Finback: a web‐based data collection system at SSRF biological macromolecular crystallography beamlines

• Published in: Journal of synchrotron radiation 2024-03, Vol.31 (2), p.378-384
• Main Authors: Yu, Feng, Liu, Ke, Zhou, Huan, Li, Minjun, Kong, Huating, Zhang, Kunhao, Wang, Xingya, Wang, Weiwei, Xu, Qin, Pan, Qiangyan, Wang, Zhijun, Wang, Qisheng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Computer Programs; Crystallography; Data base management systems; Data collection; Graphical user interface; Information management; macromolecular crystallography beamline; synchrotron beamline control; Synchrotron radiation
• ISSN: 1600-5775; 0909-0495; 1600-5775
• DOI: 10.1107/S1600577523010615

An integrated computer software system for macromolecular crystallography (MX) data collection at the BL02U1 and BL10U2 beamlines of the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility is described. The system, Finback, implements a set of features designed for the automated MX beamlines, and is marked with a user‐friendly web‐based graphical user interface (GUI) for interactive data collection. The Finback client GUI can run on modern browsers and has been developed using several modern web technologies including WebSocket, WebGL, WebWorker and WebAssembly. Finback supports multiple concurrent sessions, so on‐site and remote users can access the beamline simultaneously. Finback also cooperates with the deployed experimental data and information management system, the relevant experimental parameters and results are automatically deposited to a database. Finback is a biological macromolecular crystallography data collection system that features a user‐friendly interactive web‐based graphical user interface. The backend is based on the Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System and the frontend has been developed with several modern network technologies including WebSocket, WebGL, WebWorker and WebAssembly.