DOI: 10.5061/dryad.9p8cz8wx3
title: Data from: A look inside a flexible open-source scanning electrochemical probe microscope

description: Scanning electrochemical probe microscopy (SEPM) maps and investigates the
 chemical and physical properties of surfaces and interfaces using a micro-
 or nanoscale electrochemical probe, e.g., a microelectrode or a
 nanopipette, positioned close to an interface of interest. SEPMs share a
 common general architecture but are distinct from each other through the
 choice of probe and in the different physicochemical properties of the
 sample that can be investigated, including, among others, interfacial
 charge transfer rates, topography, permeability, or surface charge. Thus,
 a single instrument, with an appropriately flexible control system, can
 facilitate widespread access to the family of SEPM techniques - scanning
 electrochemical microscopy (SECM), scanning ion conductance microscopy
 (SICM), scanning electrochemical cell microscopy (SECCM), the scanning
 micropipette contact method (SMCM), and hybrid varieties of these
 techniques. Herein, we describe in detail a flexible open-source SEPM
 instrument that can perform common and widely applicable SEPM techniques
 and experimenter-defined methodologies, with minimal programming from the
 user. The instrument makes use of a field programmable gate array
 (FPGA)-based data acquisition card, and this contribution further
 illustrates the benefits of adopting FPGA architecture generally in
 electrochemical instrumentation. We describe the software and hardware for
 the instrument, using examples from the literature to illustrate how
 common SEPM operation modes and hyphenated techniques are readily
 implemented. Additionally, to demonstrate the application of
 custom-developed scanning protocols, we briefly present some further
 experimental examples. This Tutorial seeks to serve the needs of expert
 users of SEPMs and encourage new entrants alike.  To this end, to
 encourage those who are interested in either setting up their own
 instruments or making optimal use of commercially available instruments,
 we also briefly include some more basic and general information on SEPM
 techniques and uses, to put the more advanced work and instrumental
 aspects in context.
description: # Data from: A look inside a flexible open-source scanning electrochemical
 probe microscope Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.9p8cz8wx3](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.9p8cz8wx3) ##
 Description of the data and file structure Comma-separated text file
 representing SICM imaging of topography and BH~4~^-^ electrooxidation on a
 Au nanocluster (AuNC) in 30 mM NaOH (pH 12.5) aqueous solution with 3 mM
 NaBH~4~. Figures and tables refer to the associated primary article. ###
 Files and variables * ScanHopping.tsv Columns represent: | Data Channel
 Name | Units | Description | Breakout Box Connector | | :----------------
 | :----------------------- |
 :---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :--------------------- | | X | µm | Measured X Piezo Position | AI-0 | | Y | µm | Measured Y Piezo Position | AI-1 | | Z | µm | Measured Z Piezo Position | AI-2 | | V1 | volts | Voltage 1 | AO-3 | | V2 | volts | Voltage 2 | AO-4 | | Current1 | amperes | Current 1 | AI-3 | | Current2 | amperes | Current 2 | AI-4 | | Current3 | amperes | Current 3 | AI-6 | | Feedback Type | integer | Feedback type for z-piezo control. See Table S2 details. |   | | Line Number | integer | Indicates the waypoint number being approached (starts = 1 and increments by 1 as each waypoint is reached) |   | | Lock-in Amplitude | amperes[^\[1\]^](#_ftn1) | Oscillation amplitude (rms/peak-to-peak depending on the lock-in model) | AI-5 | | Lock-in phase | degrees | Oscillation phase vs the reference phase (from lock-in amplifier). | AI-7 | | δ*t*~data~ | seconds | Time between data point and the preceding data point (see above for definition) |   |   --- [\[1\]](#_ftnref1) This presupposes that the current is being fed into the lock-in amplifier; a common setup that is shown in Figure S8. If other inputs are fed to the lock-in units will be different.