Drosophila Activity Monitoring System
The Drosophila Activity Monitoring Systemenables a biologist to accurately characterize thelocomotor and eclosion behavior rhythms indrosophila fruit flies and similarly-sized insects.
The system has been used to screen for mutants,
measure environmental and chemical sensitivities,
and characterize social interaction, all based on
the patterns of physical movement which thesystem observes and quantifies over time.
The individual flies are placed into glasschambers, where their confined motion may be
detected and counted by infrared light beams in
one or more activity monitoring units. At periodic
intervals, these accumulated activity counts are
uploaded from the monitors to a host Macintosh
or Windows computer for storage and analysis.
The Locomotor Monitor uses 32 tubes of 5,7, or 10 mm diameter, and measures the activity
rhythms of 32 individual flies. An infrared beam
bisects each tube, and detects motion as the flies
walk back and forth from end to end.
The Eclosion Monitor uses a 100 mm dia.
glass funnel to collect emerging flies as they fallfrom their pupae cases on the underside of aplastic disk. An infrared ring detector at the
funnel neck counts each as it passes by, and amechanical tapper dislodges periodically thosewhich remain adhered to the disk or funnel walls.
The Population Monitor uses a 25 mm dia.
glass or plastic vial to contain a multiplicity offlies, and measures their aggregate movementwith ring detectors spaced along the vial length.
The Environment Monitor measures thelight intensity, temperature, and relative humidity
within an incubator chamber, and provides acontinuous archival record of these conditions
over the duration of an experiment.
The Power Supply Unit supplies DC power
to an entire system of up to 120 monitors using aparallel network of residence-type telephone
cables. An optional Light Controller allows up to
6 incubator lights to be independently cycled on
and off under computer control.
The DAMSystem Collection Software
provides archival storage of the collected activity
data from a number of monitors simultaneously,
and allows for continuous operation over thehours, days, or weeks of an experimental run.

Macintosh or Windows PC for
periodic collection andstorage of monitor data

RS-232/
USB serial

Incubator Lighting Control
Power Supply Unit

Activity Monitors

4-wire telephone cable

Splitter

Features• Robust and time-proven hardware designs provide
years of continuous, trouble-free operation.
• Telephone cable network allows easy plug/unplugof activity monitors, and straightforward system
expansion with standard wiring accessories.
• Light Controller provides programmable lighting
sequences which are exactly synchronized to thecomputer data collection intervals.
• Up to 120 monitors may be used per system, andadditional units may be added at any time.
• Data collection intervals ranging from 1 second to
60 minutes are available, up to a maximum of
100000 readings per monitor.
• DAMSystem data collection software is available
for both the Apple Macintosh and Windows PC.

TriKinetics
TriKinetics Inc. Waltham, MA USA
781-891-6110 www.trikinetics.com

11/05

Drosophila Activity Monitor

DAM2

The DAM2 Drosophila Activity Monitor

measures the locomotor activity of 32 individual flies,
each in a separate tube. As a fly walks back and forth
within its tube, it interrupts an infrared beam thatcrosses the tube at its midpoint, and this interruption,
detected by the onboard electronics, is added to thetube’s activity count as a measure of fly activity.
In a typical experiment, an agar/sucrose foodmixture is placed into one end of each tube, followedby the fly, and followed by a cotton plug in the open
end. The 32 tubes are inserted into holes in themonitor case, and centered.
Over the course of the experiment, which may lastfor days or weeks, the counting circuits continuously
monitor the activity in all 32 tubes, and at periodic
intervals, upload their count totals to the host computerfor storage and later analysis. This daily record
provides a good measure of both the intensity oflocomotor activity, and the relative periods of rest.
The DAM2 is fabricated from a transparent polycarbonate plastic, allowing light penetration to all
points along the tube. It is compact, light in weight,
and when used within an incubator, allows plentiful air
circulation around the tubes. The through-hole design
accommodates tubes of arbitrary length.
An on/off visible light sensor is built into each unit
to provide a simple record of the ambient light stateover time. This record accompanies the activity countdata as it is acquired and stored, and is useful inanalyzing circadian rhythms and adaptations of theflies to external light stimuli.
An optional gas distribution manifold is available tofacilitate the controlled exchange of air within the
tubes, as would be needed for hypoxia studies.

Specifications• Dimensions: 127 x 48 x 87 mm LWH(5.0 x 1.9 x 3.4”)• Mass: 170g
• Tube diameter: DAM 2 = 5 mm
DAM 2-7 = 7 mm
• Ambient Light Sensor threshold: 10 lux nominal,
photopic response curve• Interconnect: 4 wire, 6 position, RJ-11 modular
telephone line jack to DAMSystem network for
DC power input and data transmission• Case material: Clear polycarbonate plastic

Features• 32 independent activity channels per monitor.
• Up to 120 monitors per system provide over3000 simultaneous monitoring channels.
• Compact design allows efficient use of incubator
shelf space.
• Standard 5mm tube size (model DAM2) for
studies of drosophila melanogaster.
• 7mm tube size (model DAM2-7) accommodates
d. virilis and larger species.
• Ambient light sensor provides on/off record ofentrainment cycles and stimulation pulses, aswell as inadvertent light exposure.
• Consistent operation in ambient light levels frombright laboratory to total darkness.
• Optional gas distribution manifold allows
controlled air exchange within the tubes.
• Available tubes (diameter x length):
PGT5x65 = 5 x 65 mm Pyrex Glass
PGT7x65 = 7 x 65 mm Pyrex Glass
PPT5x65 = 5 x 65 mm Polycarbonate Plastic
Plastic caps are available to seal the food inplace of the traditional hot wax dip.

TriKinetics
TriKinetics Inc. Waltham, MA USA
781-891-6110 www.trikinetics.com

11/05

Drosophila Activity Monitor
The Drosophila Activity Monitor
measures the activity rhythms of 32
individual flies, each in its own glass
tube. In a typical experiment, a foodmixture is placed into one end of theempty tube, and sealed on the outsidewith a wax coating. The fly is theninserted into the tube, followed by acotton plug or ventilated plastic cap on
the other end.
The tube is snapped into the plastic
clips of the monitor case, and if the tube
is horizontal, an active fly will walkback and forth from one end to theother. Each time that it does so, it
breaks an infrared light beam whichbisects the tube, perpendicular to its
axis. This event is detected by the onboard electronics, and added to thecount which is maintained for each channel.
At periodic intervals, ranging from 1 second to
1 hour, the DAMSystem software in the hostcomputer acquires from the monitor its set of 32
count totals, and saves them. This archival recordof the activity of each fly over the duration of theexperiment may be plotted or analyzed, and used,
for example, to measure the period and phase of
the internal circadian clock of each of the 32 flies.
Such measurements have been instrumental to
the scientific study of fly behavior, and its genetic
basis - the circadian clock being the cornerstone.
(See: THE TICK-TOCK OF THE BIOLOGICAL CLOCK.
Michael W. Young in Scientific American, Vol.
282 No. 3, March 2000.)
Specifications• Dimensions: 13.50 x 6.82 x 1.03”(343 x 173 x 26 mm)• Mass: 1.2 kg• Glass Tubes: Corning Pyrex standard walltubing, according to model:
DAM 5 = 5 mm diameter
DAM10 = 10 mm diameter• Maximum Tube Length: 3.00” (76 mm)• Interconnect: 4 wire, 6 position, RJ-11 modular
telephone line jack to DAMSystem network for
DC power input and data transmission• Case material: PVC/ABS plastic

DAM 5
DAM 10Features• 32 independent activity channels per monitor.
• Up to 120 monitors per system provide over 3000
simultaneous monitoring channels.
• Models available for various tube diameters:
DAM 5 5 mm tube (for D. melanogaster)
DAM10 10 mm tube
• Built-in clips hold tubes in place during handling.
• Recessed tube mounts allow monitors to be safely
stacked with tubes installed.
• Telephone-type wiring jack allows easy connection
to DAMSystem wiring network.
• Consistent operation in ambient light levels frombright laboratory to total darkness.
• Field-proven design over years of continuous use.
• Optional accessories: Pyrex Glass Tubes
5 mm dia x 65 mm length
10 mm dia x 70 mm length

TriKinetics
TriKinetics Inc. Waltham, MA USA
781-891-6110 www.trikinetics.com

11/05

Drosophila Eclosion Monitor
The Drosophila Eclosion Monitor uses a glass
funnel and infrared counting electronics to collect andmeasure the eclosion time history of a population ofhatching flies.
Mature pupae cases are glued to a plastic disk, whichis then inverted over the mouth of the glass funnel (seephoto), and held in place by the tapping solenoid.
Emerging flies fall down by gravity, and out throughthe funnel neck, where their passage is detected andcounted by a set of infrared light beams.
At periodic, user-programmable intervals, thesolenoid tapping mechanism briefly pushes down the
disk/funnel stack, using enough force to dislodge any
recalcitrant flies which may remain adhered to the disk
or funnel surfaces. This insures that all eclosed flies arecounted within a short time of their emergence, and thatnone will remain in the funnel cavity to reach flying
maturity.
The onboard electronics maintains a count of theflies which fall through the funnel neck, andperiodically on command uplinks this total to the
DAMSystem computer for archival storage andanalysis.
The funnel neck protrudes through the bottom of themonitor case, allowing for closed capture of theemerging flies by a vial morgue or collection apparatus.
Tapped mounting holes are provided in the sides andbottom of the case to secure the unit to an incubator
shelf, lest it walk during periods of extended tapping
operation.
Specifications• Dimensions: 4.375” sq. x 9.75 high”(111 mm sq. x 248 mm high)• Mass: 1.8 kg (includes funnel and disk)• Funnel stem extension below unit housing: 1.5” (38mm)• Tap excursion: 0.175” (4 mm)• Tap frequency/duration: programmable• Detection size threshold: 0.5 mm or smaller.
• Interconnect: 4 wire, 6 position, RJ-11 modular
telephone line jack to DAMSystem network for DC
power input and data transmission• Glass funnel: Kimble #28950-100(diameters: 100 mm mouth, 9 mm neck)• Case material: Anodized aluminum, nylon

DEM

Features• Wide funnel mouth captures emerging flies
over large area.
• Built-in tapping solenoid shakes new
imagoes loose from disk and funnel
surfaces.
• Tapping mechanism swings aside forfunnel/disk removal. Height adjustment
controls tap strength.
• Telephone-type wiring jack allows easy
connection to DAMSystem wiring network.
• Consistent operation in ambient light levels
from bright laboratory to total darkness.
• Accessories included: Glass funnel, plastic
pupae disk

TriKinetics
TriKinetics Inc. Waltham, MA USA
781-891-6110 www.trikinetics.com

11/05

Drosophila Population Monitor

DPM

The Drosophila Population Monitor is built

around a standard 25 mm diameter plastic or glass
drosophila vial. A fly-food mixture is cast into theclosed end, and a population of flies is then inserted,followed by a cotton plug.
The vial is placed into the monitor, with the closed
end protruding through the rear housing, and resting
against the end stop, As the flies walk back and forthalong the walls of the tube, they interrupt the infrared
beam rings which cross in 3 places along its length.
These beam interruptions are detected and counted by
the onboard electronics, and the totals are reported
periodically to the host computer over the DAMSystemwiring network.
The infrared beam rings form narrow planes ofinvisible light which cross the tube, perpendicular to its
long axis. A fly which moves anywhere within the planeof such a beam, either on the wall or in the middle, will
be detected and counted as an activity event. Multiple
flies which penetrate the beam simultaneously may well
be counted only singly, though the likelihood of suchan exact coincidence will remain small as long as thenumber of captive flies is reasonable (<100).
The archival record of the aggregate activity within
the vial over an extended period of time may be used tocharacterize the circadian rhythm of a population offlies, or study the impact of social interaction on suchnaturally occurring rhythms. The multiple beam rings
provide such measurements at 3 different positions
relative to the food and tube ends, either for redundancy,
or more detailed activity analysis.

Specifications• Dimensions: 3.90 x 3.38 x 4.38” LWH(99 x 86 x 111 mm)• Mass: 0.25 kg• Beam ring separation: 0.94” (24 mm)• First beam ring registration to end stop: 1.0”
(25 mm) adjustable.
• Interconnect: 4 wire, 6 position, RJ-11 modular
telephone line jack to DAMSystem network for DC
power input and data transmission.
• Vial size: 25 mm diameter, plastic or glass• Case material: ABS plastic

Features• Uses standard 25 x 95 mm drosophila vials.
• Ring detectors at 3 axial positions allow
redundant measurement for comparison
purposes.
• Open construction allows light penetration to
the vial contents.
• Adjustable end stop provides repeatable
positioning of the vial with respect to thedetector rings.
• Horizontal or vertical vial orientation.
• Telephone-type wiring jack allows easy
connection to DAMSystem wiring network.
• Consistent operation in ambient light levels
from bright laboratory to total darkness.
• Accessories included: Glass vial

TriKinetics
TriKinetics Inc. Waltham, MA USA
781-891-6110 www.trikinetics.com

11/05

Drosophila Environment Monitor

DEnM

The Drosophila Environment

Monitor continuously measures thetemperature and relative humidity of its
surrounding air, and the visible-bandillumination of its top surface. These
parameters are reported periodically to the
DAMSystem host computer, providing anarchival record of the environmental
conditions within an incubator chamberover the course of an experimental run.
Temperature and relative humidity aremeasured by precision sensors locatedjust beneath the perforation holes in the
top surface of the unit (see photo). An
identical pattern in the bottom surface
allows ambient air to circulate in andaround the sensors.
Incident light intensity is measured by
the round photodiode sensor on the top
surface. A visible-wavelength filter rejects
IR and UV light, providing a sensitivity
curve which approximates the photopic response.
In each case, the instantaneous values are reported,along with their minimum, average, and maximum
values over the measurement period, allowing fordetection of short-term upsets and characterization ofenvironmental performance and stability.

Specifications• Dimensions: 4.4 x 2.5 x 1.2” LWH(112 x 64 x 30 mm)• Mass: 115 g• Temperature:
Accuracy: +/- 0.1 deg C
Range: 0-70 deg C• Relative Humidity:
Accuracy: +/- 2%
Range: 0-100% (non-condensing)• Incident Light Intensity:
Accuracy: +/- 5% (calibrated to CW fluorescent)Range: 0-2500 lux
Peak wavelength: 550 nm
Filter cutoff: 10% of peak at 350 and 820 nm
Angular sensitivity: 50% at 55 degrees off axis
• Interconnect: 4 wire, 6 position, RJ-11 modular
telephone line jack to DAMSystem network for
DC power input and data transmission• Case material: Black plastic

Features• Accurately measures temperature, relative
humidity, and incident ambient light.
• Precision temperature measurement verifies
incubator setpoint accuracy and stability.
• Ambient light sensor verifies proper on/off
light cycling, and detects inadvertent door
openings, confirming true-dark conditions.
• Accurate lux measurement checks lighting
intensity and uniformity.
• Min/Max readings detect short-term upsets toaverage conditions.
• Small unit size allows parameter measurement
at various points within a chamber interior.
• Telephone-type wiring jack allows easy
connection to DAMSystem wiring network.
• Data acquisition via standard DAMSystem
software provides seamless archival record ofenvironmental conditions.

TriKinetics
TriKinetics Inc. Waltham, MA USA
781-891-6110 www.trikinetics.com

11/05

Power Supply Interface Unit
Successor to the venerable ‘bluebox,’ the compact Power Supply
Interface Unit provides a convenientconnection between the host PC or
Macintosh data collection computer
and the network of activity monitors.
Enclosed in a small (gray) plastic
housing, the PSIU uses a USB
connection to transmit and receive
data from the host computer, and anarray of RJ-11 phone-type jacks toconnect to the activity monitors.
DC power to the PSIU, and inturn the activity monitors, is suppliedby an external 9V power supply
through one of two power input
jacks. If both jacks are used, andconnected to independent 9V powersources, the system will be protectedby redundancy against failure of asingle power supply. The PSIU willautomatically switch to the good
input, and power to the activity
monitors will be uninterrupted.
Green and yellow status lights on the topof the unit indicate the presence of input
power and the transmission of data to andfrom the collection computer.
Specifications• Dimensions: 80 x 80 x 27 mm LWH(3.15 x 3.15 x 1.05”)• Mass: 125g
• Computer interconnect: A-B male USB
cable (supplied)• Monitor interconnect: 4 6-position RJ-11
modular telephone line jacks to DAMSystem monitor network for DC powerand data transmission• Power input: 9VDC, 3A maximum oneach of 2 input jacks• Power input jacks: 5.5mm OD x 2.5mm
ID round, center pin positive• Compatible power supplies: PS9-1 orPS9-3, universal input (supplied)• Case material: ABS plastic

PSIU9

Features• Compact size allows easy desktop placement adjacent tocollection computer.
• USB connection to host facilitates use with any current
desktop or laptop Macintosh or Windows PC for datacollection and storage.
• 4 telephone-type jacks provide direct connection to 4
activity monitors or monitor networks. Additional
monitors are connected in ‘daisy-chain’ fashion using 5way splitters (supplied as necessary.)• Universal-input external power supplies allow straightforward worldwide operation (100-240 VAC, 50/60hz.)• Dual DC power inputs offer protection against power
supply failure. Redundant switchover is automatic, with nooutput power interruption or data loss.
• Status leds indicate power inputs and data transmission.
• Accessories included: USB cable, PS9-1 Power Supply,
AC Line Cord.

TriKinetics
TriKinetics Inc. Waltham, MA USA
781-891-6110 www.trikinetics.com

11/05

NotesBasic System

A basic system will include the PSIU9 with PS9-1 Power Supply, one or more activity
monitors, and a customer-supplied Macintosh or Windows PC with USB port. Optional
accessories will include a 2nd Power Supply for redundancy, a Light Controller for
incubator light timing, and monitor tubes.

Wiring Accessories

All systems are shipped with appropriate DAMSystem network wiring accessories,
including cables, couplers, and 5-way splitters. Monitor cables are 90cm (3’ ) long,and extension cables are 3m (10’ ) long, unless otherwise specified.

Monitor Numbers

All units are identified by a unique numeric address in the range 1:120, which must be
specified at the time of order. Addresses should not be duplicated within a system,
and will be assigned consecutively from #1 unless otherwise specified.

Software

The DAMSystem data acquisition software package for both Macintosh and Windows
PC is available for download from the TriKinetics web site, www.trikinetics.com.

Modifications

Custom variants of any and all of the above-listed products and accessories areavailable on request.

Foreign Orders

Overseas shipment is available for any item. Foreign customers should be advisedthat VAT or other import duty will likely be assessed on arrival, and may slow delivery if
preparations are not made in advance.

Suggestions

Comments on product performance, and suggestions for product improvement, areparticularly important to us, and always welcome.

Warranty and Repair

Defective units will be repaired at no charge.

Specifications

All specifications are nominal, and subject to change without notice to improve
product reliability or performance. No liability is assumed for loss of data or
consequential damages, and all trademarks are the property of their respective
owners.

Acknowledgments

These units were developed with the continuing assistance and support of scientists
in many laboratories around the world, and this support is gratefully acknowledged.
We are especially indebted to Drs. Michael Rosbash and Jeffrey Hall at Brandeis
University for their cooperation and assistance in the early days.

TriKinetics
TriKinetics Inc. Waltham, MA USA
781-891-6110 www.trikinetics.com

11/05