VAKI Micro User manual

Utgave: Apr 2018
SW versjon 4.04.X
User Manual
Micro/Macro fish counter

Manual for VAKI Micro/Macro
Page 1
Contents
1Preface –The Micro/Macro Fish Counters .....................................................................................3
2Warranty ......................................................................................................................................... 4
3Components.................................................................................................................................... 6
4Counter head .................................................................................................................................. 8
5Set Up............................................................................................................................................11
6Pumping ........................................................................................................................................ 12
6.1 Vacuum Pumps .......................................................................................................... 12
6.2 Netting ....................................................................................................................... 12
7Oppstart ........................................................................................................................................ 13
7.1 Turn on counter ......................................................................................................... 13
8Main screen................................................................................................................................... 14
9Calibrating and Visibility ............................................................................................................... 19
9.1 Visibility...................................................................................................................... 19
Visibility Examples......................................................................................................................... 21
9.2 Calibrating the counter.............................................................................................. 23
10 Set fish size ................................................................................................................................ 24
11 Test with water only.................................................................................................................. 25
12 Start Counting Session............................................................................................................... 26
12.1 Store and Continue Counting .................................................................................... 27
12.2 Pausing the session.................................................................................................... 27
12.3 Reset one or more channels to zero ......................................................................... 28
13 Ending the session.....................................................................................................................28
14 The report..................................................................................................................................29
15 Reviewing the counting session ................................................................................................ 33

Manual for VAKI Micro/Macro
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16 Settings......................................................................................................................................35
17 Switch between single and multi channel mode ...................................................................... 37
18 Storage of the counter .............................................................................................................. 37
Technical specification ......................................................................................................................... 38
Standard Counters................................................................................................................................ 40

Manual for VAKI Micro/Macro
Page 3
1 Preface –The Micro/Macro Fish Counters
VAKI Aquaculture Systems thank you for choosing the MICRO and MACRO range of fry and smolt
counters.
These counters are used in many aquaculture enterprises where an accurate knowledge of fish
numbers is important. Applications include counting fish when grading, accurate stock control and
when transferring fish between tanks and delivering fish by helicopter, well boat and truck.
The MICRO and MACRO counters have been developed in collaboration with a number of
leading fish farming companies and used worldwide for counting a wide variety of species including
Atlantic and Pacific salmon, trout, char, sea bass, sea bream, cod, tilapia, cobia, yellowtail, flatfish
and most other farmed fin fish species.
Vaki continue to develop the features and functions of the counters for use with more
specialised species including prawn, shrimp, eel and ornamental fish.
The counters are based on a digital scanning camera and computer vision. The outlines of
objects that pass beneath the camera are recorded and custom designed software is used to
analyse the images and count the individual fish.
The fish enter the counter and the water from the fish pump or spray bar then carry the fish
over the curved counting channel. The fish then pass over a light source and a mirror above the light
reflects the images of each fish back to the digital camera where the outlines are recorded and
counted.
The MICRO is ideal when counting small fish from 0.2 g and has a 500mm wide counting
channel, the MACRO channel is 1000mm wide and ideal for counting both fry and larger fish such as
smolts. Both counters can be supplied with multi counting channels, which can be used to count
separate batches of fish simultaneously, for example when grading.
This manual is a guide to the use of the MICRO and MACRO counters.

Manual for VAKI Micro/Macro
Page 4
2 Warranty
VAKI Aquaculture Systems Ltd. offers warranty for and manufacturing defects that appear within
one (1) year from the date of delivery from VAKI Iceland, on condition that the equipment has been
assembled, used and maintained in accordance with the instructions for assembly and use.
Changes to the start date of this warranty, such as delayed delivery to the user, must be
reported to VAKI upon receipt of the equipment and agreed in writing.
VAKI undertakes to repair all defects that are due to faults in the design, materials used, or
manufacture of the equipment. These defects will be rectified by repairing the equipment, or
replacing components. The customer may be required to return the complete unit or parts thereof
to the factory in Iceland for repair.
VAKI accepts corresponding warranty for original parts fitted by VAKI as replacements, for a
period of one (1) year from the date supplied.
VAKI will not be liable for:
Incorrect assembly and use, or inadequate maintenance
Defects which result from the fitting of materials, components or devices not supplied
by VAKI, and which are purchased and fitted by the user.
Defects due to changes made to the equipment by the user, without the written
consent of VAKI.
Faulty or inadequate repairs carried out by the user.
Normal wear and tear of the equipment.
Faulty connection of electrical equipment
Faults caused by excessive voltage.
Damage or stoppage due to immersion of the computer or camera in water.
Damage to electrical supply cables.
Any economic loss that my arise from production stoppage.

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If faults or defects appear in the equipment, the user must report this in writing to VAKI or its
appointed representative as soon as possible, and without unjustifiable delay. The report must be
sent within two (2) weeks from the expiry of the deadline, which is one (1) year from the date of
supply by VAKI Iceland.
If the purchaser does not inform VAKI or its representative within the time limits stated above,
the purchaser shall forfeit the rights of the warranty.

Manual for VAKI Micro/Macro
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3 Components
After delivery, the main parts of the counter need to be
bolted together. These are the Counting head, Counter
body, legs, inlet, and outlet. The legs are assembled and
fitted with the wheels at the front and the inlet tub and
outlet bolted to the counter body as shown. Instructional
video is availible at www.vaki.is.
To ensure the camera inside is correctly positioned it is important that the counting head is
securely fitted onto the main chassis and firmly seated on the four corner pads.
The Micro / Macro can be supplied as a single channel counter or with multiple channels.
The four-channel Macro counter is shown here. The main steps in the assembly are always the same
but there may be different inlets and outlets according to the counter specifation.
Figure 2 - Counter Components
1. Multi-Channel inlets
2. Counter Head
3. Counter Body
4. Channel
5. Multi channel outlet
6. Legs
7. Lamp housing
8. Dewatering outlet
9. Up-well inlet
Figure 1 - Counter Assembly

Manual for VAKI Micro/Macro
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Other equipment supplied:
Counter Manual
Power cable
Temporary license for size estimation (3 month)
Multi channel outlet (For multi channel counters)
Single channel outlet (For single channel counters)
Optional extras:
Size estimation
Back-up power supply & surge protection
USB mouse and keyboard
Single channel outlet
Nettverkskabel.
Single channel outlet (Not
included with multi channel
counters)
Kit for intern oppvarming.

Manual for VAKI Micro/Macro
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4 Counter head
The counter can be supplied with a counting head where the camera, power supply, heating
element and PC with touch screen are integrated in the head or with the so-called split head
solution where the PC comes as a separate device which can either be mounted on a bracket on the
head, or away from the counter itself.
At / below the screen there are connection ports and inputs for connection of power, lamp,
alarm and any accessories such as keyboard / mouse / printer.
The counting head is constantly evolving, so there are slightly different versions on the market.
The figures below show two versions where PC is integrated into the head.
Figure 3 - Old head design
Figure 4 - New head design
1. 110/220VAC power connector
2. On/Off button
3. Ethernet port
4. USB port
5. USB port
6. Serial port
7. Control port for overload/batch alarm
8. Lamp/heater connector

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The split head solution may look like the pictures below.
Figure 5 - 4 Channel Macro w/ Split Head
The PC can be mounted on both sides of
the counter, or away from the counter. If
the PC is mounted far away from the
counter, it will need a seperate power
supply, and an ethernet cable to connect
it to the counter head.
Figure 6 - Split head side view
Split head solution seen from the side.
1. Bracket where the PC is mounted
on.
2. Lamp/heater connector

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Figure 7 - Split head rear
On back of the head there is:
110/220VAC Power in
12V Computer power
Ethernet connector
On/off button
Figure 8 - Split head front
On the other side of the head:
1. Ventilation
2. Glass window which the camera
looks through

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5 Set Up
When setting up the MICRO or MACRO it is important to note the following:
The counter should be placed on a flat and stable surface.
Set the counter level by adjusting the height of the legs to ensure both fish and water are
evenly spread across the scanning area.
Ensure that the leg supports are properly secured.
Locate the counter so that the touch screen is easily accessible and not exposed to water or
direct sunlight. Note that in hot weather, high temperatures can affect the computer.
Before each count check that the mirror is completely clean and free from any stains,
residue or water droplets.
Ensure that all pipes and hoses are securely fastened.
Connect the lamp cable to lamp connection on counting head.
Connect external alarm or batch splitter to the “Alarm” port
Connect the power cable to earthed power outlet. The use of a UPS (un-interrupted power
supply) device is recommend. The counter power requirement is 80-100W.
Ensure that water and fish have a continuous free flow from the counter. Backpressure in
the pipes can overload the counter.
Take care not move or shake the counter while it is operating to protect against hard disk
failure.

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6 Pumping
When using a fish pump to transfer fish to the counter it is important to ensure an even flow of fish
and water. Uneven delivery of fish to the counter can cause inaccurate counting as the number of
fish may exceed the capacity limits.
It is also important to test the counter on the correct fish size settings pumping water only to
ensure excess water does not create over-counting and adjust pump as required.
Ref: section 7.2 “Test with water only”
6.1 Vacuum Pumps
When using larger vacuum pumps it may be necessary to provide additional dewatering or a buffer
tank. Short bursts of many fish can overload the counter and both excess water and white water
can affect the performance of the counter particularly when counting smaller fish.
6.2 Netting
When netting the fish into the counter it is similarly necessary to supply a sufficient amount of
water for gentle handling of the fish and maintain an even flow of fish over the curved counting
channel.

Manual for VAKI Micro/Macro
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7 Oppstart
The counter is now assembled and set up as instructed.
7.1 Turn on counter
Wait for approximately 10 minutes for lamp to reach it’s full operation temperature. The counting
program will normally start automatically. If it does not, then the counting program can be started
by pressing the icon "oripassin - Shortcut".
If the counter is used at low temperatures, it is important that it is switched on well in advance
of the operation in order for the light to reach full operating temperature.
Figure 9 - Computer start-up screen

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8 Main screen
Figure 10 - Counter main window
1. Average flow changes between "Average flow", "Total count" or "Flow last X minutes" as it
is pressed. The button is used to see either the flow through the respective channels for the
last 1-10 minutes (the number of minutes can be adjusted with the Up / Down buttons
corresponding to the size setting), or the normal display with the number per channel (Total
count).
2. START SESSION starts a new count.
3. STOP SESSION stops the session and generates a report.
4. Pause lets you pause the session, for example if you need to clean the mirror during a counting
session
5. Store stores the values on each channel, but does not clear the values. Stored values are displayed in
the counting report.
6. Settings are pressed to open the settings menu.
7. Images is used to review the images from a previous counting session.
8. Report is used to review the report from a previous counting session.

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9. Calibrate is pressed to calibrate the counter before a counting session.
10. Press EXIT to close the counting software.
Figure 11 –Counter main window 2
A. Fish size adjustment buttons to be counted in the different channels. Choose the weight
closest to the expected average for the fish to be counted in the current channel. Selected
weight is displayed directly above the buttons.
B. Load indicator showing how much the counter load is. The bar will be green from 0-100%,
yellow from 100-130% and red at load over 130%. The risk of miscalculation increases with
increasing load over 100%.
C. Channels. The names can be changed by pressing the respective channel names - the on-
screen keyboard will then appear.
D. Estimated average weight is shown in these fields provided the size measurement is
enabled. (The progress indicator that becomes visible at the beginning of the count is a
symbol that the counter must measure a number of fish before it has a basis for estimating
the average weight. The number of estimated average weight appears when a sufficient
number is measured.)

Manual for VAKI Micro/Macro
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E. Counting or Not Counting indicates whether the counter is ready for counting. If this area is
red, "Not counting" shows and there is an error message regarding visibility and / or
calibration, see chapter for Calibration and Visibility.
F. Number of fish through the channel. If you double-click in this field, you will be able to store
the value and reset the value in the field. You will be prompted with a confirmation window
before the field is stored and reset. Resetting does not affect the total number.
G. Percentage of total number of fish through current channel.
H. Total fish in all channels. You can double-click in this field to switch between the total
number and sub total - where sub total is the current sum for all channels, ie it deviates from
the total number if one or more of the channels has been reset.

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Throughput: Graphs will show fish per minute
through the counter. The red line shows
maximum capacity, the others show the number
actually measured in the corresponding channel.
Figure 12 - Throughput
Video: Real-time display of the camera's video
image. This can be used to see how fish pass
through the counter and to see impurities on
glass / mirrors.
Figure 13 - Video
Spread: A graphical representation of where in
the counting field the fish pass.
Figure 14 - Spread
Visibility: Displays the light intensity recorded by
the camera.
Figure 15 - Visibility

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Information: Technical information about the
counter.
Figure 16 - Information
In the above information field, it is important to note the following information:
Light strength –shows the brightness measured by the camera. The value should typically
be 1000-1400. If the value comes below 700, it must be checked if it can be improved by
cleaning the mirrors and glass. Another option may be to replace the bulb, or a VAKI service
technician may need to be called in to adjust the camera. Low light strength will also be
displayed if the bulb has not reached it maximum operating temperature. After washing or
other measures, the counter must be calibrated to obtain new brightness value.
Scan rate –shows how many scans the camera performs each second. This value should be
~ 1116
Example of load indicator:
Figure 17 - Load indicator

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9 Calibrating and Visibility
When the counter starts, the following tests are performed:
Scan area of the camera.
All bulkheads are detected.
The brightness measured by the camera.
If visibility is not satisfactory, then an error message will appear saying "The visibility is
insufficient, the counter will not count. Check visibility scope. ”The Visibility graph can then help to
find a solution to what is wrong.
9.1 Visibility
Press the Visibility button to display the visibility graph.
The black vertical lines represent the outer edges of the counting field, for a 4-channel Macro
they will also represent the three seperators (bulkheads) between the channels - see the figure
below.
Figure 18 - Visibility of a 4 channel Macro
The Visibility function is used to check that the camera is properly tuned and that the gain of
the light is correct. The function can also be used to detect any impurities or foreign elements that
block the light, or an abnormal tilt of the counter head.
In the figure above, we see a normal curve for the brightness (fluorescent lights shine most in
the middle). The X-axis represents the width of the scanning area in pixels (1 pixel ≈ 0.55 mm). The
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