Update of control and data acquisition in RFX

The control and data acquisition system of the RFX experiment was designed and implemented during the second half of the 1980s, and several hardware components used in the system are currently obsolete. For these reasons an extensive redesign of the control and data acquisition system has been considered at RFX, with the aim of preserving well-tested concepts but at the same time replacing out-of-date technology. The update of the control and data acquisition system is possible due to the fact that major changes are to be accomplished in the machine power supply systems, requiring a long period of machine shutdown. In addition, important modifications of the machine load assembly are under consideration, which introduce new requirements for the control system. The introduction of modern technologies for distributed data acquisition is discussed and the planned organisation of the new system is presented.