# EPICS for Small-Scale Laboratories with Python Soft IOCs

## TL;DR

This paper presents a Python-based EPICS slow controls implementation for small laboratories, demonstrating its effectiveness and ease of use as a lightweight alternative to traditional EPICS systems.

## Contribution

It introduces a Python-based EPICS control system using pythonSoftIOC, tailored for small-scale labs, simplifying deployment and integration.

## Key findings

- Successfully interfaced with Jefferson Lab's EPICS network
- Built a complete slow controls system using open-source tools
- Demonstrated ease of use and flexibility for small labs

## Abstract

While the Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS) is widely used at large laboratories for slow controls and instrumentation, the deployment of a full EPICS installation can be difficult, with a steep learning curve to new users. Taking advantage of the pythonSoftIOC module, we developed an EPICS slow controls implementation for Jefferson Lab's Hall B cryotarget written entirely in Python and based on software IOCs that communicate with instruments over Ethernet. This system ran successfully, interfacing with Jefferson Lab's full EPICS network, and we offer it as an example of the capabilities of pythonSoftIOC to build lightweight, yet robust and flexible instrumentation platforms that would be easily adapted for use at a small-scale laboratory. University groups can use these examples to build complete slow controls systems, from device communication to data archiving and display, using open-source, mature EPICS tools and student-friendly Python as an alternative to expensive and proprietary systems such as LabView.