Advanced Measurement Technology 273A, User Manual

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Model 273A Potentiostat/Galvanostat User’s Manual
Chapter 3 describes the physical and electrical characteristics of the instrument. It includes a
description of the electrical circuitry and internal organization of the instrument, and the functions
of the front- and rear-panel connectors. Pinouts of the connectors are given in Appendix A, and
schematic diagrams and component layouts are shown in Appendix C. After you inspect the
Model 273A for shipping damage, but before you begin to use it, run the initial performance
checks given in Chapter 4 to ensure that the instrument operates correctly. Then, using the
operating instructions given in Chapter 5, you may begin operation of your unit.
The Model 273A may be mounted in a standard 19-in. (475 cm) rack assembly. Appendix B
provides mounting instructions.
1.3. Controlling the Model 273A
Front-Panel Controls
The front panel is configured for maximum versatility in experiment definition. An optimally
human-engineered Scan Setup section is provided to allow cyclic staircase. voltammetry,
corrosion experiments, and other pulse and staircase waveforms to be easily performed. The
alphanumeric liquid crystal display assists in setting up an experiment and in presenting
real-time data. A Scan Status Display additionally provides continuously updated status
information as the experiment advances. A simple touch of a button implements such advanced
features as automatic current ranging and current-interrupt IR compensation. BNC connectors on
the front and rear panels make all pertinent signals available for analog recording.
Remote Computer Control
By interfacing the Model 273A to an external computer via the GPIB or RS-232C Interface,
complete remote control of the instrument is readily accomplished using the Electrochemical
Command Set, a group of over 100 mnemonic software instructions specifically developed for
electrochemical measurements. These commands place unprecedented flexibility in the hands
of the electrochemist. They provide:
Access to all front-panel functions.
Control of all timing functions.
Application of pulse and staircase waveforms
Automatic acquisition of data with or without current auto-ranging-
Data averaging in real-time.
Internal storage and arithmetic data manipulation.
These commands and all necessary instructions for operating the Model 273A via an external
computer are described in the separately bound Model 273A Remote-Programming Command
Handbook.
The Model 273A is fully equipped with the necessary hardware to implement experiments from
your computer, including:
Two 14-bit digital-to-analog converters for versatile waveform generation.
A 12-bit analog-to-digital converter to measure current and potential.
An on-board microprocessor to perform the experiment defined by the Command Set.
On-board memory to store the programmed parameters and data point values.
When the programmed experiment is finished, the data can be transferred to the computer for
plotting or further processing.