BOLT: beamline operations and learning testbed for EPICS and Bluesky integration

The Beamline Operations and Learning Testbed (BOLT) is a portable, cost-effective platform developed at the Advanced Light Source, inspired by a similar device developed at Diamond Light Source, to test experimental control systems without disrupting user operations. BOLT simulates a beamline endstation with minimal hardware (two motors, one detector) while implementing the complete EPICS/ Bluesky software stack. This testbed serves two purposes: firstly, developers can prototype new control software, user interfaces, and infrastructure layouts, e.g. virtualizing beamline computers, and secondly, beamline scientists and users can safely explore new developments and provide feedback before production deployment. This approach is intended to improve usability and accelerate adoption. To help lower the barrier of entry for facilities interested in adoption, we will open-source CAD models, wiring diagrams, and bill of materials. In terms of experimental technique, BOLT implements photogrammetry (3D reconstruction from images), conceptually similar to tomography but using reflected rather than transmitted signals. We demonstrate the system running on a terminal-based EPICS/ Bluesky integration, a browser-based interface developed in-house and presented in a separate contribution, as well as the traditional LabVIEW-based ALS controls system. By creating a safe learning environment, BOLT aims to accelerate the adoption of open-source controls tools across the synchrotron community.