IGC100 Ion Gauge Controller

• 1000 Torr to UHV range

• Highly accurate, stable controller

• Pressure vs. time curves

• 4 analogue input/output ports

• Affordable NIST traceable calibration

• RS-232 interface

• 8 process control channels (opt)

• GPIB and Web interfaces (opt)

Introducing the IGC100 Ion Gauge Controller - a new standard in controller design. The IGC100 is a high accuracy ion gauge controller that offers vacuum measurement and process automation never before available in a single instrument. It measures pressure from Bayard-Alpert ionization gauges, convection enhanced Pirani gauges and capacitance manometers providing uninterrupted pressure readings from 1000 Torr to UHV.

But it is more than just a conventional controller. The IGC100 has a touchscreen display that can show pressure versus time plots, built-in relays for vacuum system process control and several multipurpose input/output ports. It supports virtually every Bayard-Alpert ionization gauge on the market. The IGC100 is also fully web-ready. Now you can monitor and control your vacuum system from the lab, your home or anywhere in the world.

Accurate Measurements

The IGC100 is designed to be the most accurate, stable controller on the market. All ion gauge biasing voltages and emission current settings are accurate to better than 0.3%. The IGC100 has a low noise, autoranging electrometer that delivers high accuracy pressure readings into the UHV range. A low noise, direct current (DC) supply powers the filament and establishes the emission current.

The IGC100's precision electronics eliminate controller-to-controller variations and the measurement uncertainties (up to 15%) associated with traditional instruments. No other controller comes close to matching the performance and reliability of this instrument.
 

Graphical Touchscreen Display

The IGC100 has a large, back-lit LCD touchscreen display - new to ion gauge controllers. Controller setup and operation is simple and intuitive. The pressure display not only shows large numeric readings from each gauge (easily read from across the room), but can also present readings in bar graph or trend format. The screen is updated twice a second and results can be displayed in units of Torr, mbar, bar, Pascals or microns.

Pressure vs. time plots (chart recordings) allow you to follow pump down and venting cycles and keep track of your vacuum system's performance. The IGC100 has a real-time clock with date for precise time stamps which continually logs gauge pressures, relay activity and analog input voltages to within a fraction of a second. Logged data can be displayed on the front panel and can easily be downloaded to your computer for analysis. This is useful for monitoring the day-to-day behavior of your vacuum system and for problem diagnosis.
 

Fully Web-Ready

The IGC100 has an optional Ethernet interface with embedded web-server hardware that makes your controller fully web-ready. All you need is a computer with a browser and an internet connection and you can monitor and control your vacuum system from anywhere in the world. No more late nights at the lab checking up on your vacuum system. No more wondering if you remembered to turn on that gauge before going home. Just log on to the internet and enter the IP address of your controller - it's really that simple!
 

Useful I/O Ports

The IGC100 has four configurable analog input/output ports. Input signals can be monitored on the front panel or read through the GPIB, RS-232 or web interfaces, and can be used for a variety of applications. For instance, they might be used to monitor the pressure of a capacitance manometer, measure pump speed, record temperature from a turbo pump controller, monitor a mass flow controller or be used as a thermocouple input.

The ports can also be configured as analog outputs with a voltage range from ±12 VDC. These can be used to send control voltages to other devices.


Powerful Process Control

The IGC100 does more than simply measure pressure. It can also be an eight channel process controller. There are eight relays, with corresponding TTL outputs, that can be used to control your vacuum system. The relays, in turn, are controlled by gauge pressure, status conditions (gauge on/off, filament on/off, etc.), the system clock, the analog I/O ports, or eight TTL control inputs. The relays and TTL outputs can also be manually controlled from the front panel and the status of all eight channels can be viewed on the display.

There are twelve dedicated TTL inputs for triggering functions like gauge on/off, filament on/off, degas, ion gauge lockout, etc. All process control events are time stamped and recorded in memory and can be viewed at any time. User-programmable audible alarms and text messages provide advance warning of potential problems.

Four setups can be saved in memory and recalled at any time to automate different processes. A manual preset mode allows you to immediately put the IGC100 into a previously defined state. This lets you set initial system conditions or a panic response to serious problems.


Auto-Start / Gauge Automation

The IGC100 can be set to automatically turn on an ion gauge once a Pirani gauge has reached a preset pressure level. If a UHV Pirani gauge is used in the same high vacuum chamber as the ion gauge, you can make uninterrupted pressure measurements from atmosphere to UHV. In the event of over pressure, the IGC100's built-in filament protection algorithm, with user programmable set point, immediately turns off your gauge filament.


Easy Operation

Despite its multitude of features, the IGC100 is easy to use. The menu based interface is intuitive and parameter entry is quick and simple. And of course, there is interactive help for all functions of the instrument.

There are dedicated front panel buttons for common features like filament emission, degas and filament auto-start, and LEDs indicate their status. The IGC100 is compatible with virtually all Bayard-Alpert ion gauges including glass tubulated, nude, nude-UHV, STABIL_ION^â and MICRO_ION^â. You can select from a variety of standard gauge configurations or program your own. You can also assign a location name to each gauge which is then displayed on the front panel of the IGC100. No more messy, confusing stickers on the face of your instrument!

There are no DIP switches, trim pots or thumbwheel adjustments in the IGC100.  All necessary adjustments are done using the touchscreen interface - you'll never need to open the box.

We have even added a sensor on/off function so you can shut down your Pirani gauges in the pressence of flammable gases without having to physically disconnect them from the controller.


Stored Settings & Computer Control

Up to eight different gauge setups and four process control setups can be stored in non-volatile RAM.  Password protection is provided to keep casual users from accidentally altering important parameters.

A high level command set, along with an RS-232 and optional GPIB interface, allows you to fully control the IGC100 from your computer.


SSS Gauges

SSS supplies a wide range of hot-cathode ionization gauges including tubulated and nude designs with a variety of mounting options and a choice of tungsten (W) or ThO2/Ir filaments. Every ion gauge comes with a memory card which automatically configures the IGC100, simplifying controller setup. The memory card not only transfers configuration parameters but also calibration data. All you do is insert the memory card. That's it!

SRS have also developed their own line of convection enhanced Pirani gauges (PG105 and PG105-UHV) to complement the IGC100. PG105 gauges offer a measurement range that extends from 1000 Torr to 10-4 Torr and can be ordered with an all-metal seal (option UHV). They are the only convection enhanced Pirani gauges that can be operated directly in UHV environments and can be baked to 250°C without any disassembly. The PG105 gauges provide calibrated readings for N 2, Ar, and air. The IGC100 controller is also compatible with CONVECTRONâ and HPSTM Convection-Enhanced Pirani Gauges.

NIST Traceable Gauge and Controller Calibration

SSS offers a traceable system calibration on the IGC100 controller and all Bayard-Alpert ion gauges we supply. Calibrated gauges come with a memory card which contains calibration data specific to the gauge. Data is uploaded to the IGC100 via the front panel memory card reader. Of course the IGC100 can also be used with uncalibrated gauges. However, most applications greatly benefit from the gauge-to-gauge reproducibility and accuracy of calibrated gauges.

Download brochure ...pdf (212K)