Development and Integration of the NA64-DTC Automation Controller for the CERN “DESY Table” Motorized Platform

A remote automation controller NA64-DTC was developed, constructed, and integrated for the so-called “DESY Table” motorized platform, widely used in CERN East-Area and North-Area experimental installations. The device interfaces with the table manual control panel through a signal duplication connector, enabling remote operation without modifications to the original hardware. Button commands are emulated using opto-isolated switches, allowing seamless coexistence with the standard manual control system. The controller is based on an ESP32-C3 System-on-Module and hosts an HTTP server that provides a simple and flexible interface for experiment-specific integration and automation. The system was successfully commissioned at CERN using the PS-T9 and SPS-H4 beamline facilities. A positioning accuracy of approximately 0.2 mm and 0.3 mm was achieved over the full movement range of the vertical and horizontal table axes, respectively, with the residual positioning error dominated by the finite inertia of the platform. The device was operated continuously for more than two months without any observed failures or communication errors. Although originally developed for the NA64 experiment, the proposed solution is applicable to any CERN installation employing the DESY Table platform. This work describes in detail the device technical design and operation, as well as the performances obtained during the commissioning.