Gamry Instruments Interface 1010 - Temperature and Ventilation; Defects and Abnormal Stresses

Safety Considerations – Temperature and Ventilation
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Connection of the Interface 1010 to auxiliary apparatus will often earth-ground the Interface 1010, destroying
its ability to float and make measurements on earth-grounded cells. Connection of the Monitor Connector to
an oscilloscope is an example where the instrument is earthed.
The User I/O connector can be connected to earth-grounded apparatus without earth-grounding the Interface
1010, if the cabling is done carefully. The metal shell on the Interface 1010 User I/O Connector is connected
to the instrument’s chassis, which is a floating ground. In a system that needs isolation from earth ground, the
shield of a User I/O cable must not connect the D-connector’s metal shell to earth ground. Reference all User
I/O signals to pin 6 of the D-connector, which is an earth ground on the Interface 1010.
Temperature and Ventilation
Your Interface 1010 Potentiostat/Galvanostat/ZRA was designed for indoor use at ambient temperatures
between 0C and 45C.
The Interface 1010 uses forced air-cooling to keep the Interface 1010 components within their operating
temperature range. Most of the air needed to cool the Interface 1010 enters the chassis through holes in its
bottom plate. Some air also enters the chassis from small slots on the right side of the chassis (as viewed from
the front of the instrument).
The fan within the Interface 1010 has two operating speeds with different audible noise levels. The Interface
1010 normally operates with the lower speed, quieter fan setting. The fan switches to a higher speed when the
Interface 1010’s internal heat-sink gets hotter than 50C.
The cooling air flows through a heat sink mounted inside the chassis. The air exits through a large array of slots
on the left side of the instrument.
Be careful when operating the Interface 1010 in an enclosed space (such as an enclosed relay rack or NEMA
enclosure). The temperature within the enclosure must not exceed 45C. You may need to provide ventilation
holes or even forced air-cooling for the enclosed space if excessive temperature rise occurs.
Defects and Abnormal Stresses
Treat your Interface 1010 as potentially hazardous if any of the following is true of the unit:
• It shows visible damage,
• It does not operate properly,
• It has been stored for a long period of time under unfavorable conditions,
• It has been dropped or subjected to severe transport stress,
Caution: Floating operation of the Interface 1010 can be compromised by improper cables
to your I/O Connector. We do not recommend use of standard 15-pin shielded cables with this connector.
Custom cables with the shield connected to pin 6 of the D-connector are preferred.
Caution: Do not block the airflow into or out of the Interface 1010 chassis. The circuitry is
thermally protected so over-temperature will cause the instrument to enter a shut-down state. If shut-down
occurs during data-acquisition, experimental data could be lost. Running the Interface 1010 without
adequate cooling could also shorten the time to failure of some of the circuitry.