Kobelt Tim, Lippmann Martin, Nitschke Alexander, Kielhorn Lou, Zimmermann Stefan
Leibniz University Hannover, Institute of Electrical Engineering and Measurement Technology, Department of Sensors and Measurement Technology, Appelstr. 9A, 30167 Hannover, Germany.
HardwareX. 2024 Oct 28;20:e00600. doi: 10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00600. eCollection 2024 Dec.
Ion mobility spectrometers (IMS) are used in a wide variety of applications, including trace gas detection in safety and security applications, but also in more analytical applications, e.g., in medicine or food quality monitoring. Consequently, IMS are often coupled with other separation techniques and laboratory equipment, requiring synchronization between the external equipment and the IMS electronics. In addition, IMS and the associated electronics are becoming increasingly complex due to ongoing instrumental developments. In this work, we present an open source data acquisition hardware tailored to the requirements of advanced IMS, but also applicable to other applications. The data acquisition hardware provides trigger pulses for synchronized operation of the IMS ion gate or external devices. In addition, the data acquisition hardware allows for parallel digitalization using two isolated 16-bit analog-to-digital converters (ADC) with up to 250 kilosamples per second. The galvanically isolated trigger input ensures a synchronized start of the IMS measurements, particularly when connecting external instrumentation such as a gas chromatograph. Furthermore, due to the isolated ADCs, the hardware allows great flexibility in defining the ground potential of the instrument setup.
离子迁移谱仪（IMS）有广泛的应用，包括安全与安保应用中的痕量气体检测，也用于更多分析应用，例如医学或食品质量监测。因此，IMS常与其他分离技术及实验室设备联用，这就需要外部设备与IMS电子器件之间实现同步。此外，由于仪器不断发展，IMS及其相关电子器件正变得越来越复杂。在这项工作中，我们展示了一款开源数据采集硬件，它专为先进IMS的需求量身定制，但也适用于其他应用。该数据采集硬件为IMS离子门或外部设备的同步操作提供触发脉冲。此外，数据采集硬件允许使用两个隔离的16位模数转换器（ADC）进行并行数字化，每秒可达250千采样。电隔离触发输入确保了IMS测量的同步启动，特别是在连接气相色谱仪等外部仪器时。此外，由于采用了隔离式ADC，该硬件在定义仪器设置的地电位方面具有很大的灵活性。
