Multichannel Systems nanoZ manual - Manual (Page 34)

nanoZ User Manual
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If, for whatever reason, the user application crashes during electroplating the
nanoZ device will not be informed of it and will continue to supply electroplating
current to the target electrode. For this reason it is a good idea to encapsulate
electroplating sections of the Matlab code in try/catch clauses, in order to ensure
that electroplating is stopped in all cases, even if an error occurs. The most
reliable way to stop electroplating without generating further errors is to execute a
clear nanoz Matlab statement. The m-file examples provided with this SDK
implement these safeguards.
startplatingdc
Starts DC electroplating with a dithered waveform for generating low currents and
fine current setting resolution.
Usage: achieved_current = nanoz('startplatingdc', handle, desired_current);
Arguments: handle – handle to an opened device returned by the open function.
desired_current – desired electroplating current, in amperes. Can be positive or
negative within device limits (see Appendix B).
Return value: achieved_current – the current, in amperes, that is as close to the
desired value as can be generated by the device. This current will be applied to
the selected channel. Please see Appendix B for tolerances.
Remarks: This function starts DC electroplating with a specially crafted plating
waveform that achieves, by means of dithering, a much finer current setting
resolution than what is normally possible with the device's 8-bit onboard DAC.
There will be a slight AC ripple on the output current. However, it is guaranteed
that the first harmonic of this ripple current will be above 2000Hz and have the
lowest possible level. In practice, the ripple current is so low that it is not
measurable by nanoZ voltage feedback circuit even in most favorable
circumstances of a high electrode impedance.
The exact moment when electroplating actually starts is not predictable.
Depending on the waveform length, uploading the waveform may take some time
and delay the start of electroplating. When the electroplating duration must be
exactly controlled the application should determine the exposure time from the
number of samples returned by the getplatingdata function and stop plating when
the prescribed number of samples has been acquired.
If, for whatever reason, the user application crashes during electroplating the
nanoZ device will not be informed of it and will continue to supply electroplating
current to the target electrode. For this reason it is a good idea to encapsulate
electroplating sections of the Matlab code in try/catch clauses, in order to ensure
that electroplating is stopped in all cases, even if an error occurs. The most