The Life and Times of Gamry Instruments

Gamry Instruments builds  electrochemical instrumentation with the specifications carefully selected to achieve a knowledgeable  balance between performance and cost.  If you want a reliable, high performance instrument with great support and a fair price, you'll enjoy doing business with Gamry.  We think you'll also enjoy interacting with the inmates of Gamryland.  We take our electrochemistry very seriously but also place a high value on making life interesting!

Gamry designs and manufactures three research-class Potentiostats.  Our Reference 600 Potentiostat is a world-class performer.  Our Series G Potentiostats are constructed to be installed inside  the computer, lowering cost and providing portability.  All Gamry Potentiostats are electrically floating, allowing you to perform electrochemical experiments on grounded samples, such as autoclaves and strain rate testers.  

Our Windows-based software (Gamry software has been in Windows since we introduced the PC3 Potentiostat in 1989!) employs our Explain Experiment Control Language and Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications for unprecedented experimental flexibility.  Open Source Scripting has proven to be a wonderful approach to electrochemistry for both Gamry and our users. We write our software in Explain and VBA and enjoy helping our users make modifications to perform electrochemical experiments that can't be done with any other instrument.  

In 1992, Gamry Instruments pioneered the use of a Multiplexer to increase sample throughput. The ECM8 Multiplexer popularized corrosion rate versus time curves, which were previously unknown in laboratory corrosion measurement systems.

In 1995, Gamry Instruments introduced the FAS1 Femtostat.  This was the first potentiostat to employ our unique Sub-Harmonic Sampling and DSP approach for EIS.  For the first time: 

• EIS could be performed using only a potentiostat.
• EIS was available at a reasonable price!

In 1998, Gamry introduced the PC4/300 and PC4/750 Potentiostats with Sub-Harmonic Sampling, bringing full-frequency, low-cost EIS performance to higher current experiments.  The PC4 allowed corrosion scientists, battery researchers, and fuel cell developers to take advantage of Gamry's unique approach to EIS. 

In 1999, Gamry introduced the ESA400 Electrochemical Signal Analyzer for electrochemical noise measurement.  We viewed the ESA400 with it's sophisticated-but-easy-to-use features as a stimulus to the continued development of noise techniques.  The ESA400 has been warmly received, confirming once again that electrochemistry users are eager and willing to give new technology a chance. 

In 2001, we introduced the PHE200 Physical Electrochemistry Software for cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, controlled potential coulometry, and other electrochemical research techniques.  In 2002, we launched the PV220 Pulse Voltammetry Software for square wave, differential pulse, and other techniques.  With the addition of the PHE200 and PV220, Gamry can address virtually every electrochemical technique that is used in the laboratory.

The FC350 Fuel Cell Monitor was also introduced in 2002.  For a normal research potentiostat, the current from a fuel cell or a stack is way, way too high!  The FC350 sidesteps that problem by using an Electronic Load to sink the current and make an EIS measurement of the fuel cell while it's operating!

Early 2003 saw the introduction of the PCI4 Family of Potentiostats for the PCI bus.  With the PCI bus, the PCI4/300, PCI4/750, and FAS2 Femtostat could be installed in low-cost home/office computers.  The upper frequency in EIS was extended to 300 kHz in the PCI4 Family.

In late 2003, Gamry introduced the EFM140 Electrochemical Frequency Modulation Software.  Electrochemical Frequency Modulation is a new technique to measure corrosion rate and Tafel Constants.  During the EFM measurement, a causality factor is calculated to verify the quality of the data. 

In 2005, Gamry stepped up the performance with the introduction of the Reference 600 Potentiostat/Galvanostat/ZRA.  The Reference 600 connects to your computer through a USB Interface and is built for high-frequency EIS (to 1 MHz) and high-speed scanning in cyclic voltammetry.  In addition, we developed a unique oversampling technique to reduce noise in the current and voltage measurement.

2005 also saw the introduction of two new electrochemical cells.  Dr. Bob's Cell is a versatile cell for small-scale electrochemistry.  The EuroCell is a low-volume cell for corrosion measurements on cylindrical electrodes.

In 2006, we responded to the need to get the lead out of our products!  The Series G Potentiostats comply with the Reduction of Hazardous Substances requirements of the European Union.

Gamry is a worldwide provider of instrumentation for electrochemists.  We design and build everything we sell.  Almost half of our users are outside the US.  Our International Distributors are our link to our international customers.   

We have a very simple goal --  we want every user to be satisfied with their Gamry product.  We believe the best way to reach that goal is to focus on products that perform well and are supported by electrochemical experts and sold at a fair price.  

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