The position measurement system for the Rapid-Cycling Synchrotron (RCS) was originally designed with a four-plate, combined function, capacitive pickup pi electrode situated in each of the six short straight sections. During subsequent operation, it was discovered that these electrodes were limiting the aperture and, therefore, were being activated by the circulating proton beam. In addition, the activation made it difficult to maintain the active electronic components in the RCS tunnel. The new position measurement system has been designed to eliminate these problems. The electrode's horizontal and vertical dimensions have been increased and the plates reorientated for simpler, separate function signal processing. A passive impedance matching network has replaced the active cathode follower, eliminating maintenance requirements in the accelerator tunnel. The Radio Frequency (RF) beam signals are transmitted directly to the Main Control Room (MCR) for processing
