1. Electronic Systems Support The CERN Electronics Pool The current review Long term issues C. Parkman EP-ESS Electronics Advisory Board 23 May 2003

2. Electronic Systems Support Introduction

3. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 3 What is the Pool for? To facilitate the rapid assembly of a test system or small experiment To make (the right) equipment available When needed In correctly working condition With immediate spares With technical support To circulate & reuse equipment For overall economy

4. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 4 Note The Electronics Pool is a service operated and managed by EP Electronic Systems Support Group (ESS) The term “ESS” encompasses the Pool This talk will focus on the Pool, but some of the issues raised are heavily interlinked to the future of a generic electronics support group in the LHC era

5. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 5 Pool resources Financial Rental income ~96% Re-sales, compensation for losses ~4% Manpower Industrial support (paid by Pool) 1 administrator 1 database engineer Staff 1 storeman 0.8 operations manager Technical support by ESS Group

6. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 6 Group Leader CHRIS PARKMAN ELECTRONICS INFRASTRUCTURE SECTION PAUL MALEY Bruno Allongue Gerard Brouant Philippe Fontaine Vincent Pittin Andrew Billington USER SERVICES SECTION CATHERINE MOINE James Rouet Douglas Tserkezoglou (80%) Albert Zimmer Alain Guy Mike Koratzinos* Bertrand Smaniotto* Gueorgy Antchev PROJECTS & ACTIVITIES Sophie Baron (80% ATLAS) Mike Clayton (GIF) Luciano Periale (GIF) Gilbert Dumont (LHC Crates) Markus Joos (60% ATLAS DAQ/DIG) Group Secretary Evelyne Dho Staff members Fellows, students, associates Industrial support (*paid by the Pool) EP-ESS Group structure EP-ESS May 2003 21 people (19.2 FTE) 6 industrial support 12 CERN staff 2 Project Associates 1 Technical Student US Section is primarily, but not exclusively, “The Pool”. Almost all members of ESS provide support for Pool activities at some level.

7. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 7 Pool structure Operations Catherine Moine Financial & Technical Policy Chris Parkman ELECTRONICS POOL EP-ESS GROUP CERN/EP MANAGEMENT DR, EP-DL, EP-DDL, EP-DPO ELECTRONIC S ADVISORY BOARD USERS EPTAB

8. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 8 Pool users May 2003 Total LHC Experiments 41.7% % of rental revenue

9. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 9 Pool users May 2003 Total LHC Experiments 986.7 kCHF Annual rental revenue (kCHF) (12*May) Total 2.36MCHF

10. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 10 Agenda Financial issues Operations Equipment Technical support Summary

11. Electronic Systems Support Financial issues

12. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 12 2002 balance sheet *Carry over from 2001: following a management decision, the provisions made were not transferred, so were paid out of 2002’s income REVENUE Rental 2.568 MCHF Resales & compensation 91 kCHF Total revenue 2.660 MCHF DISPOSABLE INCOME 955 kCHF COSTS Carry over from 2001 954 kCHF CEC 199 kCHF Direct overheads 511 kCHF COSTS Carry over from 2001 954 kCHF CEC 199 kCHF Direct overheads 511 kCHF

13. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 13 Return on investment Total value ~90MCHF Rental income/Total value 2.8% Disposable income/Total value 1.1% 2.1% (w/o 2001 carry over) Investment profile Value of rented equipment ~30MCHF Rental income/Rented value 8.6% Disposable income/Rented value 3.2% 6.3% (w/o 2001 carry over)

14. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 14 Diminishing rental income 2001 – 2.5MCHF 2002 – 2.4MCHF 2003 – 2.2MCHF Reasons Economies, reduced scientific programme Custom electronics in LHC No beam in 2005 2002 crisis 950kCHF carry over from 2001 Reserve fund } - 4% } - 8%

15. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 15 Predicted revenue 2005 - ACCELERATOR GENERAL SHUT-DOWN Assumes that CMS will keep equipment in place at “overhead” rate of 18%, no fixed target, and other users continuing at 2004 levels 2006 - GUESS! Assumes that CMS will resume at 2004 levels, no fixed target and other users continuing at 2004 levels

16. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 16 Global amortisation Normalised return over normalised age VAM - “Valeur d’Achat Moyenne” – the mean purchase price for one type of equipment Overheads and repair costs NOT included “Old” Age/Lifetime >1 More than amortised Fees/VAM >1 Current Many items are “old” and not amortised

17. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 17 Rental scheme – current model Difficult to implement, not transparent Age less than lifetime 0.75VAM/year Maintenance (~1.4% Total VAM) Age greater than lifetime Rental fee reduced by 10%/year Minimum 20% VAM Not strictly applied (no 10% reduction) Lifetime 5 years

18. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 18 Rental scheme – other possibilities No explicit rental Funding by levy on experiments & support groups pro rata to needs Pre-1987 Objections Moves the problem Need to put responsibility for equipment at the appropriate level to ensure its proper treatment & return to pool Not transparent

19. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 19 Rental scheme – other possibilities “Commercial” rental Life-time amortisation Age less than lifetime VAM/lifetime per year Lifetime amortisation Real overheads (% total revenue) Factored for occupancy Age greater than lifetime Real overheads (% total revenue) Transparent Objections Equipment is not discarded at end of life (as with a car rental) We do not aim to be “commercial” Lifetime 5 years

20. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 20 Rental scheme – compromise proposal Rental fee based on Average purchase price (VAM) Estimated useful lifetime Likely maintenance charges (guarantee period, repair contract) Likely usage Costs monitored regularly Verification after rental Repairs When costs exceed revenue - action! Full or partial renewal of stock New equipment, new guarantee Equivalent function with lower maintenance costs Modification of level of support Increase in rental fee Declassification Rental fee may change – (annual review?) Excessive costs (increase) New purchases (VAM) (increase or decrease)

21. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 21 Rental scheme – compromise proposal Costs exceed revenue - action!

22. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 22 Rental scheme – compromise proposal Advantages Simplifies existing procedures Based on support and utility to users Allows the revenue to cover real costs Automatic regulation of overall rental Implies close monitoring of revenue and costs Transparency Via EPTAB/EAB

23. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 23 Compensation - loss or major damage Present system leads to anomalous (high) payments for old equipment Age calculated from 1 Jan 1990… Proposal Annual 10% reduction of purchase price to a minimum of 10% after 10 years Full purchase price for 1 st year 2 year guarantee period

24. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 24 Re-sales of surplus equipment Present system applies the compensation value Propose Fully tested in working condition Compensation value Untested in uncertain condition Case-by-case Market value

25. Electronic Systems Support Operations

26. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 26 Actions - communication Electronics Pool User’s Guide English & French Regroups all the rules and regulations Explains levels of support, compensation payments, etc. Newsletter Topical items Raising awareness of the Pool Web site Revised, updated E-mail list Update Used more often

27. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 27 Support classes Full Support Verification after rental, spares, technical support, documentation all assured. Additional purchases will be made if required Reduced Support Verification after rental, and documentation assured, spares from existing stock, technical support if available, no repairs Declassified No support, equipment for disposal Special Specific support on case-by-case basis

28. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 28 Actions - database management Database management - BAAN BAAN - CERN AS division supported stock control and management system Used by the CERN stores The Pool currently uses a separate instance with customisation for rental This has diverged from the instance used by the stores Diluting the support given by AS Pool will move to BAAN 400 Same instance as the CERN Stores Separate accounting Easier support from AS Division More complete integration with the CERN financial system Material requests to allow more “off-line” working Scheduled for June 2003

29. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 29 Special cases Concessions, special arrangements Complicates operations and financial management CERN Electronics Contribution – CEC Granted to a number of privileged experiments (LEP experiments, NA48, NA49, NA50, etc.) Sets the rental rate to 4% of the purchase value of the equipment per year No new CEC has been granted since 1995 Cost the Pool ~200kCHF in 2002 7.75% of rental revenue PROPOSAL - terminate the CEC at the end of 2004

30. Electronic Systems Support Equipment

31. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 31 Problems Over-stocking Unfocussed selection of equipment Historical reasons Old experiments Meeting users’ specific requirements Rental profile Many items with low income and high repair cost

32. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 32 Rental profile Many items with very low rental, often with high repair costs

33. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 33 Electronics Pool Technical Advisory Board Aims Adapt Pool’s technical profile to users’ needs Target the spending of the diminishing income Promote visibility, transparency Members Experienced engineers and physicists advising the ESS GL Jan Buytaert (LHCb) Augusto Ceccucci (NA48, EAB) Magnus Hansen (CMS) Luciano Musa (ALICE) Georges Schuler (ATLAS) Chris Parkman (EP-ESS GL, Chairman) Catherine Moine (EP-ESS, Pool Operations)

34. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 34 EPTAB recommendations “Right-size” the Pool Remove surplus equipment Continue to assure financial viability Achieve a coherent technical profile Focus the stock Adapt to common applications Assure the availability of specialist high- performance instruments Via the Pool List “private” instruments - for possible loan

35. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 35 Actions “Right-Size” Stock reduction under way Surplus stock, obsolete items, non-functional equipment Stock renewal Reduce maintenance costs, benefit from guarantee period Coherent technical profile ESS task group is reviewing the stock and will introduce “application dependent” sets Modular electronics Concentrate on NIM & VMEbus CAMAC for “legacy” applications only Infrastructure Crates Power supplies: HV, LV, bench Measurement instruments Low and medium range measurement instruments Outsource high-performance instruments High performance instruments Uneconomical for the Pool to hold high-cost instruments Low use, specialised knowledge, calibration, etc. Outsource to specialist rental companies?

36. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 36 Private Instruments (Dec 2002) Memo from W-D.Schlatter

37. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 37 Private Instruments

38. Electronic Systems Support Technical support

39. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 39 Pool’s services Verification of equipment before rental Not always the case Outsourced verification can be slow Lack of expertise in-house for urgent cases Requires larger stocks User help & consultation Missing expertise Evaluation of new equipment Missing and/or limited expertise Problems Compromising the technical quality impacts on the Pool’s credibility Potential waste of user's time Missing expertise Owing to recent retirements expertise missing in key areas High-voltage power supplies Mechanics Further retirements are imminent Continuity in key areas is assured by specific industrial support people

40. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 40 The role of EP-ESS Past Equipment rental (Electronics Pool) Strong technical team Participation in the choice and procurement of equipment for experiments Common development projects Present - LHC Development Equipment rental (Electronics Pool) Limited role in the choice of equipment - experiments are autonomous, funding outside CERN Common projects - rack control, LHC crates, GIF Future - LHC commissioning, operation Equipment rental (Electronics Pool) Operation of support contracts, quality control, logistics Continuity of expertise Quality control - evaluation, Repair & maintenance, Long-term reliability studies Longer-term future - upgrades, R&D, new experiments As future Technology watch, technical evaluations, etc.

41. Electronic Systems Support Summary

42. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 42 Electronics Pool - present Review of operational procedures Underway – aimed at improving efficiency Finance Living within our means – using revenue wisely Technical relevance Being addressed through EPTAB Technical quality Difficult manpower situation

43. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 43 Electronics Pool – future Growth? To maintain utility, viability & improve efficiency the Pool’s “market” should be as large as possible Expand activities to achieve economies of scale Existing logistics could handle more CERN-wide Pool? Include other equipment? Financial situation Crises over… Year on year rolling accounting to prevent “last- minute” or inappropriate purchases Depends on future scientific and R&D programme

44. 23 May 2003 - cp EAB - Electronics Pool 44 Remarks Is there is a need for an Electronics Pool? “No” If the Pool is run down it would be very difficult to revive it at a later date… “Yes” – consensus But what needs should it serve? What is the place of a “generic” support group? Should not be considered in isolation To be seen within a strategic vision of electronics for experiments Provide and retain expertise - continuity