PandABox II: A collaborative platform designed for future upgrades

Ten years ago, the PandABox platform was first introduced in Melbourne during the MOCRAF workshop. Originally developed through a collaboration between Synchrotron SOLEIL and Diamond Light Source, PandABox was designed to support multi-technique scanning and feedback applications. Since then, the platform has been widely adopted across synchrotron facilities worldwide—including SOLEIL, DIAMOND, MAX IV, and DESY in Europe; NSLS-II in the United States; HEPS in Asia; and SESAME in Middle-East. With the fourth-generation light sources, there is an increasing need for high-performance, multi-channel encoder processing to enable synchronized data acquisition and motion control during continuous scanning experiments—now a critical feature for automation. In response to these evolving demands, and following discussions within the LEAPS-INNOV WP5.3 project, the opportunity to jointly develop a new state-of-the-art equipment became evident. This effort has since expanded into a broader collaboration that now includes MAX IV, ALBA, and DESY alongside the original partners. This paper presents the new generation of the PandABox platform, offering a comprehensive overview of its integration within EPICS and TANGO control systems. It also outlines future functionalities and the framework of the ongoing international collaboration driving its development.