The Chemistry Instrumentation and Electronics Facility (ChIEF) is committed to supporting the research community with experience in a wide range of electronics and instrumentation. We are able to troubleshoot and repair a wide variety of electronic equipment in use throughout the department, saving research groups from having to purchase expensive new products. We are also here to work on new electronic designs that can complement research groups' projects. The ChIEF staff has experience with:
- High Voltage Power Supplies and Systems
- Radio Frequency Equipment
- Image Intensifiers
- Microchannel Plates (MCPs)
- Photomultiplier Tubes (PMTs)
- Charged Coupled Device Imagers (CCDs)
- Cryogenic Systems
- Motion Control Programmable Interrupt Controller (PIC) micro-controller embedded systems
- Programmable Gate Arrays (PGA)
- Digital Signal Processing (DSP)
- Other contemporary electronics
Equipment and Software
ChIEF has the following advanced test equipment:
| Equipment | Description |
|---|---|
| Agilent 33250A | 80 MHz Function / Arbitrary Waveform Generator |
| Agilent 34401A | 6.5 Digit Multimeter w/ microvolt sensitivity (2) |
| Agilent 53131A | 225 MHZ Universal Counter |
| Agilent E3631A | Triple Output DC Power Supply (2) |
| Agilent MSO6104A | 1 GHz Mixed Signal Oscilloscope |
| BK Precision 889A | Bench LCR/ESR Meter |
| Fluke 189 | True RMS Multimeter (2) |
| Leader LBO-516 | 100 MHz Oscilloscope (student use) |
| Tenma 72-5016 | 5 MHz Function Generator (student use) |
| Weller WRS3000 | Soldering / Repair station |
| Weller WSL | Soldering station w/ ESD protection (2) |
The variety and bredth of equipment available allow us to power, troubleshoot, and repair a variety of applications. The mixed signal oscilloscope allows simultaneous measurement and display of 16 digital channels and/or analog signals. It can be directly connected to the internet for remote data collection, or data can be saved on USB memory sticks. It is an essential piece of equipment for troubleshooting complex systems.
Although this equipment is not currently available for general use, it can be signed out for short periods of time. We also have a couple of general purpose soldering irons that can be checked out as well.
Software We Use
| Software | Description |
|---|---|
| dsPIC v24/30 | Digital Signal Processing development |
| LabVIEW v8.20 | Graphical programming development |
| MPLAB IDE v7.50 | PIC Microchip Development Environment |
| Nios II IDE v5.1 | Soft Micro-processor Development Environment |
| OrCAD Capture CIS v15.7 | Schematic Capture |
| OrCAD Layout v15.7 | Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Layout |
| OrCAD PSpice A/D v15.7 | Analog & Digital Circuit Modeling and Simulation |
| Quartus II v5.1 | FPGA Design Software |
Experience and formal training allow for efficient design, modeling, and layout of circuit boards for all types of applications.
Repair Capabilities and Inventory:
ChIEF has extensive experience in trouble shooting and repair of advanced research equipment. We have moved away from repair of small items that can be readily replaced (stirrers, heaters, etc) and are concentrating on saving research groups from having to replace expensive experimental equipment when possible.
We have some inventory of electronics components (resistors, capacitors, switches, etc), but due to the large number of electronic and electrical components available today, we are only able to stock the most common devices. On this page are links to typical vendors that we use, and we suggest you check their websites for the parts you may need.
Parts Links
Digi-Key Corporation: www.digikey.com
Newark InOne: www.newarkinone.com
Allied Electronics: www.alliedelec.com
Jameco Electronics www.jameco.com
Mouser Electronics www.mouser.com