Advancements in magnet power supply systems at KARA: enhancing stability, efficiency, and operational capabilities

The Karlsruhe Research Accelerator (KARA) has undergone a significant modernization of its power supply infrastructure, including dipole, quadrupole and sextupole magnet systems. These updates, completed by replacing the storage ring quadrupole power supplies in summer 2024, introduce improved stability, reduced energy consumption, and advanced control capabilities. The new controls and control system integration enable new operational modes, including energy ramp-down to refill the machine or reduce radiation by dumping the beam at lower energy. This allows consecutive beam optics and collective effects testing at high beam currents without creating too high radiation losses. The upgrades to the quadrupole power supplies further support these advancements by improving compatibility with modern control systems, ensuring reliable and efficient operation, and enabling more flexible operation modes. This paper summarizes operational experience over a year and compares the performance of the new systems to the previous ones. It highlights improvements in control interfaces, reliability, and overall performance, showcasing the upgrades' benefits for KARA.