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The information contained in these documents is confidential, privileged and only for the information of the intended recipient and may
not be used, published or redistributed without the prior written consent of Wildlife Computers.
About the MiniPAT
The MiniPAT is a pop-up satellite archival tag used to track behavior and migration of marine animals. It is
an archival tag equipped with an Argos transmitter and a corrodible attachment link. The MiniPAT is
designed to be attached to an animal by a tether. The corrodible burn pin releases the tag from the tether
on a pre-programmed date, or optionally when the MiniPAT determines it is no longer attached to an
animal. Depth, temperature, and light-level data are collected and summarized for transmission through
Argos. Transmission occurs after the release of the tag from the tether, while the tag is floating on the
ocean surface. This guide describes how to set up and deploy the MiniPAT. Transmitted data products are
also explained.
Figure 1—MiniPAT tag rigged with a stainless-steel heat shrink-covered tether and a Wilton anchor.
Before you Begin
The list below shows what is required to configure and deploy the MiniPAT:
•
A Wildlife Computers online portal account
•
A Windows computer with Tag Agent Software and USB driver installed
•
A Wildlife Computers communications cable
•
A magnet
Visit
wildlifecomputers.com
to download the required software (Tag Agent and the USB Communications
Cable driver) and setup an account. At the end of this document, there is a list of key terms and concepts
for reference. We recommend new users review this list.
