NOTE: most of these solutions are only available to NON-remote use. However, you should be able to determine if there is a microdiff problem in MXcube3, by clicking "Show Motors" and confirming that there are not red motors. You should also be able to switch between phases.

 

First VNC to sybil. If the image in MxCUBE is not updating (test by for example putting the light in and out and or changing the light level), the software running the camera in the microscope might be hung or dead. To remedy the situation, kill the sybil->LimaCCDs->minidiff2 server by right clicking and then selecting "kill", then right slicking and then selecting "start". MxCUBE will then need to be restarted twice.

 

In case of issues with the microdiffractometer these  steps can be tried in the following order:

  • Restart of the control software
  • Restart of the control software and homing of the motors ("cold restart")
  • Restart of the controller rack, followed by a cold restart of the control software

 

The control software runs on a windows pc that can be accessed by the control computer by remote connection. In case the remote connection client is not running, double click on the MD3Up icon on the desktop of the beamline control computer

If you arrive at the windows login screen select "Other user" and use the credentials that can be found in the first page of the ID23-2 logbook (the usual master login/password combination does not work).

Software reset

From the sybil console or VNC: Click on the "Restart" button in the MD3UP control software (accessible directly on the computer in the hutch or via VNC from sybil)

Click OK in the confirmation dialogue but leave the box "Perform a cold restart after restarting the control software" unchecked

The initialization process is finished when the word "Ready" appears in the bottom left corner of the MD3UP  control software.

Software reset with cold restart

From the sybil console or VNC: Click on the "Restart" button in the MD3UP control software but this time check the box for "Perform a cold restart after restarting the control software"  in the confirmation dialogue:

This procedure will perform a homing with all motors of the MD3UP which will take a couple of minutes. Note that because this cuts power to the MD3 camera, one must then also restart the LimaCCD device server, and restart MxCube *twice* (The first time mxcube starts, it sets the camera to the proper acquisition parameters)

WARNING:  This will move the sample position out of the cryostream, please be aware that a mounted protein crystal can be lost due to this.

 

Controller reset

The MD3UP controller rack can be found in the right corner of the experimental hutch

md3_panel.jpg

On the bottom left part of the front panel three buttons can be found that are needed for the restarting procedure:

To switch the controller off and on again:

  1. Press the round red button (1) to switch off the motion supply
  2. Switch off the main supply (2)
  3. After waiting for at least five seconds switch the main supply (2) on again
  4. Switch on the motion supply using the round green button (3)

After the controller restart a cold restart of the software has to be performed. This also requires restarting the LimaCCD video server on sybil and then restarting MxCube twice (see above)

 

If the light cannot be put in because diffractometer is "not ready" even though Microdiff software lists status as Ready

confirm that the microdiff really is ready in the MD software

If it is, it is possible that the FLEX robot is responsible. Restarting the FLEX robot rack is probably necessary. Contact youur local contact