Consumption IMETRONIC

USES : To study the feeding fish behavior, fish rearing (learning, discrimination, preference) ...

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INTRODUCTION:

Since 1988, the IMETRONIC company creates and manufactures automatic apparatus for behavior studies in neurobiology and pharmacology research. With a good knowledge in animal behavior and in automatisms, and with the collaboration of a research laboratory (INRA: T.Boujard), we have developped an automatic self-feeder for fish especially designed to make precise studies on fish behavior.

The IMETRONIC self-feeder permits :

1°- to program easily some feeding protocol (hourly window/doses' number/demands' number threshold for a distribution/regulation according to the theorical rationing...);

2°- to have a graphic follow up of the tanks activity;

3°- to have an automatic record of data of the feeding behavior;

4°- to dispense precise unit dose (from 0.1g-50g);

5°- to have a follow up of the biomass evolution.


It is composed of a sensor and a dispenser which are linked to a computer with an electronic bus.
The whole is piloted by a software which can manage until 128 tanks.

SENSORS & DISPENSERS:

DESCRIPTION
Sensor is composed of a watertight PVC cylinder and a stainless steel rod. There are 2 sensibilities:
- n°1 for fishes wheighing between 0 and 20g. - n°2 for fish weighing >20g
The change between both can be made easily.
Dispenser is composed of a motor and a turning cylinder. We make 3 types of turning cylinder:
- n°1 = for a dose of 0.1g
- n°2 = for a dose of 1g
- n°3 = for a dose of 10g
These 3 types of cylinder are easily permutable.
It can dispense crumb to 9mm granules.
ADVANTAGES
- Easy to install
- Easy to clean
- Distributed doses can be modifed (see above the cylinders are permutable) - precision (+/- 1%) - A low electric consumption (150 mA per dispenser)
- competitive in prices


ELECTRONIC BUS (IP 67=protect against immersion effects):

DESCRIPTION
It is composed of a PC board card, a cable linked to this card, some electronic modules and a low voltage alimentation (24v=) ;
After having unrolled the cable around your tanks , modules are easily engaged on cables at the chosen places.
They have 4 Inputs and 4 Outputs :
The sensor "self" is connected to an input ,
The dispenser to an output ,
example:with 1 sensor and 1 dispenser for a tank , a module can manage 4 tanks ;
ADVANTAGES
- The bus can manage until 128 tanks , it's possible to add other types of sensors and actuators (level sensors , counters , electrovalves ..) - Evolutionary ( 4 tanks ... 128 tanks ),
- Bus lenght : 200 meters ;



SOFTWARE: DESCRIPTION
- The software for windows permits to create a breeding (tanks' number, tanks' disposition, selfs' number per tank...), a feeding protocol (demand(s') number(s) needed(s) for allowing a distribution, inhibition periods, regulation, correction...) and to control the feeding behavior of your breeding soumis aux différents protocoles.

- Each tank is independant ( On/Off , protocol) ,
- An editor permits to create a protocols' library ,
- A module of the software permits to simulate these protocols ( time is accelerated, you can simulate demands..)
- prise en compte à tout moment , rationing rate, consumption index , wheighed biomass .. - Biomass follow up.
IN DETAILS
The software is composed of 3 screens: 1°) A general screen called "the breeding page" which presents a whole view of your breeding (example). 2°) A graphic page to follow the breeding evolution in times. 3°) A particular page which permits to see data and graphics for a particular tank (example).