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the Current Carrying Cable which mates with the Current Connector,
and one that senses the cell voltage, called the Sense Cable, which mates
with the Sense Connector.
The standard Cell Cable is 3 m long. The D-connector ends of the cables
are connected to the appropriate ports on the front of the EIS Box.
Always use the knurled screws on this cable to hold the cables in place.
The current-carrying cable contains fuses that
protect the instrument against excessive cell
current.
Running the Framework
Many newer electrochemical applications do not run as an application
within Gamry Instruments' Framework software. This is true of all
applications that use Gamry's Toolkit for instrument control. Gamry's
Framework software is the main application software for performing
routine analysis associated for electrochemical measurements. There
are other software programs such as Resonator that are stand-alone
programs. Programs that you develop using our toolkits will fall into the
stand-alone software category.
The Framework Instrument Manager is useful in organizing the
instruments in the system. The Framework also has a Calibration
program that is used to calibrate instruments connected to the system.
Framework Device Status Bar
By default, the Gamry Framework shows a Device Status Bar under its
main menu (see Figure 4-3). If you do not see the Device Status Bar
when you run the Gamry Framework, it has been disabled in the
Framework Options menu.
Instruments that are connected to the computer appear on this bar. The
round indicator associated with each device shows its status:
Green
The device is available to run experiments
Orange
The device is currently running an experiment
White
The device is connected to the system, but is not usable.
This is generally the result of a mismatch between the
Framework software and the device's firmware. You can
use the Gamry Instrument Manager to fix the mismatch.
The screen capture below shows a Framework screen with three USB
instruments connected.
Figure 4 3 Framework with Three Potentiostats and One Running Test
The Interface 1000 (IFC 01004) in this system is shown with a green
indicator because it is installed and ready to run. The Reference 600
labeled My Ref600 has an orange indicator because it is recording the
EIS spectrum shown on the screen. The Reference 600 labeled Jims
Ref600 has a white indicator, showing it is plugged in but cannot be
used. This is an indication of a version mismatch between Gamry
Instruments Framework software and the instrument's firmware.
Calibration
DC calibration for the EIS Box instrument is sometimes necessary.
Run calibration through the Framework™ software, or directly through
Gamry Instrument Manager (GIM). Gamry recommends calibrating the
instrument at least once per year, or when the quality of your data is in
question. To initiate calibration, take the following steps:
Click the Calibrate in Framework button, located in the Calibration area
of GIM. This launches the appropriate calibration routine for the
instrument selected in GIM. Follow the instructions given in Framework.
See the relevant Calibration Quick Start Guide for additional details.
If there are any failures during calibration, click the Email Results to
Gamry Support button in GIM. One of our support engineers will review
the results and provide appropriate advice.
You run the Instrument Manager by selecting Options/Instrument
Manager... on the Framework Menu.
Calibrate each potentiostat installed in your system. A calibration utility
is provided with the Gamry Framework.
The calibration for the EIS Box is divided into two sections: Instrument
DC Calibration and cable calibration. Gain access to these calibration
procedures via the Utility selection on the Framework's Experiment
drop-down menu.
Calibrate each potentiostat installed in your system. A calibration utility
is provided with the Gamry Framework. Get access to the calibration
procedure via the Utility selection on the Framework's Experiment drop-
down menu.
DC Calibration
This procedure uses an external resistive dummy cell called the 200 Ω
Calibration Cell.
Potentiostat calibration is only required infrequently. Recalibrate your
EIS Box under the following circumstances:
•
It is at least one year since your last calibration.
•
Your instrument has been serviced.
•
You notice breaks or discontinuities in the data curves
recorded with your system.
•
The system is being run in an environment that is very
different from the previous operating environment. For
example, if the EIS Box was calibrated at 15°C and you are
now operating it at 30°C, you should recalibrate.
Connect the Calibration Cell to the appropriately colored banana plugs
on the Cell Cable.
Cell Connections
Cell Cable Overview
The EIS Box has eight channels. Each channel has two Cell Connectors on
the front of the EIS Box. The Current Connections are female 15-pin D-
connectors, and the Sense Connections are male 15-pin D-connectors.
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