Accelerator control middle layer

This paper reviews an efficient implementation of the software 'middle layer' that resides between high-level accelerator control applications and the low-level accelerator control system. The middle layer software is written in MATLAB and includes links to the EPICS Channel Access Library. Functionally, the middle layer syntax closely parallels the Family/Index naming scheme used in many accelerator simulation codes and uses the same convention to communicate with both the online machine and the accelerator model. Hence, machine control, machine simulation and data analysis tools are integrated into a single, easy-to-use software package.