Electromechanical shutters

Phosphorescence decays were recorded using a recording oscilloscope and camera and cutting out the excitation beam using an electromechanical shutter. 

Digital interface some potentiostats feature auxiliary A/D inputs and D/A outputs that can be controlled by the software. These are convenient for controlling auxiliary equipment, such as electromechanical shutters or magnetic stirrers. GPIB used to be the standard interface to the computer for instmment control and data exchange. However, this >30-year-old standard is now outdated and is superseded by USB and/or Ethernet interfaces. The same goes for the even older - and much slower - RS-232 interface. 

When choosing a solar simulator for PEC research, one should carefully consider the orientation of the light exit port. Most solar simulators have their exit port oriented vertically, i.e., shining down. This is convenient for solid-state solar cells, but a bit of a hassle for PEC cells containing a liquid electrolyte -one would have to use a mirror since the photoelectrode is mounted vertically in most PEC cells. Fortunately, several manufacturers offer the possibility to have the light exit sideways. Some solar simulator manufacturers even offer integrated electromechanical shutters, with minimum exposure times as short as 200 ms and lifetimes >10 cycles. There are many manufacturers of solar simulators, and some well-known names include Oriel Instruments (Newport), Asahi, Abet Technologies, Luzchem, Wacom, Spire, Voss, etc. 

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