ALBA Synchrotron

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Beamline Manual

The data acquisition system is quite friendly-user for most of the users with some experience in synchrotron radiation facilities, however can be a bit difficult for beginners. For beginers but also for expert users, you can download the user guide to be familiar with the beamline data acquisition system and most frequently used software and macros.

If you are familiar with Python, you will be able to make much more effective use of the beamline.

Software for scattering data analysis

There is plenty of software to analyze the scattering data in transmission (SAXS & WAXS) and reflection mode (GISAXS & GIWAXS). In these websites you can check a non-comprehensive list of available software for data analysis.

Some of the most common ones:

  • ATSAS: A program suite for SAXS data analysis from biological macromolecules developed by Svergun Group at EMBL-Hamburg. Includes primary data processing, Ab initio methods, rigid body modelling, analysis of mixtures and flexible systems, and PDB oriented tools.
  • PyFAI: PyFAI is a python library for azimuthal integration of X-ray/neutron/electron scattering data acquired with area detectors.
  • DAWN: An open source software (license) for the visualization and processing of scientific data. Although specifically developed for data from synchrotron based techniques, many of the features of DAWN are useful in other fields. DAWN loads data from many common formats (text files, tiffs, hdf5…), as well as those specific to X-ray techniques (NeXus, EDF, MAR…).

NCD-SWEET beamline users also recommend:

  • BornAgain: Open source research software to simulate and fit GISAXS.
  • Bubble: Fast on-line 1D integration for small and wide angle diffraction.
  • DPDAK: tool developed for (online analysis) of large sequences of small angle scattering data.
  • GIDVis:  a modular MATLAB program to analyze grazing incidence diffraction images. A manual is also available.
  • GIXSGUI: MATLAB-based software for visualization and reducyion of Grazing Incidence X-ray Scattering data. There is a dedicated paper.
  • GIuSAXS: a tool to inspect GISAXS and GIWAXS data made by the collaboration of different scientist.
  • ImageJ: Java image processing program. To read .edf files, you need to download this .class file and save it in the "plugins/Input-Output" directory of ImageJ. Then you can open a .edf file with imageJ: Plugins/Input-Output/EdfRead. More information can be found here.
  • McSAS: Monte Carlo regression package for SAXS data analysis. There is a publication dedicated about this software.
  • Medved: Load and visualize integrated 1D patterns and much more. Check the related paper.