Gamry Instruments EIS Box User manual

EIS Box™
Instrument
Operator’s Manual
Copyright ©2018 Gamry Instruments, Inc.
Revision 1.0
November 1, 2018
Gamry P/N 988-00071

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If You Have Problems
Please visit our service and support page at www.gamry.com/service-support/. This page contains information
on installation, software updates, and training. It also contains links to the latest available documentation. If you
are unable to locate the information you need from our website, you can contact us via email using the link
provided on our website. Alternatively, you can contact us one of the following ways:
Internet www.gamry.com/service-support/
Telephone [phone]:00 AM–5:00 PM, US Eastern Standard Time
[phone], Toll Free US and Canada Only
Please have your instrument model and serial numbers available, as well as any applicable software and
firmware revisions.
If you have problems in installation or use of a system containing an EIS Box, please try to call from a phone
next to your computer, where you can type and read the screen while talking to us.
We will be happy to provide a reasonable level of free support for registered users of the EIS Box instrument.
Reasonable support includes telephone assistance covering the normal installation, use, and simple
customization of a computerized system containing an EIS Box instrument connected to a Windows®-
compatible computer.
A service contract that extends both the hardware warranty and software update period is available at an
additional charge. Software updates do not include software enhancements offered to our customers at
additional cost.
Enhancements to the EIS Box instrument and Gamry’s standard applications software that require significant
engineering time on our part can be performed on a contract basis. Contact us with your requirements.

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Limited Warranty
Gamry Instruments, Inc. warrants to the original user of this product that it shall be free of defects resulting from
faulty manufacture of the product or its components for a period of two years from the original shipment date
of your purchase.
Gamry Instruments, Inc. makes no warranties regarding either the satisfactory performance of the EIS Box
instrument including the software provided with this product or the fitness of the product for any particular
purpose. The remedy for breach of this Limited Warranty shall be limited solely to repair or replacement, as
determined by Gamry Instruments, Inc., and shall not include other damages.
Gamry Instruments, Inc. reserves the right to make revisions to the system at any time without incurring any
obligation to install same on systems previously purchased. All system specifications are subject to change
without notice.
There are no warranties which extend beyond the description herein. This warranty is in lieu of, and
excludes any and all other warranties or representations, expressed, implied or statutory, including
merchantability and fitness, as well as any and all other obligations or liabilities of Gamry Instruments,
Inc., including but not limited to, special or consequential damages.
This Limited Warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may have others, which vary from state to state.
Some states do not allow for the exclusion of incidental or consequential damages.
No person, firm or corporation is authorized to assume for Gamry Instruments, Inc., any additional obligation or
liability not expressly provided herein except in writing duly executed by an officer of Gamry Instruments, Inc.

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Disclaimers
Gamry Instruments, Inc. cannot guarantee that the EIS Box instrument will work with all computer systems,
operating systems, and third-party software applications, hardware, or software.
The information in this manual has been carefully checked and is believed to be accurate as of the time of
release. However, Gamry Instruments, Inc. assumes no responsibility for errors that might appear.
Copyrights
EIS BoxInstrument Operator’s Manual copyright ©2018, Gamry Instruments, Inc., all rights reserved.
Gamry Framework copyright ©1989–2018, Gamry Instruments, Inc., all rights reserved.
EIS Box, Reference 600, Framework, and Gamryare trademarks of Gamry Instruments, Inc.
No part of this document may be copied or reproduced in any form without the prior written consent of Gamry
Instruments, Inc.
Windows and Excel are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

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Table of Contents
Chapter 1:Safety Considerations.....................................................................................................9
Inspection.........................................................................................................................9
Product Safety ..................................................................................................................9
Grounding in the EIS Box ..................................................................................................9
Temperature and Ventilation.............................................................................................11
Defects and Abnormal Stresses..........................................................................................11
Environmental Limits.........................................................................................................12
Cleaning ...........................................................................................................................12
Service .............................................................................................................................12
RF Warning ......................................................................................................................13
Electrical Transient Sensitivity ............................................................................................13
CE Compliance.................................................................................................................13
RoHS Compliance ............................................................................................................13
Chapter 2:Introduction ..................................................................................................................15
About this Manual ............................................................................................................15
About the EIS Box.............................................................................................................15
Software and Applications.................................................................................................16
Notational Conventions.....................................................................................................16
Chapter 3:General Operation ........................................................................................................17
Operation Overview .........................................................................................................18
Keyword Definitions .........................................................................................................19
Switching and Inactive Cell Control ...................................................................................19
Communications Overview...............................................................................................19
Chapter 4:Installation.....................................................................................................................21
Initial Visual Inspection .....................................................................................................21
Physical Location ..............................................................................................................21
Computer Requirements...................................................................................................22
Quick-Start Guide for System Installation...........................................................................22
Software Installation..........................................................................................................22
Reboot Your Computer after Software Installation..............................................................23
Power Cord and Power Connection ..................................................................................23
Power-up Test ..................................................................................................................24
Ethernet Cables.................................................................................................................24
Operation via USB............................................................................................................25
Cell Cable Installation .......................................................................................................25
Running the Framework....................................................................................................26
Framework Device Status Bar............................................................................................26
Firmware Update..............................................................................................................27
Chapter 5:Calibration ....................................................................................................................29
Introduction......................................................................................................................29
DC Calibration..................................................................................................................29
Chapter 6:Cell Connections ...........................................................................................................31
Cell Cable Overview .........................................................................................................31
Normal Cell Connections ..................................................................................................31
Membrane Cell Connections.............................................................................................32
Fuses in the Cell Cable......................................................................................................33
Chapter 7:Panel Indicators and Connectors ....................................................................................37
Front Panel .......................................................................................................................37
Rear Panel ........................................................................................................................39

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Appendix A: EIS Box Specifications ................................................................................................43
Control Amplifier ..............................................................................................................43
Differential Electrometer ...................................................................................................43
Voltage Measurement .......................................................................................................43
Current to Voltage Converter.............................................................................................44
Current Measurement .......................................................................................................44
Environmental...................................................................................................................44
General ............................................................................................................................44
Channel Characteristics .....................................................................................................45
Appendix B: EIS Box Cell Connectors .............................................................................................47
Appendix C: CE Certificate.............................................................................................................49
Certificate of Conformance ............................................................................................................49
Index.............................................................................................................................................51

Safety Considerations
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Chapter 1: Safety Considerations
Your EIS Box instrument has been supplied in a safe condition. This chapter of the EIS Box Instrument
Operator’s Manual contains information and warnings that you must follow to ensure continued safe operation
of the EIS Box.
Inspection
When you receive your EIS Box instrument, inspect it for evidence of shipping damage. If you observe any
damage, please notify Gamry Instruments Inc. and the shipping carrier immediately. Save the shipping
container for possible inspection by the carrier.
Product Safety
The EIS Box has been designed, tested, and certified to meet the requirements of EN 61010, Safety
requirements for electrical equipment for measurement, control, and laboratory use. As defined in this standard,
it is a Category II apparatus, with any “hazardous live voltages”protected by “reinforced insulation”.
Most of the EIS Box circuitry operates at voltages low enough to be considered safe. The EIS Box contains a
limited amount of internal circuitry that is at “hazardous live” voltage as defined in EN 61010 (the standard
mentioned above). “Reinforced insulation” (again defined in EN 61010) is used to reduce the risk of electrical
shock caused by this hazardous live voltage.
The majority of the EIS Box’s circuitry does not contain voltages higher than 15 V DC. Generally input and
output voltages in the EIS Box are limited to ±9 V. This voltage level is considered safe.
The EIS Box is normally provided with an AC line cord suitable for your location. This AC line cord connects the
AC mains to the chassis of the instrument. You must always use a line cord with a CEE 22 Standard V female
connector on the instrument end of the cable. If your EIS Box has been provided without an AC line cord, or a
cord that is not compatible with your local AC mains socket, obtain a line cord certified for use in your country.
Contact your local Gamry Representative or email to [email protected] if you are uncertain what AC
line cord to use.
Grounding in the EIS Box
Protective Ground and System Ground Binding Posts
The Protective Ground binding post is a convenient access point to the protective (earth) ground in the EIS
Box. It is connected to the third wire in the AC power cord and to the EIS Box’s metal chassis.
This binding post can be connected to an additional earth ground to form a redundant protective ground.
The EIS Box’s power input is rated for operation from 100 to 240 V AC, 47 to 63 Hz. It
should therefore be useful throughout the world.
Warning: An EIS Box damaged in shipment can be a safety hazard. Do not operate
damaged apparatus until a qualified service technician has verified its safety. Tag a damaged EIS Box to
indicate that it could be a safety hazard.

Safety Considerations
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Most electrochemical cells are isolated from earth ground, so isolation of the EIS Box from earth is not required.
In these cases, connection of the EIS Box chassis to System Ground may lower the noise seen in an
electrochemical test.
The System Ground is the common voltage reference point for the EIS Box’s circuitry. It floats with respect to
the Protective Ground.
The System Ground binding post is not intended for any use other than connecting the EIS Box to an earth
ground to improve shielding against noise. Connecting this binding post to a hazardous voltage can create a
significant safety hazard.
The EIS Box contains surge suppressors that limit the voltage difference between the EIS Box’s chassis ground
and earth ground to about 28 V. These surge suppressors are not part of the safety mechanisms in the EIS Box.
Instead they are present to limit the possibility of improper instrument operation or instrument damage due to
electrostatic discharge (static electricity) and other surge events such as lightning.
Warning: Never connect the Protective Ground and System Ground if the
electrochemical system you are testing is earth-grounded. Two earth-ground connections in a high-energy
electrochemical system can create hazardous conditions.
Warning: Do not connect the Protective Ground binding post to any voltage other than
earth ground. An improper connection can create a safety hazard, which could result in personal injury or
death.
Warning: Do not negate the protection of the EIS Box’s earth ground by any means. Do
not use the EIS Box with a two-wire extension cord, with an adapter that does not provide for protective
grounding, or with an electrical outlet that is not properly wired with a protective earth ground. If the
protective ground is not properly connected, it creates a safety hazard, which could result in personal injury
or death.
Sources of earth ground include
• Most metal water pipes,
• The chassis of most electronic apparatus (which are generally earth-grounded), and
• The protective ground terminal of an AC mains power plug.
We recommend that you discuss grounding with an electrical or electronics professional prior to making this
earth-ground connection.