The evolution of a large laser control system — From Shiva to Nova

The Nova laser system is a 200 terawatt laser fusion facility under construction at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. Its current operational predecessor, the 30 terawatt Shiva laser, is controlled and diagnosed via a network of 50 computers. Although the highly distributed Shiva control system has proven effective and reliable, the need for more integrated process control on Nova is leading to a more centralized architecture. An overview of these control systems is presented and their differences are discussed.