Database Glossary

Beam Area Section of the accelerator beamline that contains devices. Used to group devices within the database schema.

Beam Path Logical path that the particle beam follows through the accelerator. Devices can belong to one or more beam paths.

CSI Name Full control-system identifier for a process variable (PV), such as YAGS:IN20:351:IMAGE.

Database Schema Definition of database tables, columns, and relationships used to store normalized device metadata.

Device Database entity representing a physical device (e.g., screen, camera) with attributes such as type, beam area, and control prefix.

Device Accessor Mapping between a logical accessor name (e.g., image, target_status) and the corresponding control system PV.

Device Metadata Additional device attributes (such as position along the beamline) stored in metadata tables.

Metadata Normalization Database design approach where device attributes and relationships are stored in structured tables rather than duplicated in files.

PV (Process Variable) Named variable in EPICS representing a measurable or controllable device parameter.

SQL Structured Query Language used to query and manipulate relational databases.

SQLAlchemy Python library providing an object-oriented interface for constructing SQL queries and interacting with relational databases.

Sum L Meters Position of a device along the beamline measured in meters, used to determine ordering and upstream relationships.

Upstream Device Device located earlier along the beam path than another device, determined by comparing beamline positions.

YAML Device Definition Declarative YAML files describing devices, their PVs, and metadata before normalization into the SQL database.