Cryo Status                     Automatic liquid Nitrogen refill                     CryoSpy                     How to restart the Oxford 600 CryoController                    

Before starting an experiment:

Under normal circumstances the Oxford 600 CryoStream used on BM16 should be running in automatic-refill mode and set to a temperature of 100°K and should require no user intervention. However, before starting an experiment users should check the status of the cryostat which is displayed in the Beamline Status section of MxCuBe. The fill level should be between 30% and 80% and the temperature should be 100°K.

If for any reason the cryo status is not displayed in MxCuBe you can check the cryo status by launching the CryoSpy application on yBM16ctrl.

Automatic N2 refill

The N2 AutoRefill is controlled through the N2 Auto Refill brick on the MxCube GUI.

The default option is for the N2 refill to be carried out automatically - but the system can also be operated in manual mode by clicking on the box in this brick to deselect the autofill option, then clicking on Open Valve to begin a manual refill and Close Valve to stop the refill.

CryoSpy:

This provides information on how full the feed dewar is (click on the level graphic to see a live readout), as well as the status of the line drier and the status of the dry air supply. The system is programmed to refill the feed dewar automatically to a fill level of 85 % .

If for any reason the cryo status is not running on MxCube the CryoSpy application can be launched by typing xspy in any terminal window on ybm16ctrl or by clicking on the cryospy icon on the desktop of ybm16ctrl.

How to program the cryostream controller:

1. Check the gas flow meter is set to 6 L/minute then press the "on" switch of the cryostream cooler which is on the left hand side of the rear panel of the controller
2. wait for the self diagnostics to finish
3. press the "program" button
4. press the arrow keys to select the a ramp rate'
5. press the "enter" key to accept the "ramp" option. Use the arrow keys to select a rate (usually 360k/hour)
6. press the "enter" key to accept the ramp rate
7. press the arrow keys to select the required temperature of 100k. (having accepted the temperature the highlighter drops to the next line to prompt a new phase)
8. press the "enter" key
9. press the "screen"" key to revert to the status screen
10. press the "start" button to begin the program

How to shutdown the cryostream cooler:

1. to shut down the cryostream cooler correctly, the user should program it to ramp to room temparature. This will allow the nozzle of the coldhead to warm thus preventing moisture from the air migrating up the nozzle.
2. however if its absolutely necessary you can press the red "stop" button; although once the cryostream cooler has been shut down this way it is necessary to switch the cryostream controller "off" and "on" again.