This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. We have upgraded the distributed control system (DCS) and corresponding graphical user interface, Blu-Ice, which were first used for small angle scattering experiments last year. We added new and improved capabilities for beam line control and data acquisition, including: 1) automation of slit optimization, 2) automation of sample position search, 3) automation of camera length change, 4) automation of sample positioning, 5) multiple sample measurements at different positional parameters. There are also modifications made to part of the DCS so that data acquisition parameters are written in the header portion of image data for later use in data analyses. All the new capabilities and features make the beam line optimization for the staff members and data acquisition for the users more intuitive, efficient, and user friendly so that the staff members can configure and optimize the beam line for specific user requirements quickly. It is now possible to run up to 10 programmed series of measurements automatically, saving users precious time for parallel data analysis. The improved user friendliness allows users, especially those who are at the facility only a few times a year, to concentrate on running the experiments instead of learning the experiment control software.
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