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Synchrotron Software Expert: Freelance Consulting, Development, Training & More

Experienced professional with 20 years at ESRF, specializing in synchrotron software control. Offering services in software development and training. Partnered with diverse institutes. Noteworthy case studies shared.

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Synchrotron Software Expert: Freelance Consulting, Development, Training & More

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  1. TXO • freelance mxCuBE & more

  2. About • Worked at ESRF for roughly 20 years • Worked at basically all BLs and particularly MX beamlines • Pushed for automation projects from 2002 • Funded TXO ( TXOlutions.com ) in September 2011 • Personal and professional project • Freelance and more • Combined with exotic destinations (NGO work)

  3. Domain of expertise • Consulting , Development , Training • in • Software for experiment control in synchrotrons and small x-ray sources

  4. Assets • Proven experience in experiment control • Programming: Python, C/C++, Graphical interfaces • SPEC

  5. Portfolio Regular customer - CSS / Certified Scientific Software spec projects with Bessy, Pohang Acc., Indus2 mx software with MaxLab (I911-3) and Alba (Xaloc) Industrial - Xenocs

  6. mxCuBE and more • Do you remember? It was back in 2003 • It was already a big improvement • We also thought it was already quite complex :

  7. Components (2003)

  8. mxCuBE seen from ESRF • Automation key-stone • Integrated in the general ESRF strategy for software and instrumentation developments (and I mean, not only for MX beamlines)

  9. mxCuBE and ... • mxCuBE (at ESRF) is : • a graphical Python/Qt application based on BLISS framework • Underlying control of hardware done with spec and Tango • Collection routines (partly) done with spec macros

  10. If you want mxCuBE • You need: • A synchrotron, a beamline, a computer • Select and install all the hardware you will use • Install a number of pieces of software • Configure everything • And.... glue them all together with some dose of expertise !! • Test, validate, adapt • and then upgrade from time to time

  11. ... and more Complexity #1 - Features / Integration • Autocentring • EDNA • ISPyB • MD2 • Kappa and STAC • User login • Sample changer • Tango servers • Detector software • Remote access • Beamline alignment • SPEC • Taco • Crystal ranking • ADXV • Spiralcollection • Energyscan • PyMCA • Tango • Screening of crystals • CCP4 • Collectionqueue • Powder • Annealing • XRF analysis • Thumbnails Beamcentering Transmission Workflow Barcodes SR Machine info Cryo Resolution Radiationdamage Submitfeedback User office Holderlength ....

  12. Complexity #2 - Software internals • Bricks • Hardware Repository Server • Hardware Objects • Socket communication • Events • xmlrpc • LDAP • Qwt • Khoros • zmq • xmlconfiguration • Jive • ....

  13. Complexity #3 - Hardware • Icepap • Pilatus • Attenuators • Slits • i0 monitors • ..... (alright... you got the idea... )....

  14. Complexity #4 - Collaboration • Collaboration required at least at three levels: • Internal: MX group, BLISS, ISG, SciSoft, SEG • On site: EMBL / ESRF • Between partner institutes: MaxLab, Bessy, Alba, ESRF, Soleil

  15. MXCUBE @ ESRF

  16. Some notes out of this afternoon presentation • High degree of stardisationforusers (samecollect GUI) throughmxCuBE • Little automation (centring, EDNA, ISPyB) • Notclearto me howmuchqueues are usedoutside ESRF • Commonneedsmentioned (at least at twosites) • CATS irelecsamplechanger in mxCuBE • Centring in mxCuBE (autocentring) • UpgrademxCuBEwithoutoverwriting local changes • ISPyB

  17. REAL STORIES FROM THE FIELD / LESSONS LEARNT • Case Study 1: I911-3 @ MaxLab • Following ESRF choices. Perspective after some years. • Case Study 2: Xaloc @ Alba • Integrating mxCuBE technology within a different technical context

  18. Partners • ESRF had (and has) always a commitment to share developments • Initial strategy (MaxLab, Bessy) • Copy faithfully the choices made at ESRF • ESRF staff helped and trained MaxLab and Bessy staff • Conclusion: Good benefit for scientists and users. Standard cannot be stronger • Weakness of the model: • Local choices and constraints • Local expertise is limited (“alien” technology) • Evolution of the software / Local changes (overwritten) redesign rather than configure • ESRF staff availability

  19. CASE STUDY 1 - MAXLAB • I911-3 • Initially copied all ESRF choices (everything ! including the rackable PC model) • It has been running experiments with mxCuBE for years • First version needed adapting mxCuBE: • No sample changer, no ISPyB, no control of attenuators... • Some software developments were made locally, integrated. Proved the modularity of mxCuBE is good.

  20. C.S. 1 - MAXLAB (2) • But... • Software got frozen. No upgrades • ESRF kept adding features that did not get to Lund • New instruments (like sample changer arm) different from ESRF need to be integrated • Changes in staff made that the limited local expertise in mxCuBE became even more scarce

  21. C.S.1 - MAXLAB (3) • Situation after a first intervention: • Assessment of needs done • Number of bugs solved from very first version installation • Latest mxCuBE version v2.0 is now functioning and able to do collections but... many of the features (remember complex. slide no 1) are not yet available (they never were) • Still needs work (quite) • Good help from ESRF, EMBL, Maatel

  22. C.S. 1 - MAXLAB (4) After the intervention is finished: • Evolution/Upgrade will require effort • Local expertise still missing • Future upgrades will still be painful • MaxLab has chosen Sardana for Max-IV ( see next C.S.)

  23. CASE STUDY 2 - ALBA • Xaloc beamline • Freshly and successfully started • Local control system, software choices different from ESRF (Sardana, no SPEC, Qt4...) • The core of mxCuBE needs to be rewritten • Basic Data collection is already running with new system • Clear, committed goal to share and to profit the most of the collaboration

  24. C.S. 2 - ALBA (2) • ALBA will use, as such, software blocks like: • EDNA • PyMCA • C3D • .... • Willingtoprofit of experience in collectionsequences... but... how? • Workingnowonmulticollect, autocentring....

  25. Thoughts for discussion • Thought #1: How to make software Upgradable and Customizable? • Implementation (encapsulation, abstraction) • Interface between componentd (clear, stable, documented) - the train interoperability case • Configuration! Beyond the design mode (it would have ease the move from v1 to v2) • Multiple integration options always better than one (example of EMBL software) • Thought #2: How to make expertise to develop or to make it available? • Networking, communication, training • Thought #3: How to share developments? • Delegation, specialization, Or even.. why not...subcontracting (ahem) • Thought #4: The case of ISPyB ?

  26. TXO This presentation was brought to you by: • http://www.txolutions.com/

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