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A New and Improved Electric Fish Finder with Resources for Printed Circuit Board Fabrication Neotropical Ichthyology, 17(4): e190099, 2019 Journal homepage: www.scielo.br/ni DOI: 10.1590/1982-0224-20190099 Published online: 25 November 2019 (ISSN 1982-0224) Copyright © 2019 Sociedade Brasileira de Ictiologia Printed: 13 December 2019 (ISSN 1679-6225) Original article A new and improved electric fish finder with resources for printed circuit board fabrication Michael A. Haag, Jeffrey C. Lambert, Joseph C. Waddell and William G.R. Crampton We describe the circuit design, construction, and operation of a field-portable electric fish finder (an AC-coupled wide- band differential bio-amplifier with loudspeaker output). This device permits detection and monitoring of the electric organ discharges generated by neotropical gymnotiform fishes (as well as the mormyroid fishes of tropical Africa). Our design is modified from earlier versions to optimize detection performance and stability over a wider range of ambient water conductivity, including under conditions of extremely low conductivity (< ca. 10 μScm-1). Our new electric fish finder design also incorporates complete waterproofing and longer battery autonomy. We provide Gerber and Eagle files made with the electronic design automation software ‘Autodesk Eagle’ to allow researchers to order printed circuit boards directly from commercial manufacturers. Keywords: Bio-amplifier, Electric organ discharge, Electroreception, Gymnotiformes, Mormyridae. Nós descrevemos o projeto de circuitos eletrônicos e as instrucões para a construção e uso de um detector de peixes elétricos portátil (bio-amplificador diferencial de banda-larga com acoplamento AC). Este aparelho permite a detecção e o monitoramento das descargas de órgãos elétricos gerados por peixes neotropicais da ordem Gymnotiformes (assim como dos peixes mormirídeos da África Tropical). Nosso projeto é modificado a partir de versões anteriores para otimizar o desempenho e a estabilidade sob uma faixa de condutividades ambientais mais ampla, incluindo condições de condutividade extremamente baixa (< ca. 10 μScm-1). Nosso detector de peixes elétricos novo também foi otimizado a fim de proporcionar impermeabilização completa e vida longa para as baterias. Nós fornecemos arquivos ‘Gerber’ e ‘Eagle’ preparados com o software de automação de projeto eletrônico ‘Autodesk Eagle’ para permitir aos pesquisadores a possibilidade de efetuar encomendas de nossa placa de circuito impresso direitamente das empresas de fabricação. Palavras-chave: Bio-amplificador, Descarga de órgão elétrico, Eletrorecepção, Gymnotiformes, Mormyridae. Introduction Weakly electric gymnotiforms and mormyroids range in peak-to-peak voltage from only a few millivolts as larval The Neotropical gymnotiform and tropical African individuals to up to ca. 1–2V in large Gymnotus (Crampton, mormyroid fishes are unique among teleosts in possessing 2019). However, the voltage detected by the EFF depends also a specialized electrogenic and electrosensory system, on the conductivity of the water and the posture of the fish which serves for both the detection of objects in the relative to the electrode pair. The voltage at a given distance dark (electrolocation) and for social communication and from a dipole source declines with increasing conductivity recognition (electrocommunication) (Bullock et al., 2005). (i.e., decreasing resistance) (Knudsen, 1975), such that the All gymnotiforms and all Mormyroidea generate electric range at which a given electric fish can be detected is greater organ discharges (EODs) that can be readily detected with in low conductivity water than in high conductivity water. submerged electrodes connected to a wide-band differential Tropical freshwaters often exhibit exceptionally low electrical bio-amplifier. Such a device, which has been variably termed conductivity, including most upland Shield drainages, as well an ‘electric fish finder’ (henceforth ‘EFF’), or ‘electric fish as river systems draining lowland tropical forests and savannas detector’, greatly increases the rate at which electric fish can (ca. 3-30 μScm-1) (Roberts, 1972; Albert, Crampton, 2010; be sampled in their natural habitats. Crampton, 2019). Some of these tropical waters are among A properly designed EFF permits the rapid location the most electrolyte-free natural systems on earth, and yet they of electric fish of all sizes (including larval and post-larval host abundant communities of electric fish (Crampton, 1996, individuals) from waters of variable electrical conductivity. 2019). Some tropical river systems nonetheless reach much University of Central Florida, Department of Biology, 4100 Libra Dr., 32816 Orlando, FL, USA. (MAH) [email protected], https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9535-0529; (JCL) [email protected], https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4200-6561; (JCW) [email protected], https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4397-0704; (WGRC) [email protected] (corresponding author), https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2892-8065. e190099[1] Neotropical Ichthyology, 17(4): e190099, 2019 2 A new and improved electric fish finder higher conductivity, including Neotropical whitewater rivers (Shenzhen, China) to manufacture our prototype PCBs. All of Andean origin and their associated floodplain systems (ca. electronic components assembled were then onto the PCBs 90-200 μScm-1), as well as rivers draining karst limestone in the Crampton Lab using basic soldering tools. The metal formations (Crampton, 2011, 2019). enclosure was drilled using a drill press and standard metal In addition to providing adequate (but not excessive) drill bits, and all parts assembled in the enclosure using basic gain over a wide range of water conductivity, an EFF must metal workshop/electronics tools. Our new EFF circuit and also be robust enough to tolerate rough treatment, provide enclosure designs were tested in low-conductivity streams several hours of battery autonomy, and be sufficiently (3–30 μScm-1) and high-conductivity whitewater floodplain waterproofed to protect the electronic components during floating meadow systems (60–200 μScm-1) of the lower heavy rainstorms and occasional accidental submergences. Amazon basin of Brazil. Here we describe a substantially modified version of an EFF design published previously by Crampton et al. (2007). Results Our new design is optimized for use across a wider range of electrical conductivity – including under conditions of GitHub repository. At a permanent GitHub repository (link extremely low conductivity (< ca. 10 μScm-1), making it below) we provide a full suite of Autodesk ‘Gerber’ and suitable for use in all water bodies of the Neotropics and ‘Eagle’ files for our new circuit schematic (Fig. 1) and PCB tropical Africa. Our revised design also provides enhanced layout (Fig. 2). https://github.com/Crampton-Lab/Electric- durability, waterproofing, and battery autonomy. Fish-Finder-V1.0/ These Gerber and Eagle files are required by commercial Material and Methods PCB manufacturing companies, which will fabricate and send small numbers of PCBs rapidly and at low cost. The We used the electronic design automation software electronic components listed in Tab. 1 can then be soldered Eagle version 8.22 (Autodesk, San Rafael, CA) to prepare to the PCBs with basic tools. Our Gerber and Eagle files the circuit diagrams and printed circuit board (PCB) designs can also be edited in Autodesk Eagle, should the user wish presented herein. We also ensured that our circuit design met to alter our circuit design. At the same GitHub repository, our requirements using the SPICE (Simulation Program with we also include a copy of the component lists provided in Integrated Circuit Emphasis) simulation software LTspice Tab. 1, with unit prices in US dollars. This will be updated version 17 (Linear Technology, Norwood, MA). We used regularly to replace components that become obsolete, and the commercial PCB fabrication company PCBWay.com to include price changes. Fig. 1. Electric fish finder circuit schematic in Autodesk Eagle format. BATT = battery, C = capacitor, CHGRND = chassis ground, GND = ground, JP = connector socket, R = resistor, SPK = speaker, VCC = voltage common collector. Integrated circuits are: INA = instrumentation amplifier INA128PA; NEB = operational amplifier NE5532; LM386 = audio amplifier LM386N-1; TLE = virtual ground TLE2425IP. This schematic matches the printed circuit board layout in Fig. 2. e190099[2] Neotropical Ichthyology, 17(4): e190099, 2019 M. A. Haag, J. C. Lambert, J. C. Waddell & W. G.R. Crampton 3 Fig. 2. Electric fish finder printed circuit board layout in Autodesk Eagle format. For abbreviations see Fig. 1 legend. This layout matches the circuit schematic in Fig. 1. At the time of online ordering, a PCB fabrication ambient conductivity, our device can be switched between company will require the upload of a single .zip compressed low-gain (x 82 where the R1 resistor is 620Ω), high-gain (x file containing the eight Gerber files for the desired PCB. For 410 [calculated as low-gain x 5]), and off, via a three-position instance, the .zip file eFish_Finder_V1.0_Gerber-files.zip at (3-pole double-throw) toggle switch. The main (low-gain) our GitHub site should be provided to order version A of our stage of our circuit (stage A in Fig. 1) amplifies the signal EFF circuit (see below for notes on Version A and B). The directly from the electrode pair via a Texas Instruments company’s website will also request the board dimensions INA128PA low-noise differential instrumentation amplifier (enter 64 x 47 mm) and the number of boards desired. All integrated circuit
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