Introduction
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Data can be acquired at frequencies up to 100 000 points per second.
A unique DSP (Digital Signal Processing) data-acquisition mode allows the Interface 5000 to reject noise, from
the instrument itself, from the electrochemical cell, and from the lab environment. In many cases where other
instruments require a cell in a Faraday shield to make quiet measurements, the Interface 5000 can be used
with the cell exposed on a bench top.
The Interface 5000, like all Gamry potentiostats, requires a computer for its use. The Interface 5000 connects to
this computer through a USB connection. The USB connection has become truly universal, with USB ports
found on all modern computers. Gamry Windows
®
-based software currently supports up to 16 Gamry
Potentiostats connected to one computer. A system can include a mixture of Gamry Reference and Interface-
family instruments.
The Interface 5000 is isolated from earth ground. You therefore can use it to make measurements on cells that
contain an earth-grounded metal. A few of the many examples of such systems are fuel cells, flow batteries, and
certain complex battery-packs.
Software and Applications
The Interface 5000 supports all Gamry electrochemical applications software, including the Gamry
Electrochemical Energy software. The Electrochemical Energy software was not supported on several older, low-
cost instruments.
The Interface 5000 is particularly useful in laboratories where high-test throughput is required. Multiple
Interface 5000s can be used to configure flexible multichannel systems, where the number of potentiostats in
each system can vary as needed. For example, a dozen Interface 5000s in a lab can be used as one eight-
potentiostat multichannel system and four stand-alone systems in one week, then used as two six-potentiostat
multichannel systems the next week.
Typical applications for the Interface 5000 include:
• Research in electrochemical storage and conversion, and
• Battery and electrochemical capacitor evaluation.
Multichannel Potentiostat Systems
The Interface 5000 can form several different types of multiple-potentiostat systems. You can mix Interface
5000s and Interface 1000s in all systems.
In one type of system, multiple Interface 5000 units are simply stacked on top of each other. The Interface
5000 chassis was designed for easy and secure stacking. The rubber feet on the bottom of one instrument mate
with indentations in the top of the instrument below.
In this type of system, each Interface 5000 is powered by an individual AC Adapter, which, in turn, can be
powered by a multiple output AC power strip. The multiple USB connections for the system can be obtained
from an inexpensive commercial USB hub. We do not recommend bus-powered hubs in these systems.
In a more formal, less-cluttered system, you can add multiple Interface 5000 units to a special Gamry-supplied
rack called the Interface Power Hub. This smart rack arranges units side-by-side and takes care of power and
USB connections. Individual units can still be easily added and removed as required.
In some multiple potentiostat systems, users want synchronized operation of several potentiostats. This is often
desirable when multiple units are connected to one electrochemical cell. Examples of this include ring-disk
systems, series-connected laminar-flow generation-detection systems, localized EIS, and electrochemical
microscopy.
A special synchronization port (Sync port) on the rear of each Interface 5000 allows one Master instrument to
control the clocks and data-acquisition timing of multiple Serf instruments. The Master can even generate sine
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