Precision Agriculture: efficient interconnection thanks to the ISOBUS

What is ISOBUS?

ISOBUS is an open standard for interconnecting electronic systems developed to meet agricultural and forestry machinery. It allows communication between sensors, actuators and controllers, standardizing with this standard the exchange of data between tractors, implements and on-board controllers of different brands. By defining a single protocol for all manufacturers, the ISOBUS allows communication between the equipment of all companies. The international standard has been established and is certified by the Agricultural Industry Electronics Foundation (AEF).

What are the advantages of ISOBUS?

The great advantage brought by ISOBUS is the guarantee of total compatibility between tractors and agricultural or forestry tools, whatever the brands and models. Before the arrival of this protocol, each manufacturer used its own language. If, in the same tractor, four solutions of different brands were used, four different settings would be necessary, which would make the process more complex and expensive, generating a major problem for the sector. With ISOBUS, there is full compatibility of data transfer between systems and software, which guarantees fast and noise-free communication, improving the precision of activities and the automation of equipment. Using ISOBUS, ensures an organized installation and much easier viewing. Excess on-board devices and unnecessary connection cables are eliminated, leaving a single screen to connect the tractor and its implements, ensuring operations are carried out with maximum efficiency. In addition, with an ISOBUS display, it is possible to read much more information about the tractor than it would normally offer. The collection of data, which is available to the operator in real time by means of a single monitor, helps to use the full potential of the machines, to make better decisions and thus to increase productivity.

Integration of centimetric precision GPS for guidance

With the ISOBUS standard, the installation of a guidance system becomes much easier because regardless of the brand, it will fit correctly on the machine. The ISOBUS therefore makes it possible to compose your multi-brand solution adapted to individual needs while allowing you to find the famous best value for money. But in addition it will be compatible with many tools and will more easily accept future developments without necessarily being blocked by a particular brand. These developments may correspond to the addition of additional or different tools in order to be able to add new ways of working or even accept developments and improvements to already existing tools. Thus the ISOBUS allows to compose its specific solution corresponding as closely as possible to its needs or its own working methods. It will then be necessary to be particularly attentive to the basic functionalities but also to the different options offered by the central control system. This central system is the heart of the whole. It will therefore be necessary to check how long this system has existed and whether the manufacturer has planned any version changes. A central control system that has existed for several years can be reassuring because it has certainly already received corrections for early errors, but will it be supported over time by its manufacturer? This is where the relationship, trust and advice of your dealer is essential. All of the solutions offered by the various manufacturers or integrators embed a precision GPS and receive corrections to refine their position with greater precision.

With the advancement of technologies like this, it is possible to use resources more and more intelligently on the ground, ensuring that benefits such as profit and sustainability are possible and contributing to the advancement of a new, even more efficient agro-industry.

Accurate GPS and mobile internet connection

Many applications exist today precisely to locate these objects but do not have the precision necessary to take a real advantage. With ± 5m of precision, a classic GPS gives an idea of ​​a position or a route, but when you want to guide a movement to avoid obstacles or you need to know in detail a trajectory, an exact position at an instant t, centimetric precision then becomes indispensable and vital. A precision GPS associated with corrections from the Orpheon network provide the desired centimetric precision.

Corrections to gain precision

For its accuracy to be increased and usable in agricultural work, surveying, machine guidance or many other application areas (see) It requires corrections.

Precision GPS

We distinguish between two types of GNSS receivers:

• • • • Consumer receivers (Watches, phones, tablets, cars etc…) which will only work in natural mode without the possibility of improving their accuracy through corrections
      • Precision receivers (RTK), which will be able to integrate external correction data from the Orpheon network allowing them to increase their precision.