Evaluation of a Prototype Spillway Transceiver

Gordon Axel, Dr. Sandy Downing, Bruce Jonasson, and Gabriel Brooks

Northwest Fisheries Science CenterFish Ecology Division

NWFSC

Background

• Under an active spill regime, more fish bypass the dams via spillways than through the collection and monitoring facilities

• Based on PIT tag data from adult salmonids returning to Lower Granite Dam, NOAA Fisheries estimates that only 25-35% of the salmonids passing the Snake River dams are currently detected at the collection and monitoring facilities (Faulkner et al. 2013)

Background

• With funding from BPA, NOAA Fisheries contracted Destron Fearing to develop PIT-tag systems for unmodified and modified spillbays

• Destron Fearing provided the first ogee-type transceiver to test in 2011

• Tests compared existing transceivers at the Bonneville Dam corner collector site with the new transceiver

The corner-collector PIT-tag system is unique in many ways: 1) it has the largest antenna in the basin2) it has only one antenna instead of multiple antennas3) it has a specialized transceiver designed specifically for this site

Background

• Fish tests in 2007, 2009, and 2011 to evaluate new PIT tag models

• 2011 we evaluated the prototype ogee transceiver (FS3001) that could detect normal ISO FDX-B tags that are detected in 32 msec as well as tags that can be read in 16 msec

Background

Telegrams: Full telegram

(128 bits)Half telegram

(64 bits)Header 11 10Message 64 32 Data 38 32 Country/Manuf. 10 0 Reserved 14 0 Animal/no Animal 1 0 Trailer Data 1 0CRC 16 16Trailer 24 0Stuffing 13 6

Total bits: 128 64

Fish tests

2011 Results

Test Detected Released % Detected

12mm (BCC) 738 947 77.9

12mm (Ogee) 782 975 80.2

9mm (BCC) 27 217 12.4

9mm (Ogee) 64 261 24.5

16msec-12mm (Ogee) 726 835 86.9

Background

• In July 2011, Destron Fearing was bought by Allflex Corporation

• Allflex put Biomark in charge of all the fisheries work – tags, transceivers, and development work

• Due to the changeover and decision to move installation of the spillway detection system to Lower Granite, development was put on hold

Background

• Upgraded transceivers were tested at Bonneville in 2013, but results were not consistent

• Biomark’s engineers went back to the lab and came back in 2014 with significant changes to the ogee transceiver

• PSMFC testing in Kennewick was conducted and live fish tests at Bonneville occurred in May

• Additional testing occurred at Pasco in June

Transceiver modifications

• Biomark modified the layout of the Microprocessor Control Unit (MCU), power supply, receiver, driver, filters, tuning, and terminal board

• The exciter circuit had slight optimizations implemented and the exciter filters were modified and combined into one module

• The CPU module remained mostly unchanged except for the new phase measurement circuitry

• Multiple changes were made to the FS3001 firmware, with the most significant changes made to the tuning algorithm

Fish tests

Test Detected Released % Detected

32msec-12mm (20A) 455 575 79.1

32msec-9mm (20A) 270 398 67.8

32msec-12mm (23A) 826 971 85.1

32msec-9mm (23A) 614 892 68.8

16msec-12mm 280 300 93.3

16msec-9mm 228 300 76.0

2014 Results

2014 Testing at Pasco

• Field testing continued at Pasco in June

2014 Results

• Achieved a maximum read range of a 54” with the half-telegram tag and 52” with the standard telegram in the dry

• Submerged testing yielded :– A standard tag was detected effectively while

traveling at approximately 60 fps and 24” above the antenna

– A half-telegram tag was detected effectively while traveling at approximately 60 fps and 36” above the antenna.

Transceiver modifications• implement an exciter module capable of operation at

levels from 24 - 48VDC

• incorporate MCU for measuring antenna current, phase and exciter voltage and performing Auto-tuner control

• modified firmware for the FS3001 that will include the implementation of over-current and over-voltage protection

• designing around 150' cables to allow installation at other locations

Summary

• The half telegram tag provides better detectability where EM noise is present or flow velocity is higher

• Transceiver development to be completed in March 2015 with acceptance testing occurring at the end of March

• Further antenna development will begin once the transceiver is completed

• Installation and fish tests at Lower Granite anticipated for 2017 outmigration