PalmSens NEXUS Operator's Manual

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Operator's Manual

Version 02-2025-012

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Summary of Contents for PalmSens NEXUS

Page 1 Operator’s Manual Version 02-2025-012...
Page 3: Limited Warranty
PalmSens BV’s sole liability and responsibility for products under this warranty is for PalmSens BV to repair or replace any product that is returned to it by buyer or credit buyer’s account for such returned product, provided that PalmSens BV shall have the right to reject any such remedy where PalmSens BV determines that the warranty does not apply.
Page 4 Disclaimers PalmSens BV is not liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages resulting from the use or misuse of its instruments, including but not limited to: ▪ Damage to the instrument caused by improper handling, unauthorized modifications, or use outside the recommended specifications.
Page 5: Table Of Contents
Cell connections ......................13 Display and cell indicator .................... 16 iR Compensation ......................18 Bipotentiostat ......................19 Using the Nexus as ZRA ....................20 5.10 Auxiliary port pin-out ....................22 5.11 Chassis ground ......................24 5.12 Bootloader emergency pinhole .................. 24 Measurements ....................
Page 6 RoHS Compliance ......................36 Troubleshooting ....................37 Verifying your potentiostat ..................37 Noise ..........................38 Self-Diagnostics ....................41 EU Declaration of conformity ................42 EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive ......43 Licenses ......................45 Nexus Operator's Manual...
Page 7: Introduction
The scope of this manual This manual covers the handling, characteristics, troubleshooting, and other practical information regarding the hardware specifics of the Nexus, as well as maintenance and compliance. Please refer to the Quick Installation Guide that was supplied with the instrument for instructions on installing the instrument and the software.
Page 9: About The Nexus
▪ Bipotentiostat functionality (optional); ▪ Dual EIS up to 1 MHz. Connecting to the Nexus directly is quick and easy via its USB-C port, however for a more robust and remote connection, the built-in ethernet (LAN) port offers a solid alternative.
Page 10: Accessories
2.2 Accessories The Nexus is supplied standard with the following accessories: ▪ 100-240 VAC to 12 VDC power adapter ▪ 1 meter cell cable with 2 mm banana plugs, stackable connectors ▪...
Page 11: Software
7. Bootloader emergency pin-hole button 2.3 Software The Nexus is compatible with PSTrace 5.12 or later, PSTrace Xpress 1.6 or later and MultiTrace 4.6 or later. PSTrace Xpress 1.6 and MultiTrace 4.6 are expected to become available in Q3 2025.
Page 13: Safety Considerations
3.2 Electrical safety The Nexus is powered by an external 12 V power supply. Make sure to always use the power supply that was provided with the instrument. Using an incorrect adapter can result in overheating or damage to the instrument.
Page 14: Environmental Conditions
Nexus Operator's Manual » Safety considerations 3.5 Environmental Conditions The Nexus is designed for indoor use only. Keep the instrument away from liquids and prevent water vapor condensing within the enclosure. Exposure could lead to corrosion or short-circuiting. Your Nexus was designed for indoor use at ambient temperatures between 0 °C and 45 °C.
Page 15: Installation
Place the Nexus on a flat solid surface to ensure proper airflow to the inlet at the bottom-front. Make sure there’s enough space at the rear end for the connection to a USB-C or ethernet cable and the mains power adapter.
Page 16 Each Nexus comes with a Hardware Sync cable. In order to connect the Link ports, make sure to connect the ‘Link Out’ port of each Nexus to the ‘Link In’ of the next Nexus in the stack. See also Figure 2 below.
Page 17: Operating The Nexus
Nexus Operator's Manual » Operating the Nexus 5 Operating the Nexus The Nexus can either be connected via the USB-C port or via the Ethernet port for connecting to a Local Area Network (LAN). 5.1 Powering up When the Nexus is powered using the supplied power supply, the touch power button on the front will show an amber color, indicating that the instrument is powered on and in standby mode.
Page 18: Connecting Via Usb
PC it is connected to is grounded to earth. 5.3 Connecting via Ethernet When the Nexus is connected via its ethernet cable to a Local Area Network or LAN, the DHCP server in the network will assign it with an IP address automatically. This is a unique address which can be used to connect to the Nexus.
Page 19: Cell Connections
Figure 5 Schematic representation of the Nexus cell cable The cell cable is connected to the Nexus by means of a LEMO push-pull connector. Make sure the red dot on the connector is facing upwards when plugging the connector into the Nexus.
Page 20 Figure 6 LEMO push-pull cell connector For more information about making a connection to the cell, see also section: Connecting a cell to the potentiostat in the PSTrace Manual. The following schematics show the Nexus cell cable connector pin-out and pin functions. Nexus Operator's Manual...
Page 21 Nexus Operator's Manual » Operating the Nexus Figure 7 Front view of the male connector of the Nexus cell cable Table 2 Pin functions and colors of the male connector of the Nexus cell cable Function Connector color Sense Electrode Shield...
Page 22: Display And Cell Indicator
The following picture shows typical contents for the display when the instrument is idle. In the idle mode, the Nexus will update the display with the measured potential or current at one second intervals. In case the Cell is set to OFF, the open-circuit potential is measured and displayed.
Page 23 Nexus Operator's Manual » Operating the Nexus 2. Area showing the readings when the instrument is idle (not running a MethodSCRIPT / measurement). The first part is either an E or an i, depending on the mode setting PSTAT (potentiostatic) or GSTAT (galvanostatic) and the cell state. Next to the E or i, the measured value and the range the value was measured in are shown.
Page 24: Ir Compensation
5.7 iR Compensation IR (ohmic drop) Compensation in the Nexus operates through Positive Feedback. This is achieved using a 16-bit MDAC in the module which scales the output of the current follower to provide a positive feedback voltage that is proportional to the current through the cell.
Page 25: Bipotentiostat
Resistance. 5.8 Bipotentiostat The Nexus, depending on the configuration chosen, can also function as a Bipotentiostat, which is a potentiostat with two working electrodes. If the second Working Electrode (yellow W2 lead) is not being used, it can simply be left unplugged.
Page 26: Using The Nexus As Zra
Please refer to section Using a BiPot in the PSTrace Manual, for more information. 5.9 Using the Nexus as ZRA The Nexus can also be used as a Zero-resistance Ammeter (ZRA). A Zero-Resistance Ammeter is a specialized mode used in potentiostats, primarily for measuring current between two electrodes while maintaining zero voltage (potential) difference between them.
Page 27 Nexus Operator's Manual » Operating the Nexus Figure 10 Connecting the Nexus cell cable for ZRA measurements The current flows through the working electrode lead (red) and the ground lead (green). The Working Electrode is connected to the input of the current follower and the + input is connected to Ground.
Page 28: Auxiliary Port Pin-Out
Nexus Operator's Manual » Operating the Nexus 5.10 Auxiliary port pin-out The following schematic and table show the Nexus auxiliary port pin-out and pin functions. Figure 11 The front view of the female port (DE-15) on the Nexus Table 5...
Page 29 Nexus Operator's Manual » Operating the Nexus Applying external power to pins on the AUX port when the Nexus is switched off can potentially damage the instrument. Nexus Operator's Manual...
Page 30: Chassis Ground
38 for more information. A chassis ground cable with a 4 mm plug and crocodile clip is provided with the Nexus to make an easy connection to a ground point. Figure 12 Chassis ground connector showing in the upper right corner (...
Page 31: Measurements
6 Measurements The PSTrace software for Windows allows to run all the techniques supported by the connected Nexus. This section explains how to set up a typical measurement. The options and limitations for each technique are described in the PSTrace Manual.
Page 32 The 3-electrode setup is the most common configuration for electrochemical measurements. In this arrangement, connect the corresponding leads to the respective electrodes. Combine the sense lead with the working electrode. The sense plug of the Nexus cables is stackable, allowing for convenient combination. Nexus Operator's Manual...
Page 33 Nexus Operator's Manual » Measurements Figure 14 3-electrodes cell connection Similar to the 2-electrode setup, the working electrode (and sense) carries the current and potential. In this setup, the counter electrode also carries the current and polarizes versus the working electrode (WE). However, the potential is measured between the sense and reference electrodes, denoted as WE(+S) vs.
Page 34 Nexus Operator's Manual » Measurements Figure 15 4-electrodes cell connections The potential is measured between the sense lead and the reference electrode, while polarization drives the current flow between the working electrode and the counter electrode. This arrangement ensures that the potential drops across the counter or working electrodes' interfaces, and the associated reactions, do not contribute to the measurement.
Page 35: Low-Current Measurements
6.2 Low-current measurements The Nexus potentiostat offers a wide current measurement range, spanning from 100 pA to 1 A. This is achieved by using two different methods of current measurement: ▪ Transimpedance Amplifier (TIA): current follower used for ranges from 100 pA to 100 µA.
Page 36 Nexus into a grounded device and improving shielding against external interference. See also section Grounding. By implementing these adjustments, you can optimize the Nexus for precise low- current measurements while minimizing the impact of environmental noise.
Page 37: System Specifications
Nexus Operator's Manual » System Specifications 7 System Specifications General ▪ dc potential range ±10 V ▪ compliance voltage ±12 V ▪ maximum current ±1.1 A Potentiostat (controlled potential mode) ▪ applied dc-potential resolution 78 µV ▪ applied potential accuracy ≤...
Page 38 Nexus Operator's Manual » System Specifications Optional: GEIS (galvanostatic impedance measurements) ▪ frequency range 10 µHz to 1 MHz ▪ ac-amplitude range 0.001 * range to 0.15 * range RMS (full range) 0.001 * range to 0.74 * range RMS for...
Page 39 Nexus Operator's Manual » System Specifications Other ▪ electrode connections 2 mm banana pins for RE, WE, WE2, CE and GND Sense 2 (for monitoring potential at CE or half-cell) ▪ housing aluminium body: 20 x 21 x 4.5 cm ▪...
Page 41: Maintenance And Compliance
8.1 Temperature compliance Our instruments are designed for indoor use at ambient temperatures between 0 °C and 45 °C. All the components of PalmSens products (except their batteries) are rated to the industrial temperature standard of -40 °C to +85 °C.
Page 42: Service And Repair
Nexus Operator's Manual » Maintenance and compliance 8.7 Service and repair Except for the battery in some models, your PalmSens instrument contains no user- serviceable parts internally. Any service or maintenance needs should be directed to a qualified service technician employed by PalmSens BV. Attempting to access or modify internal components without proper expertise may result in additional damage to the instrument and void warranties.
Page 43: Troubleshooting
R. So, if a potential of 0.5 V is applied on a resistor of 10 kΩ, the obtained current should be 0.5 V / 10 kΩ = 50 µA. Contact PalmSens BV if the problems are found: info@palmsens.com and report the problems as detailed as possible.
Page 44: Noise
Nexus Operator's Manual » Troubleshooting 9.2 Noise Our instruments are designed with hardware noise suppression filters to reject noise from internal and external sources. If a higher level of noise is your issue, the solving strategies are rather numerous, but the sources for noise are also numerous. Here we describe the most successful and common methods for noise reduction.
Page 45 Nexus Operator's Manual » Troubleshooting 9.2.6 Network If your instrument cannot connect via the LAN network, please make sure your instrument is in the same network as your computer. The instrument communicates via port 49152, make sure this port is not blocked by the firewall of your pc or in your network.
Page 47: Self-Diagnostics
Nexus Operator's Manual » Self-Diagnostics 10 Self-Diagnostics The Nexus supports self-diagnostics from firmware v1.1 and on. Check the Nexus LCD or the Instrument Settings window in PSTrace to see which firmware version the instrument is running. The ‘Self Diagnostics Tool’ generates a report that gives a detailed overview of possible malfunctions.
Page 48: Eu Declaration Of Conformity
Nexus Operator's Manual » Self-Diagnostics A. EU Declaration of conformity Nexus Operator's Manual...
Page 49: Eu Waste Electrical And Electronic Equipment (Weee) Directive
Nexus Operator's Manual » Self-Diagnostics B. EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive The pictogram shown above, located on the product(s) and / or accompanying documents means that used electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) should not be mixed with general household waste. For proper treatment, recovery and recycling, please take this product(s) to designated collection points where it will be accepted free of charge.
Page 51: Licenses
Nexus Operator's Manual » Licenses 11 Licenses This section provides an overview of the open-source software components used in this product, which are licensed under the MIT License. Each component is distributed under its own license terms, which permits the free use, modification, and distribution of the software.