What is new in EC-LabŪ V9.0

Major ergonomic revisions and software improvements

This new version brings lots of improvements and new tools for a more friendly use.
To introduce this version we can summarize all improvements into four categories:

1. New graphic window
2. Ergonomic improvements
3. Creation of a new Analysis menu
4. New techniques
5. Technique modifications
6. Support for USB as an alternative to Ethernet for all new instruments

The aim of the new software version is to make with EC-LabŪ a very easy-to-use software. Improvements were done to simplify the way to build and run an experiment. The old graph tool in EC-LabŪ software (before V9) was limited. It was not efficient enough to add new analysis tools and fits and for an easy configuration of graphic parameters. In EC-LabŪ V9 a more powerful graph has replaced the old one. This graph includes necessary tools for powerful data analysis and many options and parameters to adjust. Moreover the parameter windows display has been modified for an easiest use of linked techniques and for a more homogeneous display, especially the linked technique tab has been removed and inserted in the parameter settings tab. The number of tabs is reduced from 4 to 3. The technique selection window has been completely changed and the processes simplified to avoid fastidious operations with data files. Instruments that will be shortly released are recognized in EC-LabŪ software.

1- New graphic window

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• New graph with more options (graph properties)

  

• Add a graphic window mouse right click
• New mouse modes with a local zoom in and out and a zoom back option
• Possibility to hide and show selected points before a fit
• New copy options (graph as a picture, plotted data as text)
• Selection of the active trace by the legend or by the trace
• Add two new graph tools: Min Max and Peak Analysis
• Remove the button panels
• New printing properties
• Graph properties: axes (processing), traces, legend and possibility to add a title
• Possibility to add up to 4 graphs in the same active graphic window with ability to do fits on all graphs separately.
• New fit windows with a copy option
• Active markers delimiting fits and movable with the mouse
• Automatic recalculation of the fit results when a marker is moved.
• Possibility to display E(I) and E(<I>) on the graph.
• User's graphic selections are now stored into the data files and proposed again while reloading data files.

2- Ergonomic modifications

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• Move the setting window buttons (Modify, Accept, Select...), the graph buttons (zoom, selector...), current channel values and run buttons to dockable tool bars.
• Protocol linker modification:
  • remove the "protocol linker" tab sheet (4th tab) from the settings window (and add functions such as Insert technique or remove technique to the Setting window mouse right click).
  • add the possibility to insert (before or after another technique) and remove techniques in linked protocols.
  • allow to set several linked protocols into the same modify session (it is not necessary now to accept each protocol individually).
  • add the possibility to synchronize channels with linked techniques
• Merge the battery and other techniques cell characteristics into a single window.
• Remove the process on line and add the on-line processed variables to the native ones into the selector without any action of the user. In the selector on-line processed variables are now automatically available under the straight line.
• Modification of all the main menus with a more experimental progression from left to right.
• Group the Process off-line menus into a single one "Process data (calc. Cycle, R,..) located into the Analysis main menu.
• Remove triggers techniques from the "Advanced settings" window and added in the technique selection window.
• Complete modification of the technique selection window now separated into two categories: electrochemical techniques and electrochemical applications.
• In the electrochemical techniques, creation of a technique builder section (for linked experiments) including MP and MG techniques, triggers, wait and loop.
• Possibility to choose icons of the tool bars and of the right clicks.

3- Creation of a new Analysis menu:

• Fits (Linear, Rp, Tafel)
• Peak analysis (no baseline, linear baseline, polynomiale baseline & free cursors)
• Wave analysis
• MottShottcky analysis

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4- New techniques

• Staircase voltammetry
• Staircase Potentio Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (Mott-Schottky) (SPEIS)
• Staircase Galvano Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (Mott-Schottky) (SGEIS)

5- Technique modifications and other improvements

• Improve the potential scans method. There is no need do enter a negative scan value to go from a high potential to a lower one. The scan direction is automatically calculated from the bounds value.
  
  Improved scan (in red)
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• Add the possibility to record either average current or instantaneous current for the techniques that use potential scans (mainly for corrosion techniques: LP, CPP, DP, MPP...).
  
  Improved I recording (in blue)
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• Add the possibility to define potential versus the last OCV, controlled, measured or initial potential value or versus none (versus REF), within most of the techniques.
• Add the possibility to define currents versus the last controlled, measured or initial current value or versus none, within most of the techniques.
• Possibility to choose current convention between IUPAC or inverted convention.
• The "Potentiostatic Impedance" (ZPOT) technique has been renamed into "Potentio Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy" (PEIS) and has now the possibility to record data during the potentiostatic period.
• The "Galvanostatic Impedance" (ZGAL) technique has been renamed into "Galvano Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy" (GEIS) and has now the possibility to record data during the galvanostatic period.
• Possibility to save linked protocols as custom applications and reload it in the technique selection window.
• Add triggers as techniques in the technique builder
• Possibility to generate automatically the data file names with a number increment.
• Add quick starts and sample data files
• Allow to control and measure the current on 2.4 times the current Range (with some potential limitations), except for the 1 A range.
• Add the possibility to enter the surfaces into nmē (into the cell characteristics tab)
• New connection window with possibility to display EC-LabŪ windows for virtual instruments when not connected.
• Integration of new instruments: VSP, HCP-803, EPP-400, EPP-4000, VMP3, VMP3B-4A, VMP3B 80A/3V
• The external devices menu has been extended to other instruments than thermostats and RDE. And it is now possible to customize the analogic input units.
• The COPY-PASTE tool has been significantly improved with compatibility with Condecon software

5- Added support for USB as an alternative to Ethernet for all new instruments:

VSP, HCP-803, EPP-400, EPP-4000, VMP3

EC-LabŪ is available for free download to registered users. Click here to access the support section

For a List of web's modification

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