of 0.0176 degrees degrees rms with a solid-state amplifier, meeting the facility's requirements.