Description
The CROME (CERN Radiation Monitoring Electronics) system is the new generation of radiation monitoring infrastructure developed by CERN for radiation protection applications. It provides continuous real-time monitoring of ambient dose equivalent rates over nine decades, advanced alarm and interlock functions with very high reliability, long-term data logging through SCADA integration, and embedded edge-computing capabilities for local processing and decision-making. CROME was designed to address the unique challenges of CERN's accelerator environment, where high-energy particle collisions generate complex mixed radiation fields composed of hadrons, neutrons, leptons, and photons across a wide energy range. In addition to monitoring radiation during accelerator operation, the system helps assess residual radioactivity caused by activation of accelerator components and surrounding materials, ensuring safe access for personnel after beam shutdowns. Developed since 2014, CROME aims to progressively replace CERN's legacy radiation monitoring systems and harmonize a network of approximately 800 measurement channels. The system combines fast response times, down to the millisecond, with accurate measurements extending from the nSv/h range over nine orders of magnitude. Through this modernization effort, CROME provides a scalable, reliable, and long-term solution for ionizing radiation monitoring across CERN facilities.