Ametek Solartron Analytical ModuLab XM ECS User manual

Electrochemical System
INSTALLATION GUIDE

Solartron Analytical Ltd
5 Ashville Way, Molly Millars Lane,
Wokingham, Berkshire, RG41 2PL, UK
Tel [phone]
DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY
The directives covered by this declaration
73/23/EEC Low Voltage Equipment Directive, amended by 93/68/EEC
89/336/EEC Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive, amended by 92/31/EEC & 93/68/EEC
Product(s)
ModuLab®XM System
Basis on which conformity is being declared
The product(s) identified above comply with the requirements of the EU directives by meeting
the following standards:
BS EN61326:1997 Electrical equipment for measurement control and laboratory use -EMC
requirements; including amendments A1:1998 and A2:2001.
BS EN61010-1:2001 Safety requirements for electrical equipment for measurement, control
and laboratory use.
Accordingly the CE mark has been applied to this product.
Signed
For and on behalf of Solartron Analytical
Authority: Division Vice President of Engineering
Date: May 2014

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GENERAL SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
The equipment described in this manual has been designed in accordance with EN61010
"Safety requirements for electrical equipment for measurement, control and laboratory
use", and has been supplied in a safe condition. To avoid injury to an operator or service
technician the safety precautions given below, and throughout the manual, must be strictly
adhered to, whenever the equipment is operated, serviced or repaired. For specific safety
details, please refer to the relevant sections within the manual.
The equipment is intended solely for electronic measurement and should be used for no
other purpose. The equipment protection may be impaired if it is not operated in a manner
as specified by Solartron and detailed in this document. Solartron accept no responsibility
for accidents or damage resulting from any failure to comply with these precautions.
GROUNDING
To minimise the hazard of electrical shock, it is essential that the equipment be connected
to a protective ground through the AC supply cable. The continuity of the ground
connection should be checked periodically.
AC SUPPLY VOLTAGE
Never operate the equipment from a line voltage or frequency in excess of that specified.
Otherwise, the insulation of internal components may break down and cause excessive
leakage currents. The equipment is to be used with an IEC 60799 compliant mains supply
cord, rated for the correct voltage and power rating as detailed on the rear panel.
FUSES
Before switching on the equipment check that the fuses accessible from the exterior of
the equipment are of the correct rating. The rating of the AC line fuse must be in
accordance with the voltage of the AC supply.
T10A H 250V (100-120V mains supply)
T5A H 250V (220-240V mains supply)
Should any fuse continually blow, do not insert a fuse of a higher rating. Switch the
equipment off, clearly label it "unserviceable" and inform a service technician.
EXPLOSIVE ATMOSPHERES
You must NEVER OPERATE the equipment, or any sensors connected to the equipment,
in a potentially explosive atmosphere. The equipment is NOT designed for use in these
conditions and could possibly cause an explosion.
SAFETY SYMBOL
For the guidance and protection of the user, the following safety symbol appears on the
equipment:
Symbol
Meaning
General safety hazard. Refer to the operating manual for detailed
instructions.
Electrical safety hazard. This symbol may appear alongside the general
safety hazard symbol, together with a voltage.

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General Safety Precautions (continued from previous page)
Symbol
Meaning
Safety hazard involving heavy weights. A numerical value for the
amount of weight may appear alongside this symbol. Take care when
handling and carrying. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions, and ask
for assistance if necessary.
NOTES, CAUTIONS AND WARNINGS
For the guidance and protection of the user, Notes, Cautions and Warnings
appear throughout the manual. The significance of these is as follows:
NOTES highlight important information for the reader’s special attention.
CAUTIONS guide the reader in avoiding damage to the equipment.
WARNINGS guide the reader in avoiding a hazard that could cause injury or
death.
AVOID UNSAFE EQUIPMENT
The equipment may be unsafe if any of the following statements apply:
•Equipment shows visible damage.
•Equipment has failed to perform an intended operation.
•Equipment has been stored in unfavourable conditions.
•Equipment has been subjected to severe physical stress.
If in any doubt as to the serviceability of the equipment, don't use it. Get it
properly checked out by a qualified service technician.
LIVE CONDUCTORS
When the equipment is connected to its measurement inputs or supply, the
opening of covers or removal of parts could expose live conductors. The
equipment must be disconnected from all power and signal sources before it is
opened for any adjustment, replacement, maintenance or repair. Adjustments,
maintenance or repair must only be done by qualified personnel, who should
refer to the relevant maintenance documentation.
EQUIPMENT MODIFICATION
To avoid introducing safety hazards, never install non-standard parts in the
equipment, or make any unauthorised modification. To maintain safety, always
return the equipment to your Solartron service provider for service and repair.

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DISPOSAL AND RECYCLING OF EQUIPMENT IN THE
EUROPEAN UNION
Solartron Analytical is an environmentally friendly company, committed to the
disposal and recycling of electrical and electronic waste according to procedures
that have the least possible impact on health and the environment. The company
supports the disposal of equipment according to the EU directive on Waste
Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE).
When you wish to dispose of any Solartron Analytical electrical
and electronic equipment supplied in the EU, you should call your
supplier and ask for advice about the disposal process. Do not
dispose of any equipment in skips, rubbish bins or waste disposal
sites.
MODULAB XM COMPONENTS, MATERIALS AND DISMANTLING
The following information will be of interest to parties who are involved in the
disposal of equipment.
The ModuLab XM system consists of a metal chassis mounted in a polyurethane
plastic case. The chassis contains a power supply and a number of PCBs
including up to eight modules that can be removed and refitted. There is an LCD
display mounted on the front of the metal chassis, behind the plastic front cover.
A general description of the equipment, including some photographs, is
given in Section 1.3.
Details of how to remove the front cover, and then remove the module
PCBs, are given in Section 2.5.
With the front cover removed, you can remove the chassis from its case as
follows:
1. Undo three screws on each side of the case, at the bottom.
2. Slide the upper section of the case off to the rear, leaving behind the chassis
and plastic base.
3. Lift the chassis off the plastic base.
The ModuLab XM system contains soldered components which may contain
lead.

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Text Conventions
The following text conventions are used in the ModuLab®XM documentation:
•Bold text is used for headings.
•Blue text is used for names and titles of features of the ModuLab XM
hardware and software, when it is required that the user, at this point, should
find these features on the system.
•Italic text is used for words and phrases that have a specific meaning within
ModuLab XM, without being names or titles, for example project,
experiment and step. Definitions of the italicised words and phrases are in the
Glossary of Terms.
•Finger pointers are used for cross-references, for example:
Glossary of Terms, in the User Guide.

ModuLab XM ECS Electrochemical System: Installation Guide
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Contents
1. INTRODUCING MODULAB®XM ECS........................................................1-1
1.1 THE MODULAB®XM ECS DOCUMENTATION................................1-1
1.2 SYSTEM OVERVIEW........................................................................1-1
1.3 MODULAB XM CHASSIS..................................................................1-2
1.4 EXTERNAL POWER BOOSTERS.....................................................1-4
1.5 MODULE SUMMARY ........................................................................1-7
1.5.1 Module Identifiers.............................................................................. 1-8
1.5.2 Cables............................................................................................... 1-9
1.5.3 Potentiostat Groups and Communication........................................ 1-10
1.5.4 Group Common Reference Voltage................................................ 1-10
1.5.5 Measurements on Floating and Grounded Cells ............................. 1-11
1.6 MODULE FUNCTIONS....................................................................1-13
1.6.1 XM Potentiostat Module.................................................................. 1-13
1.6.2 XM Frequency Response Analyzer Module .................................... 1-14
1.6.3 XM High Voltage Modules............................................................... 1-16
1.6.4 XM Femto Ammeter Module ........................................................... 1-17
1.6.5 XM Internal Booster Module............................................................ 1-18
1.6.6 External Power Boosters................................................................. 1-20
2. ASSEMBLING THE SYSTEM .....................................................................2-1
2.1 THE APPROACH TO SYSTEM ASSEMBLY.....................................2-1
2.1.1 PC System Requirements................................................................. 2-2
2.2 INSTALLING THE MODULAB XM ECS SYSTEM.............................2-2
2.3 CONFIGURING THE PC ETHERNET INTERFACE..........................2-4
2.3.1 Configuring Ethernet for Windows XP............................................... 2-5
2.4 INSTALLING THE MODULAB XM ECS SOFTWARE .......................2-7
2.4.1 Microsoft .Net Framework................................................................. 2-8
2.5 INSTALLING THE MODULES IN THE CHASSIS..............................2-9
2.5.1 Assembling the Modules in the Correct Order................................. 2-11
2.5.2 Unused Modules............................................................................. 2-12
2.6 CONNECTING THE ETHERNET.....................................................2-12

Contents ModuLab XM ECS Electrochemical System: Installation Guide
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2.7 CHECKING THE SYSTEM COMMUNICATIONS............................2-14
2.8 MANUAL ADDITION OF EQUIPMENT............................................2-20
2.9 ADVANCED SETUP ........................................................................2-22
2.9.1 Connection to a Corporate Network.................................................2-22
2.9.2 Hardware IP Addressing..................................................................2-26
2.10 REBOOTING THE SYSTEM............................................................2-33
3. INSTALLATION TESTS...............................................................................3-1
3.1 TEST SEQUENCE.............................................................................3-1
3.2 THE TEST CELLS..............................................................................3-2
3.2.1 DC Responses to Test Cells..............................................................3-4
3.2.2 AC Responses to Test Cells..............................................................3-4
3.3 POTENTIOSTAT TEST......................................................................3-6
3.3.1 Auxiliary Channel DC Test...............................................................3-13
3.4 XM FRA TEST..................................................................................3-18
3.4.1 Auxiliary Channel AC Test...............................................................3-25
3.5 XM HIGH VOLTAGE MODULE TEST..............................................3-28
3.6 XM FEMTO AMMETER MODULE TEST.........................................3-30
3.7 XM POWER BOOSTER MODULE TEST ........................................3-32
3.8 EXTERNAL POWER BOOSTER TEST...........................................3-34
4. EXPANDING THE MODULAB XM SYSTEM...............................................4-1
4.1 MULTIPLE CHASSES........................................................................4-1
4.1.1 Chasses connected in series.............................................................4-2
4.1.2 Chasses connected through a switch ................................................4-3
4.1.3 Assigning the Module Addresses.......................................................4-4
4.1.4 Communication Test for Multiple Chasses.........................................4-5
4.2 EXTERNAL DEVICE CONTROL........................................................4-8
5. SYSTEM SPECIFICATION..........................................................................5-1
5.1 POTENTIOSTAT, HV 100 / HV 30, BOOSTER 2A, FEMTO AMMETER
MODULES .........................................................................................5-1
5.2 FREQUENCY RESPONSE ANALYZER (FRA)..................................5-2