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Cryo-EM workstations can be monitored and controlled remotely by authorized users.

In order to gain access to the remote session you must first:

  1. Have a valid SLAC unix account
  2. Have access to a web browser
  3. Be able to communicate to SLAC via http from your laptop/workstation etc. (local policies on firewalls differ, please see your local IT staff)
  4. Be a collaborator on an active experiment
  5. A 4k monitor is recommended for the best experience.

Instructions

  1. Open the following link in a web browser 

    https://fastx.slac.stanford.edu:3443/

    Log in with your SLAC Unix account credentials.

  2. Click on 'Launch Session'
  3. In the popup that appears, you will see a list of "Bookmarks" on the right
    1. select 'Cryo-EM'; the icons should show 'Cryo-EM - TEM1' etc.; if your experiment has been assigned to TEM2, choose "Cryo-EM - TEM2".
    2. the box underneath will populate with the appropriate command line - do not alter this command.
  4. Click 'Launch'
  5. Use your mouse and keyboard to interact with the microscope control PC's.

The FastX session is persistent; ie if you close your browser, you can rejoin at any time by visiting the website again and selecting the relevant session. Note that the sessions will automatically terminate after 24hours.

A 'native' client is also available. It also enables clearer separation of the ThermoFisher TEMUI and the Gatan consoles. It is available for download here. Please use https://fastx.slac.stanford.edu:3443/ as the "Url"

 

Instructions for FastX3

We are currently beta testing FastX3 for use on CryoEM sessions. You may experience some bugs not listed here. You've been warned!

  1. Open the following link in a web browser
    1. https://fastx3.slac.stanford.edu:3300
    2. Log in with your SLAC Unix credentials
  2. Click on the blue '+' button
  3. In the popup menu, select
    1. TEMBETA
  4. Click on the blue 'Launch' button
  5. Once up, you should see two windows - one for the Camera and one for the Microscope. You should be able to move and adjust the windows as you would normallly.

If the windows that popup are too big, you can zoom out by

  1. Move your mouse to the middle top of the browser window (just underneath the URL bar). There should be a grey rectangular box that expands as you mouse over it
  2. Click on the cog icon
  3. Uncheck 'Use Smart Scaling'
  4. Click on the blue bar to set 'Scaling' to 0.5x
  5. You may also want to play around with the 'adjust network settings' to improve responsiveness and image quality. Your feedback on this matter is welcome.

If you wish to make use of multiple monitors and slightly more flexible window layouts, you can download and use a native client for FastX3 at https://www.starnet.com/download/fastx-client. You can use the above url https://fastx3.slac.stanford.edu:3300 for the server connection settings.

Issues:

If you get a permission error on a password when you start the windowing session, then it may be because you do not have an active experimental session on the microscope. Please check with your local SLAC representative.

We have seen on occasions that only one of the remote screens show up; with the other showing a 'Connection Reset' error. In this case, please dismiss the dialog, close the active (working window) and try relaunching a TEMBETA session again as defined above.

If you continue to experience problems, an authentication bug in FastX3 may be causing you issues. Basically, a 'token' needs to be acquired in order to gain access, however, we have found that this version of FastX does not consistently renew your tokens. In order to rectify this:

  1. Log out of FastX3 (in the original browser window, click your userid on the top right, and select Sign Out)
  2. Log back into FastX3 at https://fastx3.slac.stanford.edu:3300
  3. Click on '+' and select the 'Terminal' icon
    1. when a window pops up enter 
      kinit && aklog

    2. This will ask you to reenter your SLAC Unix Account password to renew your token

    3. you can close the window and/or enter exit
    4. This will automatically close the connection to the Terminal
  4. Repeat steps above to open a session on TEMBETA

If you are still experiencing difficulties, please report your issues with your SLAC representative or email ytl@slac.stanford.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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