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The world's largest superconducting fusion machine, LHD (Large Helical Device), is under construction in Japan, aiming at steady state operations. Its basic control system consists of UNIX computers, FDDI/Ethernet LAN's, VME multiprocessors, and VxWorks real-time operating system. For flexible and reliable operations of the LHD machine, a cooperative distributed system with more than 30 pieces of experimental equipment is controlled by the central computer and the main timing system, and is supervised by the main protective interlock system. Intelligent control systems, such as applications of fuzzy logic and neural networks, are to be adopted for flexible feedback control of plasma configurations besides the classical PID control scheme. Design studies of the control system and related research and development programs with coil-plasma simulation systems are now being performed. The construction of the LHD Control Building on a new site will begin in 1995 after finishing the construction of the LHD Experimental Building, and the hardware construction of the LHD central control equipment will be started in 1996. A first plasma production by means of this control system is expected in 1997.