[ list of known problems | things I should not do ]

Here’s a short guide to solve the problems you might encounter while doing an experiment at ID10. In general, the floor coordinator (phone 25-25) will help you with technical problems any time. Problems on the machine side (undulators, front end etc.) may be solved by phoning the machine control room (24-90). Major changes in the beamline optics and electronics can only be made by the staff.

List of known problems:

1)

? The terminal window running sixc (the spec application) is dead (not responding).

! Open another terminal window and type in the unix prompt "ps -u id10". From the list of jobs, identify the dead sixc process and type "kill -9 pid" where pid is the process id number sixc process in the list. After this, start a new sixc by typing "sixc" in the unix prompt.

2)

? A lot of error messages are given as "eh2_exp" is started. The detector count is always 0 when "ct" is typed in sixc and/or the motor position listed by typing "wa" are bizarre.

! The computer may have lost the connection to the vct6 card and/or another card in the vme crate This is a serious, but well known error that sometimes can be cured by exiting sixc (type "quit" in the sixc prompt) and then reboot the vme crate. Call the floor coordinator (25-25) if you are not sure how to do this. After the reboot, wait a few minutes and then restart sixc (type "eh2_exp" in the unix prompt). If the problem persists inform the beamline staff asap.

3)

? A motor will not move. An error message is given in eh2_exp

! Maybe the soft limits are reached. In general, these limits must not be changed since they prevent the motors to hit a hard limit (end of spindle, limited rotation etc.). If it is obvious that no such hard limits are present, the soft limits can be changed in sixc by typing "set_lm motorname 0 360" that will set the soft limits of the motor to 0 (min) and 360(max).

! Maybe you switched off the IcePAP rack and forgot to turn it on again.

! Type "reconfig" in eh2_exp

4)

? A motor seems to move (the positon listed by typing "wm motorname" has changed) but physically it doesn’t move.

! Identify the motor in the experimental hutch. Is the cable connected? If not, find the right cable and plug it in (REMEMBER TO SWITCH OFF THE DPAP RACK BEFORE CONNECTING OR DISCONNECTING ANY MOTOR CABLE !) If everything looks normal but the motor still doesn’t move inform the beamline staff asap.

5)

? I cannot open the ID10 shutter by typing "shopen".

! The search/interlock procedure of the exp. hutch is not completed.

! Otherwise, call the floor coordinator (25-25)

6)

? The ID10 beamshutter is open but there appears to be no beam in the hutch.

! The front end is closed. This is the case if the light panel "FRONTEND" is out. This means that the machine is refilling or that your "automatic mode" setting in "idappli" expired. Reopen it by clicking the "OPEN FRONTEND" button in "idappli"

! To many attenuatort. Remove attenuators using command att 0.

7)

? I cannot open the front end.

! See 6). Otherwise call the machine control room (24-90) or the floor coordinator 25-25 and ask them to open it.

8)

? The beam didn’t return after a refill or an intervention on the machine side

! Check if the undulator gaps are closed in "idappli". If not, look under Undulators in the machine and optics hutch section of this user guide to learn how to close them.  If the undulators will not close, phone the machine control room (24-90).

9)

? All light panels are on but there’s no beam.

! Check both the oscilloscope signal and try "ct" in eh2_exp. Maybe the oscilloscope was disconnected or the connection to the vct6 is lost. In this case follow the instructions in 2).

! Make sure that the detector is connected (it needs high voltage) in the right way.

10)

? The ting.esrf.fr machine dies. All terminal screens get dark.

! Reboot ting (switch off/on) and wait until it is back. Start eh2_exp again and check carefully if some parameters (orientation matrix, d-spacing, energy etc.) are lost. If the problem persists inform the beamline staff asap.

Things I shouldn't do at ID10

:-( Disconnect or connect any motors without authorization from the staff

:-( Install or un-install software on the computers without authorization

:-( Leave the Chemistry lab in a mess