Multiplexed ECN Experiment Setup Parameters

Here is the Setup dialog box for the Multiplexed ZRA Mode Test. At first glance, it looks very different from the Setup dialog box for the single-cell ZRA mode test. A closer examination shows the Setup information from the single-cell test is still present at the bottom of the dialog box.

Only the new Setup parameters are discussed here. See the ZRA Mode ECN section for a description of the Setup parameters that apply to both single-cell and multiplexed techniques.

Multiplexer

  • EN120 systems can contain more than one ECM8 Electrochemical Multiplexer. The Multiplexer control allows you to choose which multiplexer is used to run a test. Unavailable ECM8s are grayed out.
  • NOTE: The multiplexer and potentiostat that you select must be connected together!

Channel

  • There is one Channel Setup switch for each of the 8 channels. When you select a channel, an X appears in the checkbox for that channel. As the script loops through the channels, it only runs tests on channels that are selected. The numbers for selected channels need not be continuous.

Identifier

  • The Identifier string is virtually identical to the Test Identifier string. The only difference is that in multiplexed tests, the Identifier refers to an experiment run on one cell, not to the entire experimental run.

System

  • Selects a set of electrochemical parameters relevant to your particular test system. The parameters are recovered from the system parameter database file. The recovered parameters are all used in the calculation of corrosion rate. They are the sample’s equivalent weight, density, anodic β and cathodic β.When you attempt to run an experiment, the system searches the SYSTEM.SET file for a parameter set stored under the name in the System parameter. If the software finds no parameter set, an error message appears, and you are returned to the Setup dialog box.

Area

  • The electrode area used in calculations. Each channel can have a different Area.</li.

Notes

  • The Notes controls are siilar to the Notes control described for non-multiplexed experiments. There is a separate Notes entry for each channel in a multiplexed EN120 test.

Base Filename

  • Each channel has its own data file. The Base Filename is used to derive the filenames for these files. The filename for channel N (1-8) is made up by appending the character N to the Base Filename, then adding a .DTA filename extension. For example, if the Base Filename is ECNOISE, the data file for channel 1 is named ECNOISE1.DTA.
  • The filename resulting from the concatenation of the Base Filename and the channel number must adhere to DOS filename conventions. Only use letters and numbers in the name. Avoid punctuation characters (the underscore, “_”, is OK). You are allowed a maximum of 7 (not 8) characters in the Base Filename. The eighth character is reserved for the channel number appended to the Base Filename.