RSoXS Beamtime Enhancements: September 2025 Updates

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Hey everyone! Let's dive into some cool updates and feature requests stemming from the September 10, 2025, beam time at NSLS2's SST-RSoXS. This beam time was a mix of commissioning and user experiments, giving us a great opportunity to refine our setup and streamline the user experience. We'll cover the background, what we've cooked up, and what's on the horizon. So, buckle up, and let's get started!

Background: Commissioning and User Beam Time

Okay, so the story starts with a commissioning beam time on September 10, 2025. The main goals? Fine-tuning the system! We were heavily focused on energy calibration and WAXS 2D detector characterization. This initial phase was all about ensuring everything was running smoothly and the detectors were performing as expected. We're talking about making sure the instruments are precisely calibrated and able to accurately capture the data we need.

Fast forward to September 13, 2025, and we hit the user beam time. This time, we had users running experiments, specifically diving into CD-GISAXS measurements. This is where users get to test their materials and get data that will help them with their work. So, we're talking about a range of experiments, from basic checks to actual user data acquisition. This mix of activities allowed us to see where improvements were needed, both for the commissioning process and for everyday user experiments. The goal is always to make the user experience as efficient and productive as possible. The user beam time also allowed for critical feedback on improvements, so we could provide them in a timely manner. Both activities are incredibly important to the overall mission of the facility, to ensure the user experience is top-notch.

For the commissioning, it's all about validating all the systems, making sure the energy is as accurate as possible, characterizing the detectors (the WAXS 2D, in this case) in order to get the best possible data from the experiment.

Drafted Developments: Custom Scripts and Configuration Tweaks

During this beam time, we got our hands dirty and made some key improvements, especially with custom scripts. For the commissioning activities, we created custom scan scripts in run_acquisitions.py. These scripts were designed to perform various tasks. So we can characterize the WAXS 2D detector, run energy resolution scans, and even create open-beam scans to assess the beam's intensity profile. Plus, there were test scans to reproduce those pesky EPU errors we sometimes see. The goal here was to have better tools to diagnose and address any instrument issues that arose.

But it didn't stop there! We also tweaked the calibrate_pgm_offsets function. This function was modified to print more information. A significant issue was the ReadTimeoutErrors, which were cropping up due to Tiled issues. By providing more detailed output, we could better understand what was happening and troubleshoot the problem. We worked hard to have more robust systems, so these kinds of issues will not affect users during valuable beam time. We want to make the experience as smooth as possible, from the beginning to the end of the experiment.

To further streamline things, we reorganized some instrument configurations in configurations_instrument.py. The aim here was to make it easier to generate the correct configurations for different experimental setups. The goal is to simplify the setup process for users and make it more intuitive. We have to ensure that the facility provides good and streamlined results to all users.

For user beam time, we focused on enhancing the CD-GISAXS functionality. We moved the do_cdsaxs function and its associated functionality into run_acquisitions.py. This was a significant move, as it allowed us to run CD-GISAXS measurements without relying on the older, legacy code in the sst-rsoxs codebase.

To enhance the measurements, we also created more custom scripts to run the CD-GISAXS measurements, followed by more standard reference scans. This workflow will allow users to quickly and accurately collect the data. This will allow them to get a better result with minimal time spent on setup.

Future Issues/PRs: Expanding the Scope

So, as you can see, there have been a few changes, but there's always more to do! Here's a look at future goals and areas for improvement:

  • Comprehensive Codebase Changes: Let's be real, these changes are just the beginning. They were put in place on the fly. The goal is to cover every aspect and improve every aspect of our beam time. We're looking to expand upon the custom scripts with commissioning scans. This will also include beam alignment survey scans, slit optimization, and energy calibration validation. These scans need to be in a separate file to separate them. We need to ensure we can separate them from routine scans that are intended for users.

  • Instrument Configurations Reorganization: We need to improve the instrument configurations. We can reduce the repeated values. We can add configurations that address commissioning steps. We can include beam alignment. We need to address the WAXS camera metadata. We have to better organize it, and the goal is to associate it with a particular configuration. This will improve the usability and reduce the time to set up experiments.

  • CD-GISAXS Functionality Update: The CD-GISAXS functionality is also an area we're looking to improve. We want to utilize as much of the nbs-bl functionality as possible. The goal is to reduce bugs that are present in the legacy coding scheme. The goal is to make sure the user experience is as streamlined as possible.

These updates are all about making your beam time experience smoother, more efficient, and more productive. We're constantly striving to improve, and your feedback is invaluable. Let us know your thoughts, and stay tuned for more updates!