Microcomputer-based intelligent system for potentiometric analysis

Abstract

An intelligent system which consists of a microcomputer, either APPLE II or TRS-80, associated with a hardware interface card and system-driving software was established for potentiometric analysis. It can perform pH measurements with automatic calibration of pH electrodes, temperature compensation (0–95°C) and pH titrations, ionic activity measurements, with twelve determination and computation methods and automatic calibration of ion-selective electrodes and mV measurements with multi-point calibration of electrodes and the function of automatically linking the user's own programs into the intelligent system. Data from eight channels can be collected simultaneously, and various experimental operations are managed and controlled interactively through the system-driving software programmed in Assembly—BASIC language in modular blocks. Many fault-finding “trappers” are included in the software to avoid wrong actions during experiments. The system is arranged to be compact and easily expanded by modifications of relative hardware interface circuitry and revisions of the software concerned. With the features of BASIC language programming and the user's programs automatically linked, it can be routinely used as a potentiometric analysis and developing system relying on ion-selective electrodes, biosensors and enzyme sensors.