Implementation and deployment of the ALFRED platform in the ALICE-FIT detector laboratory

The subject of this thesis was the implementation and deployment of the ALFRED platform in the ALICE-FIT detector laboratory. The ALICE experiment is one of four major experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. The key element of this experiment are the FIT detectors, which are responsible for the precise synchronization and triggering of data acquisition for other detectors.The research and development work, conducted at CERN, focused on the modernization of the existing control system architecture. The author, as a member of the ALICE-FIT DCS team, participated in the development of the system, as its previous structure, based on the Control Server and HistogramReader applications, was not fully compliant with the standards of the Central ALICE DCS Team.The main goal was to replace the existing solutions with the integrated ALFRED platform, which required adaptation to the specifics needs of the FIT detectors, which use the IPbus protocol instead of the standard GBT. As part of the thesis, a SCADA system was developed and deployed in the WinCC OA environment, which forms an integral part of the new architecture. Using the JCOP framework and the DIM communication protocol, this system provides full control over the FEE, integration with the Oracle database, and the central experiment systems. A complex user interface was designed and implemented, which not only replicates but also extends the functionalities of the previous applications, enabling, among other things, advanced configuration management, histogram visualization, and the automation of calibration procedures.The developed system was implemented and tested both in the laboratory environment and on the target infrastructure of the FV0 detector, confirming its stability and performance. The final result of this work is a fully functional, ALICE-compliant platform for controlling and monitoring FIT detectors, which will ultimately be implemented on three detectors.The development of this thesis was initiated as part of the SPARC 2024 internship program. The project was then developed from September 2024 to February 2025 during system integration in a laboratory at the Faculty of Electronics and Information Technology, Warsaw University of Technology. The final stage, including implementation, testing, and further development in the target infrastructure, was completed during stays at CERN between February and August 2025.