Designed by members of the Pégard and Rodríguez-Romaguera Labs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, MACHETE is a motor assisted commutator that allows researchers to harness electronics during tethered freely-moving behavior experiments with mice.
Our motor assisted commutator is driven and controlled by an Arduino Nano 3.x, integrated within a pair of custom printed circuit boards (PCBs) which allow users to interface with both data aquisition computers and existing commercial optogenetic and electrophysiological devices.
The following component list details the manufacturer, part number, and quantity of each item required to build MACHETE within your own laboratory.
| Part Number | Distributor | Part Name | Distributor Part Number | Quantity Needed | Unit Price | Total Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Digikey | Micro USB 2.0 Connector | 609-4613-1-ND | 1 | $0.57 | $0.57 |
| 2 | Digikey | Connector Receptacle | WM3917CT-ND | 1 | $0.57 | $0.57 |
| 3 | Digikey | Resistor 390 Ohm | 311-390CRCT-ND | 1 | $0.10 | $0.10 |
| 4 | Digikey | Toggle Switch | CKN1783CT-ND | 1 | $7.48 | $7.48 |
| 5 | Digikey | Arduino Nano 3.x | 1050-1001-ND | 1 | $24.09 | $24.09 |
| 6 | Digikey | Mini USB 2.0 Connector | UE25BE5510H-ND | 1 | $0.91 | $0.91 |
| 7 | Digikey | Right Angle Connector | WM1743-ND | 1 | $0.32 | $0.32 |
| 8 | Digikey | Resistor 100k Ohm 0805 | 311-100KCRCT-ND | 6 | $0.10 | $0.60 |
| 9 | Digikey | Hall Effect Sensor | AS5600-ASOMCT-ND | 1 | $4.55 | $4.55 |
| 10 | Digikey | Capacitor 1 µF 0805 | 1276-1066-1-ND | 1 | $0.10 | $0.10 |
| 11 | Digikey | Capacitor 10 µF 0805 | 445-7644-1-ND | 1 | $0.18 | $0.18 |
| 12 | Digikey | Connector Receptacle | WM4783CT-ND | 1 | $0.79 | $0.79 |
| 13 | Digikey | Resistor 10k Ohm 0805 | RMCF0805FT10K0CT-ND | 2 | $0.10 | $0.20 |
| 14 | Digikey | Motor Driver 20-QFN (3x3) | 175-TMC6300-LA-TCT-ND | 1 | $3.36 | $3.36 |
| 15 | Digikey | Resistor 120 mOhms 0805 | RL12S.12FCT-ND | 1 | $0.25 | $0.25 |
| 16 | Digikey | Capacitor 0.1 µF 0805 | 478-KGM21NR71H104KTCT-ND | 3 | $0.10 | $0.30 |
| 17 | Digikey | Brushless DC Motor | 1568-ROB-20441-ND | 1 | $29.95 | $29.95 |
| 18 | Mouser | Red LED | 696-SMLFT0805SRCTR | 1 | $0.36 | $0.36 |
| 19 | Adafruit | M3 x 4mm threaded insert | 4255 | 1 (Pack of 50) | $5.36 | $5.36 |
| 20 | McMaster-Carr | M2 x 4mm threaded insert | 94180A312 | 1 (Pack of 100) | $22.41 | $22.41 |
| 21 | McMaster-Carr | Ball Bearing 6 mm shaft | 4668K122 | 1 | $26.83 | $26.83 |
| 22 | McMaster-Carr | M3-0.5 x 6mm screw | 91290A111 | 1 | $11.32 | $11.32 |
| 23 | McMaster-Carr | M3-0.5 x 10mm screw | 91290A115 | 1 | $12.92 | $12.92 |
| 24 | McMaster-Carr | M2-0.4 x 8mm screw | 91290A015 | 1 | $18.76 | $18.76 |
| 25 | Taidacent | Rotary Electrical Slip Ring | 734831002031 | 1 | $75.98 | $75.98 |
| 26 | K&J Magnetics, Inc | Magnet (5 mm x 1mm) | D301 | 1 | $1.10 | $1.10 |
| 27 | Maxx Model | M1.6 x 4mm screw | M1640HCS | 2 | $1.75 | $1.75 |
| 28 | Custom Parts | Top Case | 3-D Printing | 1 | N/A | N/A |
| 29 | Custom Parts | PCB attachment | 3-D Printing | 1 | N/A | N/A |
| 30 | Custom Parts | Static PCB | PCB Manufacturing (JLC PCB) | 1 | N/A | N/A |
| 31 | Custom Parts | Dynamic PCB | PCB Manufacturing (JLC PCB) | 1 | N/A | N/A |
| 32 | Custom Parts | Small Gear | 3-D Printing | 1 | N/A | N/A |
| 33 | Custom Parts | Shield | 3-D Printing | 1 | N/A | N/A |
| 34 | Custom Parts | Cable Holder | 3-D Printing | 1 | N/A | N/A |
| 35 | Custom Parts | Outer Gear | 3-D Printing | 1 | N/A | N/A |
This document outlines the design of each of the custom pieces and the file types found within this repository that can be used to replicate the system. The following spreadsheet outlines the total cost of the motor assisted commutator.
Here is a list of the manufacturers we purchased materials from:
- Digikey
- Mouser
- Adafruit
- McMaster-Carr
- Taidacent
- K&J Magnetics, Inc
- Maxx Model
Here is a list of companies you can purchase custom parts from, if not fabricated in-house:
- Craftcloud3d (3-D Printing)
- JBL PCB (PCB Printing / Fabrication)
This following guide provides a step-by-step walkthrough for building and testing each component of our motor assisted commutator. This document includes diagrams and explanations for assembling each component.
Following this installation guide will ensure that your MACHETE system will be able to run the required Arduino IDE sketches to function.
Required Software and Applications:
Further information and requests for resources should be directed to and will be fulfilled by the lead author, Jose Rodriguez-Romaguera ([email protected]). Example commutator data is available upon request to the corresponding author, Nicolas C. Pégard ([email protected]).
If you replicate this system in your own labs or use parts of our designs and code, we kindly ask that you please cite this page [1].