Gamry Resonator Overview

Gamry Resonator Overview
The Resonator software is designed to acquire data from both an eQCM 10M and a
Gamry Potentiostat. It is not necessary to have a Gamry Potentiostat to use the eQCM
10M. The acronym QCM is used to specify anything dealing with the quartz crystal
microbalance. The acronym EQCM is used to specify electrochemical quartz crystal
microbalance any time a potentiostat is interfaced to a QCM and data are acquired
simultaneously. This Help file is divided into two parts. The first part relates to setting
up the QCM. The second part relates to setting up a Gamry Potentiostat.
Potentiostat data will nearly always be acquired at a faster rate than QCM data. Echem
Analyst combines the two sets of data into a single table for plotting purposes. It is best
to set the experiment up so that the differences in acquisition rates is less than 10. For
example, if the QCM is set up at a resolution and frequency window (both parameters are
explained below) such that the rate of acquisition is 2 spectra per second, it is best to not
take potentiostat data any faster than 20 points per second. In cyclic voltammetry at a
scan rate of 100 mV/s, this is a 5 mV step. In chronoamperometry, chronopotentiometry
or chronocoulometry, this is a sample period of 50 ms.
The practical limit for cyclic voltammetry when studying films on a quartz crystal is
several hundred millivolts per second. The film must have adequate time to respond to
the perturbation caused by the potentiostat. Please contact us should you have any
questions regarding setting up your experiments.
Setting up the eQCM 10M

Setting up the QCM is achieved through the QCM Panel in Resonator. The QCM should
be set up and data acquisition should start prior to starting the potentiostat, if a
potentiostat is being used.
Charts
This is the last acquired relative
impedance spectrum of the quartz
crystal. The typical response is an Sshaped curve with a minimum at fs and a
maximum at fp.
fs (red) and fp (blue) are plotted versus
time in the bottom chart. The red curve
is fs and the blue curve is fp.
Figure 1. QCM Panel of Resonator
Parameters
Description
This box allows you to provide a brief description of your experiment. This is different
than the Notes section in the potentiostat section. If you are operating in stand-alone
mode, then enter a description here, otherwise, enter a description in the Notes section on
the potentiostat setup screens.
Center Freq. (Hz)

Enter the nominal frequency of your crystal in here.
Freq. Width (Hz)

Enter a starting frequency window to scan. Resonator automatically optimizes this
window once continuous acquisition has started. Typical starting values are between 15
kHz and 50 kHz. This width can then be adjusted using the cursors that appear in the
spectrum plot after pressing single scan.
Drag these two cursors in order to

optimize the window prior to starting a
continuous scan.
Figure 2. QCM Panel of Resonator after Single

Scan was pressed.
Freq. Step (Hz)

Enter the desired frequency resolution here. A lower resolution results in faster
acquisition. There is a practical maximum which limits acquisition. When the step is too
large spectra are acquired too quickly to obtain a good fit. An example of a large step (2
Hz) limiting the ability of the software to get a good fit is shown below.
The software cannot obtain a good fit

(blue curve) of the spectrum (red curve)
because the step size is too large.
Figure 3. QCM Panel of Resonator when

Step Size is too large.
Amplitude (%)
This is essentially the driving force used to make the crystal oscillate. Start at smaller
amplitudes until the desired S-shaped spectrum is achieved as shown in Figure 1.
Moving this slider will trigger the acquisition of another relative impedance spectrum.
Increasing the amplitude further will drive the crystal harder. Eventually, the amplitude
will be too large resulting in loss of signal. These two situations are shown below.
The amplitude is too large in Figure 4

showing a flat line around a magnitude
of 4.9.

showing response when magnitude is too
large.
Increasing the magnitude further will
result in all loss of signal as shown in the
Figure 5.

showing response when magnitude is too
large.
Manual Damping
Clicking on the Manual Damping will reveal a slider bar that controls the input voltage
into the Analog-to-Digital converter (ADC). It is only necessary to change this when you
have a very heavy sample and need a very large amplitude in order to maintain
oscillation. Increasing the Manual Damping essentially divides the voltage entering the
ADC.
The amplitude has not changed from

Figure 5 yet the increased damping has
brought the magnitude back down below
4.9 allowing a full spectrum to be
shown.
Figure 6. QCM Panel of Resonator with

increased Manual Damping.
Calibration Factor (Hz cm2 / ug)

This is the factor that will be used to convert frequency changes to mass changes in
Echem Analyst. Theoretical values for a 5 MHz crystal and a 10 MHz crystals are 56.6
and 226, respectively. The actual calibration factor might be slightly different once the
crystal is immersed in solution.
Splines Quality
Adjustment of this parameter is only necessary when fitting the relative impedance
spectrum using Multidimensional Splines (see Advanced QCM Options).
fs [MHz]
This is the series resonant frequency for the last reported data point.
fp [MHz]
This is the parallel resonant frequency for the last reported data point.
Acq Time (s)

This is the total time needed to acquire the last relative impedance spectrum with the
Freq. Width centered around the Center Freq.
Fit Time (s)

This is the time required for Resonator to fit the last acquired relative impedance
spectrum using the linearized Pad approximant.
Fit Chi2
This is a parameter that reports how well Resonator fit the last acquired spectrum. Green
represents a good fit, red represents a bad fit.
Rate (1/s)
This is the rate at which spectra are being acquired. It will depend upon the Freq. Step
and the Freq. Width.
Single Scan
This button takes a single scan around the Center Freq with a window of Freq. Width. It
is useful to use Single Scan to locate the resonant frequency prior to starting continuous
acquisition.
Start
This button begins continuous QCM acquisition.
Stop
This button stops continuous QCM acquisition.
Save Data
This button saves the QCM data only. A dialog box will appear asking you for a file
name and location. Data acquired during EQCM studies are saved automatically in the
file name specified during potentiostat set up. Only the QCM points acquired during an
electrochemical experiment are saved automatically. If you wish to save all of the QCM
data, before, during and after an electrochemical experiment, please click the Save Data
button.
QCM Options
Fit Method
This is the method used to model the relative impedance spectrum in order to obtain fs
and fp. Default is broken rational.
Database Options (PostgreSQL)

This section is for advanced use only and is only experimentally implemented at this
time. The user must have installed PostgreSQL and the necessary ODBC drivers.
A DWORD registry key must be added to HKLM as shown below:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Gamry Instruments\Resonator\DatabaseEnable
Any non-zero value will make the options visible.

Three tables must be set up in a public schema. How you create the tables is up to you
but each table has specific requirements and constraints. Here is the text used to create
each table.
-- Table: qcm_meas
-- DROP TABLE qcm_meas;
CREATE TABLE qcm_meas
(
id serial NOT NULL,
starttime double precision,
description text,
CONSTRAINT qcm_meas_pkey PRIMARY KEY (id)
)
WITH (
OIDS=FALSE
);
ALTER TABLE qcm_meas OWNER TO
postgres;
-- Table: qcm_data
-- DROP TABLE qcm_data;
CREATE TABLE qcm_data
(
id serial NOT NULL,
idf integer,
qcmpt bigint,
reltime double precision,
fs double precision,
fp double precision,
chiquad real,
ms double precision,
mp double precision,
CONSTRAINT qcm_data_pkey PRIMARY KEY (id),
CONSTRAINT qcm_data_idf_fkey FOREIGN KEY (idf)
REFERENCES qcm_meas (id) MATCH SIMPLE
ON UPDATE NO ACTION ON DELETE CASCADE
)
WITH (
OIDS=FALSE
);
ALTER TABLE qcm_data OWNER TO postgres;
-- Table: qcm_spectrum
-- DROP TABLE qcm_spectrum;
CREATE TABLE qcm_spectrum
(
id bigserial NOT NULL,
idf integer,
freq double precision,
ampl double precision,
CONSTRAINT qcm_spectrum_pkey PRIMARY KEY (id),
CONSTRAINT qcm_spectrum_idf_fkey FOREIGN KEY (idf)
REFERENCES qcm_data (id) MATCH SIMPLE
ON UPDATE NO ACTION ON DELETE CASCADE
)
WITH (
OIDS=FALSE
);
ALTER TABLE qcm_spectrum OWNER TO postgres;
-- Index: fki_
-- DROP INDEX fki_;
CREATE INDEX fki_
ON qcm_spectrum
USING btree
(idf);
The data analysis script in Echem Analyst can retrieve spectra collected during
acquisition. This may be useful for long term studies. If for instance, an air bubble
formed on the crystal face, the relative impedance spectrum would show a spike.
Active
Select Yes to turn save QCM data to the postgres database.
Server
This is address of the server running the postgres database. Typically this will be
127.0.0.1 which is the computer you are using.
Database
This is the name of the database where you are writing data. The database needs to have
three preconfigured tables in order to accept the data from Resonator.
Username
Enter your user name for interfacing with the postgres server.
Password
Enter the password necessary for interfacing to the postgres server.
Spectra
This parameter determines how often spectra will be written to the database. A value of
0 means that no spectra will be written. fs and fp, along with their amplitudes at each
point will still be written though. When you wish to write spectra to the database, the
minimum value is 15, meaning every 15th spectrum will be written to the database. Due
to the multithreaded nature of Reasonator, the actual value may vary slightly during
acquisition. Echem Analyst will list the available spectra for a given run.
Test Database
Use this button to test interaction with the database. After pressing the button a message
appears stating, starting with 15 s conn. timeout If the tables have been set up
correctly and the correct ODBC drivers have been installed a second message appears
stating Success: Database Ready. If the database has not been set up correctly an error
message appears stating Error: Connection could not be established: followed by
another error message establishing why.
Fit Options
Only advanced users should consider

modifying these values. These options
relate to how Resonator fits the relative
impedance spectrum see image at left.
Double-click on the value you wish to
change. An image is shown in order to
help you understand each parameter.
Extremely heavy samples that
significantly flatten the relative
impedance spectrum may require
modification of these parameters.
Setting up a Gamry Potentiostat

This section describes setting up the physical electrochemistry techniques included in
Resonator. These techniques are nearly identical to those found in PHE200 Physical
Electrochemistry Package that runs in Framework. Included are techniques for
performing linear sweep and cyclic voltammetry experiments, as well as
chronopotentiometry, chronoamperometry, chronocoulometry, controlled potential
coulometry, repeating chronoamperometry, and repeating chronopotentiometry
techniques. This section will only consider discussions relating to processes involving
films adsorption, desorption, or transport. A more detailed discussion can be found in
Framework.
Current and Voltage Definitions

In the techniques for Resonator we follow the analytical convention for current. Positive
currents are anodic, arising from an oxidation at the electrode under test. This is the
convention used in other Gamry application software packages such as the DC105, and
EIS300.
Potentials can also be a source of confusion. In Resonator, all potentials are specified or
reported as the potential of the working electrode with respect to the reference electrode
vs Eref with positive potentials plotted to the right.
Chronoamperometry
Chronoamperometry is used to study the kinetics of chemical reactions, diffusion
processes (solution or films), and adsorption processes. In this technique, a potential step
is applied to the electrode and the resulting current vs. time is observed. The
Chronoamperometry experiment supports both single and double potential step
experiments.
In general, before beginning the experiment the electrode is held at a potential at which
no faradaic process occurs, then the potential is stepped to a value at which a redox
reaction occurs to induce adsorption, desorption or changes in a film. Zero time is
defined as the time at which the potential step is initiated. For reactions that are under
diffusion control, the current will decay with a t1/2 decay obeying the Cottrell equation:
where n is the number of electrons in the redox process, F is the Faraday constant, A is
electrode area, Do is the diffusion coefficient of the redox species, Co is the bulk
concentration of the redox species, and t is time.
In some cases double potential step chronoamperometry experiments are used to
determine the reversibility of a reaction by comparing the results from the two potential
steps.
Chronoamperometry Setup Parameters

See below for a description of each of the setup parameters.
Test Identifier
See Test Identifier in the Common Potentiostat Setup Parameters section.
Output File
See Output File in the Common Potentiostat Setup Parameters section.
Electroactive Area
See Electroactive Area in the Common Potentiostat Setup Parameters section.
Area of Overlap
See Area of Overlap in the Common Potentiostat Setup Parameters section.
Notes
See Notes in the Common Potentiostat Setup Parameters section.
Pre-step Delay Time (s)

The Pre-step Delay time is the time for which a Pre-step Voltage is applied. It is
shown as negative time on the real time display.
Pre-step Voltage (V)

The voltage is typically 0 and the time is usually quite short.
Step 1 Time (s)

The Step 1 Time is the time for which the Step 1 Voltage is applied to the cell. This time
is entered in seconds and should be greater than zero. The maximum time is based on the
Sample Period setting, as the total number of points should not exceed 32000.
Step 1 Voltage (V)

The Step 1 Voltage is the first voltage to be applied to the cell. This voltage is entered in
Volts and can be versus Reference or versus open circuit potential. The Step 1 Voltage
is applied for the Step 1 Time.
Step 2 Time (s)

The Step 2 Time is the time for which the Step 2 Voltage is applied to the cell. This
time is entered in seconds and should be greater than zero. The maximum time is based
on the Sample Period setting, as the total number of points should not exceed 32000.
Step 2 Voltage (V)

The Step 2 Voltage is the second voltage to be applied to the cell. This voltage is
entered in Volts and can be versus Reference or versus open circuit potential. The Step 2
Voltage is applied for the Step 2 Time.
Sample Period (s)

The Sample Period parameter determines the spacing between data points. The units
used for the Sample Period are seconds. The shortest Sample Period we recommend is
1.0 ms. The longest Sample Period allowed is 600 seconds. For speeds faster than 1.0 ms,
the display of the real time data will be delayed. This will help insure that your system is
able to keep up with the fast data acquisition rate.
I/E Range Mode

See I/E Range Mode in the Common Potentiostat Setup Parameters section.
Max Current (mA)

See Max Current in the Common Potentiostat Setup Parameters section.
Limit I (mA/cm2)
The Limit I parameter is used to prevent excessive cell current. If the absolute value of
the current should exceed the Limit I, the data acquisition in the current step will be
ended prematurely.
Exceeding the Limit I during the first step causes the experiment to skip to the second
step. Exceeding the limit during the second step causes the experiment to terminate.
Sampling Mode defines whether or not the potentiostat will oversample and average
during acquisition. These options are only relevant on the Reference family instruments.
Selecting Surface will result in oversampling followed by averaging according to the
Sample Period defined above. Selecting Noise Reject will result in oversampling and
averaging during the remaining 20% of a Sample period. Selecting Fast will result in
sampling according to the Sample Period.
Repeating Chronoamperometry
Setup for Repeating Chronoamperometry is nearly identical to Chronoamperometry. The
difference is the addition of the Cycles Parameter. Enter the number of times that you
wish to perform both potential steps.
Chronocoulometry
Chronocoulometry is used to study the kinetics of chemical reactions, diffusion
processes, and adsorptions. In this technique, a potential step is applied to the electrode
and the resulting cumulative charge vs. time is observed. This technique is very similar
to Chronoamperometry, except that the integrated charge is recorded in
Chronocoulometry instead of raw current. This integration is performed digitally,
allowing the user to control the time per integration by changing the point timing.
Chronocoulometry offers the following advantages over Chronoamperometry:
1. The signal increases over time instead of decreasing.

2. The act of integration minimizes noise, resulting in a smooth response curve.
3. Contributions from double layer charging and absorbed species are easily
observed.
In the Resonator software, a double potential step Chronocoulometry experiment is
supported.
Test Identifier
Output File
Electroactive Area
Area of Overlap
Notes


Step 1 Time (s)

Step 1 Voltage (V)

Step 2 Time (s)

Step 2 Voltage (V)
Charge Limit (C)

The Charge Limit parameter is used to stop an experiment based on cumulative charge.
If the absolute value of the charge should exceed the Charge Limit, the data acquisition
in the current step will be ended prematurely.
Exceeding the Charge Limit during the first step causes the experiment to skip to the
second step. Exceeding the limit during the second step causes the experiment to
terminate.
Sample Period (s)

I/E Range Mode

Max Current (mA)

Chronopotentiometry
Chronopotentiometry is used to study mechanism and kinetics of chemical reactions. In
this technique, the instrument operates in galvanostatic mode to control current and
measure voltage. The applied current can consist of either a single or double step.
This technique can be used to investigate the mechanism of a redox process. For systems
where only one redox species is present an S-shape response is expected. The potential
of the electrode will change from open circuit potential to an approximately constant
value until the concentration of the redox species at the electrode is depleted. Once this
species is depleted at the electrode surface the potential will rapidly shift to a potential
capable of sustaining the applied current. This sudden shift is called the "transition time"
(tau in the equations, below). If only one redox species is present, the potential will shift
to a value that will cause either the supporting electrolyte or solvent to be

reduced/oxidized.
The chronopotentiometry technique can also be used as a general purpose galvanostatic
technique for applications such as plating, or measuring battery charge/discharge curves.
Test Identifier
Output File
Electroactive Area
Notes
Area of Overlap

The Pre-step Delay time is the time for which a Pre-step Current is applied. It is
Pre-step Current (A)

The current is typically 0 and the time is usually quite short.
Step 1 Time (s)

The Step 1 Time is the time for which the Step 1 Current is applied to the cell. This
Step 1 Current (A)

The Step 1 Current is the first current to be applied to the cell. This current is entered in
Amperes. The Step 1 Current is applied for the Step 1 Time.
Step 2 Time (s)

The Step 2 Time is the time for which the Step 2 Current is applied to the cell. This
Step 2 Current (A)

The Step 2 Current is the second current to be applied to the cell. This current is
entered in Amperes. The Step 2 Current is applied for the Step 2 Time.
Sample Period (s)
Lower Limit V (V)

The Lower Limit V parameter is used to prevent excessive cell voltage. If the value of
the voltage should exceed the Lower Limit V, the data acquisition in the current step will
be ended prematurely.
Exceeding the Lower Limit V during the first step causes the experiment to skip to the
terminate.
Upper Limit V (V)

The Upper Limit V parameter is used to prevent excessive cell voltage. If the absolute
value of the voltage should exceed the Upper Limit V, the data acquisition in the current
step will be ended prematurely.
Exceeding the Upper Limit V during the first step causes the experiment to skip to the
terminate.
Repeating Chronopotentiometry Setup Parameters

Setup for Repeating Chronopotentiometry is nearly identical to Chronopotentiometry.
The difference is the addition of the Cycles Parameter. Enter the number of times that
you wish to perform both current steps.
Controlled Potential Coulometry Setup Parameters

Controlled Potential Coulometry (Bulk Electrolysis) can be used as an absolute
(standards-less) analytical technique to determine many metals or compounds. By
completely electrolyzing the analyte of interest and noting the total charge consumed, the
quantity of the analyte is easily determined.
Controlled Potential Coulometry can also be used to determine the overall number of
electrons in a faradaic reaction. Unlike voltammetric techniques where the electrode area
and diffusion coefficient of the redox species must be known, Controlled Potential
Coulometry can determine the overall number of electrons in the redox process without
prior knowledge of the electrode area or diffusion coefficient.
In this technique the potential of the electrode is held constant for a long time, minutes to
hours, and the resulting integrated charge is recorded. All of the electrochemically active
species which is being electrolyzed will react, resulting in a 100% efficiency. The total
charge passed in this technique will obey Faraday's law, Q= nFNo, where Q is the total
charge passed, n is the overall number of electrons consumed in the experiment, F is
Faraday's constant (9.64853x104 C/equiv), and No is the total moles of redox species
present.
Test Identifier
Output File
Electroactive Area
Area of Overlap
Notes


Step 1 Time (s)

Step 1 Voltage (V)

Step 2 Time (s)
Step 2 Voltage (V)

Sample Period (s)

I/E Range Mode

Max Current (mA)

Cyclic Voltammetry
Cyclic Voltammetry is used to study the mechanism, kinetics, and thermodynamics of
chemical reactions. Both heterogeneous reactions occurring at the electrode surface, and
homogeneous reactions in solution can be studied.
In the classical Cyclic Voltammetry triangle waveform, the potential is swept from an
Initial E, to vertex E, and back to Final E, where Final E equals Initial E. An example of
this applied waveform is shown below. Repeating this waveform for N times will
perform N cycles of Cyclic Voltammetry.
In the PHE200 we use the more generic double vertex triangular waveform shown below.
This applied waveform allows the user to set a second vertex potential (Scan Limit 2 in
the software) which could be more positive than the initial potential. Setting Scan Limit2
and Final E to equal the Initial E can perform the classically defined triangle waveform
for cyclic voltammetry.
Electron transfer kinetics can also be studied by varying the scan rate of the applied
potential and observing the increase in Ep (Nicholson). An overall review of potential
sweep voltammetry methods is covered in Chapter 6 Bard and Faulkner.
In cases where the chemistry of the system is more complicated, cyclic voltammetry can
be used to determine the mechanisms and kinetics involved. In their work in the 1960's,
Nicholson and Shain published a series of articles that discussed the use of cyclic
voltammetry to study chemical systems which included chemical reactions either
proceeding or following the electron transfer seen in the cyclic voltammogram
(Nicholson and Shain). The user is encouraged to review these works for a better
understanding of the versatility of the cyclic voltammetry experiment.
i
Test Identifier
Output File
Electroactive Area
Area of Overlap
Notes
Initial E (V)
The Initial E parameter is the starting potential of the scan segment. This potential can
be selected in a versus Eoc or versus Eref. This potential is entered in Volts.
Scan Limit 1 (V)

The Scan Limit 1 parameter is the first apex potential in a Cyclic voltammetry scan.
This potential can be selected in a versus Eoc or versus Eref. This potential is entered in
Volts.
Scan Limit 2 (V)

The Scan Limit 2 parameter is the second apex potential in a Cyclic voltammetry scan.
This potential can be selected in a versus Eoc or versus Eref. This potential is entered in
Volts.
Final E (V)
The Final E parameter is the ending potential of the scan segment. This potential can be
selected in a versus Eoc or versus Eref. This potential is entered in Volts.
Scan Rate (mV/s)

The Scan Rate parameter defines the speed of the potential sweep during data acquisition.
The Scan Rate is entered in units of mV/sec. A practical bound on the Scan Rate is 1000
mV/sec. Higher Scan Rates may run, but can yield inaccurate data due to the inability of
the software to acquire data points fast enough.
The Scan Rate parameter when combined with the Step Size parameter determines time
between data points and thus the data acquisition rate used in the experiment.
Time (seconds/point) = [ Step Size (mV/point) ] / [ Scan Rate (mV/second) ]

The maximum data acquisition rate is dependent on the speed of the computer, the
configuration of Windows and the other software currently executing. As a guideline, you
should avoid sample times below 100 s. Note that for scans faster than 1 ms that the
acquired data will only be displayed once the experiment has completed. This reduces
the chance that the computer will limit the acquisition speed.
Step Size
The Step Size parameter determines the spacing between the data points in mV. A typical
Step Size setting is between 1 and 5 mV.
The Step Size parameter combines with the scan range on any given cycle to determine
the number of data points.
# Points = [ Scan Range (mV) ] / [ Step Size (mV) ]
The total number of data points must be less than 64000 for all cycles.
The Step Size parameter also combines with the Scan Rate parameter to determine the
time interval between the data points.
Cycles
The Cycles parameter controls the number of times the potential scan will be repeated
during the experiment. Conceptually it is the number of times the potential will cycle
from the Initial E setting to Scan Limit 1 to Scan Limit 2 to the Final E setting.
I/E Range Mode

Max Current (mA)

Sampling Mode
Linear Sweep Voltammetry

Linear Sweep Voltammetry is a simpler subset of Cyclic Voltammetry, consisting of a
single unidirectional voltage sweep. In general, researchers will use Linear Sweep
Voltammetry instead of Cyclic Voltammetry when there is no useful information on the
return scan of the Cyclic Voltammogram, such as in the case where the electron transfer
is followed by a very fast irreversible reaction.
Test Identifier
Output File
Electroactive Area
Area of Overlap
Notes
Initial E (V)
The Initial E parameter is the starting potential of the scan segment. This potential can
be selected in a versus Eoc or versus Eref. This potential is entered in Volts.
Final E (V)
The Final E parameter is the ending potential of the scan segment. This potential can be
selected in a versus Eoc or versus Eref. This potential is entered in Volts.
Scan Rate (mV/s)

The Scan Rate parameter defines the speed of the potential sweep during data acquisition.
The Scan Rate is entered in units of mV/sec. A practical bound on the Scan Rate is 1000
mV/sec. Higher Scan Rates may run, but can yield inaccurate data due to the inability of
the software to acquire data points fast enough.
The Scan Rate parameter when combined with the Step Size parameter determines time
between data points and thus the data acquisition rate used in the experiment.
Time (seconds/point) = [ Step Size (mV/point) ] / [ Scan Rate (mV/second) ]
The maximum data acquisition rate is dependent on the speed of the computer, the
configuration of Windows and the other software currently executing. As a guideline, you
should avoid sample times below 100 s. Note that for scans faster than 1 ms that the
acquired data will only be displayed once the experiment has completed. This reduces
the chance that the computer will limit the acquisition speed.
Step Size
The Step Size parameter determines the spacing between the data points in mV. A typical
Step Size setting is between 1 and 5 mV.
The Step Size parameter combines with the scan range on any given cycle to determine
the number of data points.
# Points = [ Scan Range (mV) ] / [ Step Size (mV) ]
The total number of data points must be less than 64000 for all cycles.
The Step Size parameter also combines with the Scan Rate parameter to determine the
time interval between the data points.
I/E Range Mode

Max Current (mA)

Common Potentiostat Setup Parameters

Test Identifier
The Identifier parameter is a string that is used as a name. It is written to the data file, so
it can be used to identify the data in database or data manipulation programs.
The Identifier string defaults a name derived from the technique's name. While this
makes an acceptable curve label, it does not generate a unique descriptive label for a data
set.
The Identifier string is limited to 80 characters. It can include almost any normally
printable character. Numbers, upper and lower case letters, and most normal punctuation
characters including spaces are valid.
Output File
The Output File parameter is the pathname of the file in which the output data will be
written. It can be a simple filename with no path information. In this case the output file
is located in the default data directory. The default data directory is specified in the
Gamry.INI file under the [Framework] section with a Key named DataDir. This default
pathname can be changed using the Paths command under the Options Menu.
It can also include path information, such as "C:\DATA\YOURDATA.DTA." In this
example, the data will be written to the "YOURDATA.DTA" file in the "DATA"
directory on drive C.
The default value of the Output File parameter is an abbreviation of the technique name
with a ".DTA" filename extension. We recommend that you use a ".DTA" filename
extension for your data filenames. The data analysis package assumes that all data files
have ".DTA" extensions.
NOTE: The software does not automatically append the ".DTA" filename extension. You
must add it yourself.
If the script is unable to open the file, an error message box, "Unable to Open File," is
generated. Common causes for this type of problem include:
An invalid filename.
The file is already open under a different Windows application.
The disk is full.
After you select OK in the error box, the script returns to the Setup box where a new
filename can be entered.
Electroactive Area
The Electroactive Area parameter is the surface area of the electrode (in cm) exposed to
the sample solution.
Area of Overlap
The Area of Overlap parameter is the area overlap between the electrodes on the crystal
faces. The area of overlap is typically smaller than the electroactive area in order to
remove edge effects and maintain high sensitivity.
Notes
The Notes field allows you to enter several lines of text that describe the experiment. A
typical use of Notes is to record the experimental conditions for a data set.
Notes defaults to an empty string.
The Notes string is limited to 400 characters. It can include all printable characters
including numbers, upper and lower case letters, and the most normal punctuation
including spaces. TAB characters are not allowed in the Notes string.
You can divide your Notes into lines using ENTER.
I/E Range Mode

The I/E Range Mode parameter controls the autorange state of the I/E converter. If Auto
is selected, the I/E Range will be able to freely adjust based on measured currents. If
Fixed is selected, the I/E Range will be fixed on a range which is able to measure the
current entered in the Max Current parameter.
For fast experiments, it is recommended that Fixed be used for the I/E Range Mode.
This setting will prevent glitches in the current measurement as the I/E Range resistor is
switched.
Max Current (mA)

The Max Current parameter controls the current measurement range when the I/E Range
Mode is Fixed. When the I/E Range Mode is Auto, the Max Current parameter specifies
the maximum expected starting current.
You enter a Max Current value that is the largest current that you expect to see during
the experiment. From this information the software sets the current range used in the
experiment. In order to use the most sensitive range that will not overload, the software
will chose the current range based on a value that is 89% of the full scale current range.
For example, when using a PC4/750, if a Max Current of 66 mA is input, the current
range will be 75 mA. On the other hand, if a Max Current of 67 mA is entered, the 750
mA current range will be selected.
NOTE: The Max Current parameter is a current not a current density. The electrode area
is not used calculation of the current range to use.
If your current data look very choppy and steppy, the problem could be a poorly selected
current range. If you enter a Max Current value of 10 mA and the maximum current in
your sweeps is only 100 A, you are only using 1/100th of the potentiostat's A/D
converter range. The result is significant quantization error. Rerun the test entering a
smaller Max Current in Setup.
If your current data shows perfectly flat, horizontal regions, the current has most likely
overloaded the potentiostat's current measurement circuits. Check that the value that you
entered for the Max Current parameter is larger that the actual measured cell current.
Try rerunning the test with a larger value for the Max Current.
References
The following are references are useful for learning more about the techniques that are
available in the Resonator.
Cyclic Voltammetry/Linear Sweep Voltammetry

Electrochemical Methods: Fundamental and Applications, Allen J. Bard and Larry R.
Faulkner, John Wiley & Sons, New York (2000) pp. 226ff. ISBN 0-471-04372-9.
R. S. Nicholson and I Shain, Anal. Chem., 36, 706 (1964), and Anal. Chem., 37, 178
(1965).
R. S. Nicholson, Anal. Chem., 37, 1351 (1965).
Chronoamperometry
Chronocoulometry
Chronopotentiometry

Gamry Resonator Overview

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Gamry Resonator Overview

Setting up the eQCM 10M

Figure 1. QCM Panel of Resonator

Center Freq. (Hz)

Freq. Width (Hz)

Drag these two cursors in order to

Figure 2. QCM Panel of Resonator after Single

Freq. Step (Hz)

The software cannot obtain a good fit

Figure 3. QCM Panel of Resonator when

The amplitude is too large in Figure 4

Figure 4. QCM Panel of Resonator

Figure 5. QCM Panel of Resonator

The amplitude has not changed from

Figure 6. QCM Panel of Resonator with

Calibration Factor (Hz cm2 / ug)

Acq Time (s)

Fit Time (s)

Database Options (PostgreSQL)

A DWORD registry key must be added to HKLM as shown below:

Any non-zero value will make the options visible.

Only advanced users should consider

Setting up a Gamry Potentiostat

Current and Voltage Definitions

Chronoamperometry Setup Parameters

Pre-step Delay Time (s)

Pre-step Voltage (V)

Step 1 Time (s)

Step 1 Voltage (V)

Step 2 Time (s)

Step 2 Voltage (V)

Sample Period (s)

I/E Range Mode

Max Current (mA)

1. The signal increases over time instead of decreasing.

See Output File in the Common Potentiostat Setup Parameters section.

Pre-step Delay Time (s)

Pre-step Voltage (V)

Step 1 Time (s)

Step 1 Voltage (V)

Step 2 Time (s)

Step 2 Voltage (V)

Charge Limit (C)

Sample Period (s)

I/E Range Mode

Max Current (mA)

to a value that will cause either the supporting electrolyte or solvent to be

Pre-step Delay Time (s)

Pre-step Current (A)

Step 1 Time (s)

Step 1 Current (A)

Step 2 Time (s)

Step 2 Current (A)

Sample Period (s)

Lower Limit V (V)

Upper Limit V (V)

Repeating Chronopotentiometry Setup Parameters

Controlled Potential Coulometry Setup Parameters

Pre-step Delay Time (s)

Pre-step Voltage (V)