Gamry Instruments PCI4/300 Potentiostat/Galvanostat/ZRA User manual

[phone] | [email protected] | artisantg.com
-~
ARTISAN
®
~I
TECHNOLOGY
GROUP
Your definitive source
for
quality
pre-owned
equipment.
Artisan Technology
Group
Full-service,
independent
repair
center
with
experienced
engineers
and
technicians
on staff.
We
buy
your
excess,
underutilized,
and
idle
equipment
along
with
credit
for
buybacks
and
trade-ins
.
Custom
engineering
so
your
equipment
works
exactly as
you
specify.
•
Critical
and
expedited
services
•
Leasing
/
Rentals/
Demos
• In
stock/
Ready-to-ship
•
!TAR-certified
secure
asset
solutions
Expert
team
ITrust
guarantee
I
100%
satisfaction
All
tr
ademarks,
br
a
nd
names, a
nd
br
a
nd
s a
pp
earing here
in
are
th
e property of
th
e
ir
r
es
pecti
ve
ow
ner
s.
Visit our website - Click HERE

PCI4 Potentiostat/Galvanostat/ZRA
Operator's Manual
includes both the
PCI4/300 Potentiostat/Galvanostat/ZRA
and
PCI4/ 50 Potentiostat/Galvanostat/ZRA
Copyright 1997-2011 Gamry Instruments, Inc. All rights reserved. rinted in the USA.
Revision 5.2
February 28, 2011

i

ii
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 date of shipment.
Gamry Instruments, Inc., makes no warranties regarding either the satisfactory performance of the CI4 or the
fitness of the instrument 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 CI4 at any time without incurring any
obligation to install same on instruments previously purchased. All instrument 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.

iii
Disclaimers
Gamry Instruments, Inc., cannot guarantee that the CI4 otentiostat will work with all computer systems,
operating systems, or third party expansion cards and peripherals.
The information in this manual has been carefully checked and is believed to be accurate as of the time of
printing. However, Gamry Instruments, Inc., assumes no responsibility for errors that might appear.
Copyrights and Trademarks
CI4 otentiostat Operator's Manual Copyright 1997-2011 Gamry Instruments, Inc. All rights reserved.
rinted in the USA.
Gamry Framework Copyright 1989-2011 Gamry Instruments, Inc.
C4, CI4, Gamry Framework, DC105, EIS300, and Gamry are trademarks of Gamry Instruments,
Inc.
Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
No part of this document may be copied or reproduced in any form without the prior written consent of Gamry
Instruments, Inc.

iv
If You Have Problems
Contact us at your earliest convenience. We can be contacted via:
Telephone [phone]:30 AM - 6:30 M US Eastern Standard Time
Fax [phone]
Email [email protected]
Mail Gamry Instruments, Inc.
734 Louis Drive
Warminster, A 18974
USA
If you write to us about a problem, provide as much information as possible.
If you are having problems with installation or use of your CI4 otentiostat, it would be helpful if you called
from a phone near to your computer, where you can type and read the screen while talking to us.
We are happy to provide a reasonable level of free support for registered users of our products. Reasonable
support includes telephone assistance covering the normal installation and use of the CI4 in standard
computer hardware.
We provide a two year warranty covering both parts and labor. A service contract that extends the warranty is
available at an additional charge.
Enhancements to the CI4 that require significant engineering time on our part may be available on a contract
basis. Contact us with your requirements.

Table of Contents
Limited Warranty.................................................................................................................... ii
Disclaimers ............................................................................................................................. iii
Copyrights and Trademarks ..................................................................................................... iii
If You Have roblems ............................................................................................................. iv
Chapter 1 -- Introduction ........................................................................................................ 1-1
About This Manual..................................................................................................... 1-1
CE Compliance Required for Sale in Europe ............................................................... 1-1
About the CI4.......................................................................................................... 1-1
otentiostat Schematic Diagram................................................................................. 1-2
Notational Conventions.............................................................................................. 1-5
Chapter 2 -- Installation ......................................................................................................... 2-1
Computer Requirements ............................................................................................ 2-1
CI Compatibility....................................................................................................... 2-1
Multiple otentiostat Systems..................................................................................... 2-2
Card Identification ..................................................................................................... 2-2
ositional Conventions............................................................................................... 2-2
Handling the Cards .................................................................................................... 2-3
lug & lay System Configuration............................................................................... 2-3
Installing the Cards in Your Computer......................................................................... 2-3
Connecting the Internal Cables................................................................................... 2-4
Cell Cable Installation................................................................................................. 2-5
1
st
Time Device Installation in Windows ..................................................................... 2-5
Multiple otentiostat Systems..................................................................................... 2-8
Device Manager......................................................................................................... 2-9
Authorization Codes and Label................................................................................... 2-9
Application Software Installation and System Checkout............................................... 2-10
Calibration................................................................................................................. 2-11
Chapter 3 -- Cell Cable Connections ...................................................................................... 3-1
Cell Indicator ............................................................................................................. 3-1
Normal Cell Connections ........................................................................................... 3-1
ZRA Mode Cell Connections ...................................................................................... 3-3
Membrane Cell Connections...................................................................................... 3-3
Chapter 4 -- Stability in otentiostat Mode ............................................................................. 4-1
Capacitive Cells and Stability...................................................................................... 4-1
Improving otentiostat Stability .................................................................................. 4-2
Chapter 5 -- Measurement of Small Signals............................................................................. 5-1
Overview................................................................................................................... 5-1
Measurement System Model and hysical Limitations................................................. 5-1
Johnson Noise in Zcell .................................................................................. 5-2
Finite Input Capacitance ............................................................................... 5-3
Leakage Currents and Input Impedance......................................................... 5-3
Voltage Noise and DC Measurements ........................................................... 5-4
Shunt Resistance and Capacitance................................................................. 5-4
Hints for System and Cell Design................................................................................ 5-5
Faraday Shield .............................................................................................. 5-5
Avoid External Noise Sources ........................................................................ 5-5
Cell Cable Length and Construction............................................................... 5-5
Lead lacement ............................................................................................ 5-6
Cell Construction .......................................................................................... 5-6

Reference Electrode ...................................................................................... 5-6
Instrument Settings........................................................................................ 5-7
EIS Speed ..................................................................................................... 5-7
Ancillary Apparatus ....................................................................................... 5-7
Floating Operation..................................................................................................... 5-7
Appendix A -- CI4/300 Specifications ................................................................................... 6-1
Appendix B -- CI4/750 Specifications ................................................................................... 6-3
Appendix C -- Changing CI4 Settings ..................................................................................... 6-5
Overview................................................................................................................... 6-5
About the "GAMRY5.INI" File ..................................................................................... 6-6
Using Notepad to alter "GAMRY5.INI" ........................................................... 6-7
Removing a otentiostat from an Existing System........................................................ 6-7
Interrupt Level Setting ................................................................................................ 6-8
Register Address......................................................................................................... 6-8
Changing the Auxiliary Analog Output Scaling ............................................................ 6-8
Appendix D -- I/O Connections for the CI4............................................................................ 6-9
CE Compliance, EMI and Cable Shielding................................................................... 6-9
Grounds and the CI4 otentiostat............................................................................. 6-9
The Cell Connector.................................................................................................... 6-10
Aux A/D Input............................................................................................................ 6-11
Control Signal Input ................................................................................................... 6-12
I Channel Output....................................................................................................... 6-13
V Channel Output...................................................................................................... 6-13
Miscellaneous I/O Connector ..................................................................................... 6-14
Appendix E – Auxiliary A/D Input Characteristics ..................................................................... 6-15
Overview................................................................................................................... 6-15
Jumper Identification ................................................................................................. 6-15
Input Impedance Selection......................................................................................... 6-15
Filter Selection........................................................................................................... 6-16
Aux A/D Specifications............................................................................................... 6-16
Appendix F – CE Certificate..................................................................................................... 6-17
Certificate of Conformance ........................................................................................ 6-17
Comprehensive Index ............................................................................................................. 7-1

Chapter 1 -- Introduction -- About This Manual
1-1
Chapter 1 -- Introduction
About This Manual
This manual covers the installation and use of the CI4 otentiostat/Galvanostat/ZRA. It covers both the
CI4/300 otentiostat/Galvanostat/ZRA and its cousin the CI4/750 otentiostat/Galvanostat/ZRA. These
instruments differ primarily in their output current: 300 mA for the CI4/300 and 750 mA for the CI4/750.
Throughout this manual, the term CI4 should be interpreted as a reference to both the CI4/300 and the
CI4/750.
NOTE: The Gamry Instruments CI4 interfaces to a computer using the industry standard CI bus.
This manual does not discuss the older Gamry Instruments C4 family of potentiostats, which used the
ISA bus. The C4 and CI4 perform similarly, but the installation procedures and specifications
between the older and newer instruments are different enough to make this document a poor
reference for the C4. Consult an earlier revision of this manual for C4 information.
This manual describes use of a CI4 with Revision 5.0 (and later revisions) of the Gamry Framework software.
It is equally useful when setting up a newly purchased potentiostat or modifying the setup of a four-year-old
potentiostat for use with new software.
The bulk of Chapter 1 is an overview of the CI4's design and modes of operation. Chapter 2 contains CI4
installation instructions. Chapter 3 describes cell cable connections. Chapter 4 covers the difficult issues of
potentiostat stability and approaches to prevent oscillation. Chapter 5 discusses the realities of low current,
high impedance measurements.
You will find dry technical material such as specifications and connector pin-outs in the Appendices.
This manual does not discuss software installation or operation.
Software support for the CI4 is described in the Gamry’s On-line Help system. All the Gamry Instruments'
applications which run under the Gamry Framework control the CI4 via a STAT object. See the Framework’s
On-line Help for information concerning STAT objects and their functions.
CE Compliance Required for Sale in Europe
The European Community has instituted standards limiting radio frequency interference from electronic devices
and mandating several safety requirements. Gamry Instruments has modified its instruments to comply with
these standards. We are shipping CE compliant instruments to all destinations.
The relevant CE regulations include EN 61010 and EN 61326..
About the PCI4
The CI4 otentiostat is a research grade electrochemical instrument compact enough to fit inside a computer.
It can operate as a potentiostat, a galvanostat, or a ZRA (zero resistance ammeter).