PSoC-Stat: A single chip open source potentiostat based on a Programmable System on a Chip

Abstract

In this paper we demonstrate a potentiostat built with a single commercially available integrated circuit (IC) that does not require any external electronic components to perform electrochemical experiments. This is done using the capabilities of the Programmable System on a Chip (PSoC®) by Cypress Semiconductor, which integrates all of the necessary electrical components. This is in contrast to other recent papers that have developed potentiostats but require technical skills or specialized equipment to produce. This eliminates the process of having to make a printed circuit board and soldering on electronic components. To control the device, a graphical user interface (GUI) was developed in the python programming language. Python is open source, with a style that makes it easy to read and write programs, making it an ideal choice for open source projects. As the developed device is open source and based on a PSoC, modification to implement other electrochemical techniques is straightforward and only requires modest programming skills, but no expensive equipment or difficult techniques. The potentiostat developed here adds to the growing amount of open source laboratory equipment. To demonstrate the PSoC potentiostat in a wide range of applications, we performed cyclic voltammetry (to measure vitamin C concentration in orange juice), amperometry (to measure glucose with a glucose strip), and stripping voltammetry experiments (to measure lead in water). The device was able to perform all experiments and could accurately measure Vitamin C, glucose, and lead.

Simple Fabrication of Flexible Biosensor Arrays Using Direct Writing for Multianalyte Measurement from Human Astrocytes

“…A potentiostat with at least four channels could have been used likewise. A small, wireless multichannel potentiostat, similar to recently developed devices, 71,72 into which we could simply plug devices would make our system more accessible and bring it closer to being a “smart petri dish.”…”

Recent advances in biomedical, biosensor and clinical measurement devices for use in humans and the potential application of these technologies for the study of physiology and disease in wild animals

“…In recent years, there has been a large amount of research on portable, low cost instruments with a strong emphasis on instruments which can be assembled for less than $100 for use in field testing and also on the development of potentiostats using integrated circuits for implantable detection purposes. The DSTaT [41] and PSoC-Stat [42] instruments were both developed in an open source manner using off-the-shelf components and bespoke graphical user interfaces and, using both voltammetric and amperometric measurements, were employed to detect the potassium ferri-ferro cyanide redox couple and citric acid, glucose and lead, respectively. Another device, the SimpleStat was developed at a cost of approximately £5 per unit and was used to detect the oxacillin resistance gene from bacterial samples [43].…”

Comparison of cyclic voltammetry measurements of paper-based screen printed electrodes via proprietary and open source potentiostat

“…The PSoC-Stat is another solution where an open-source potentiostat was made with a commercially available integrated circuit (I.C. ), which does not need external electronic components to perform electrochemical experiments (Lopin and Lopin 2018). This result was achieved by using the Programmable System's capabilities on a Chip (PSoC ® ) by Cypress Semiconductor, which integrates all of the necessary electrical components.…”