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Beamline 08B1-1 is a recently commissioned bending-magnet beamline at the Canadian Light Source. The beamline is designed for automation and remote access. Together with the undulator-based beamline 08ID-1, they constitute the Canadian Macromolecular Crystallography Facility. This paper describes the design, specifications, hardware and software of beamline 08B1-1. A few scientific results using data obtained at the beamline will be highlighted.

It is now possible to perform X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) on metalloprotein crystals at the Canadian Macromolecular Crystallography Facility bend magnet (CMCF-BM) beamline (08B1-1) at the Canadian Light Source. The recent addition of a four-element fluorescence detector allows users to acquire data suitable for X-ray absorption near-edge structure and extended X-ray absorption fine-structure based studies by monitoring fluorescence. CMCF beamline users who wish to supplement their diffraction data with XAS can do so with virtually no additional sample preparation. XAS data collection is integrated with the established Mx Data Collector software package used to collect diffraction data. Mainstream XAS data-processing software packages are available for the users; assistance with data processing and interpretation by staff is also available upon request.

An integrated computer software system for on-site and remote collection of macromolecular crystallography (MX) data at the Canadian Light Source (CLS) is described. The system consists of an integrated graphical user interface for data collection and beamline control [MX Data Collector (MxDC)] which provides experiment-focused control of beamline devices, and a laboratory information management system [MX Laboratory Information Virtual Environment (MxLIVE)] for managing sample and experiment information through a web browser. The system allows remote planning and transmission of sample and experiment parameters to the beamline through MxLIVE, on-site or remote data collection through MxDC guided by information from MxLIVE, and remote monitoring and download of experimental results through MxLIVE. The system is deployed and in use on both MX beamlines at the CLS which constitute the Canadian Macromolecular Crystallography Facility.

Vibration is often a problem causing poor quality of photon beams at synchrotron radiation facilities, since beamlines are quite sensitive to vibrations. Therefore, vibration analysis and control at synchrotron radiation facilities is crucial. This paper presents investigations on mechanical vibrations at four beamlines and endstations at the Canadian Light Source, i.e. the Canadian Macromolecular Crystallography Facility 08ID-1 beamline, the Hard X-ray MicroAnalysis 06ID-1 beamline, the Resonant Elastic and Inelastic Soft X-ray Scattering 10ID-2 beamline, and the Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscope endstation at the Spectromicroscopy 10ID-1 beamline. This study identifies vibration sources and investigates the influence of mechanical vibrations on beamline performance. The results show that vibrations caused by movable mechanical equipment significantly affect the data acquired from beamlines.

Beamline 08ID-1 is the prime macromolecular crystallography beamline at the Canadian Light Source. Based on a small-gap in-vacuum undulator, it is designed for challenging projects like small crystals and crystals with large cell dimensions. Beamline 08ID-1, together with a second bending-magnet beamline, constitute the Canadian Macromolecular Crystallography Facility (CMCF). This paper presents an overall description of the 08ID-1 beamline, including its specifications, beamline software and recent scientific highlights. The end-station of the beamline is equipped with a CCD X-ray detector, on-axis crystal visualization system, a single-axis goniometer and a sample automounter allowing remote access to the beamline. The general user program is guaranteed up to 55% of the useful beam time and is run under a peer-review proposal system. The CMCF staff provide `Mail-in' crystallography service to the users with the highest-scored proposals.