Trimble 750 and connecting to Amatron + controller

[jameslloyd]

Morning ,

I am currently trying to connect my amazon sprayer to my trimble 750 so that I can use the trimble to give the correct speed to the sprayer and also to turn on and off the nozzels.

So is this possible by branching a cable between the two units. I have an amatron + box with an amaclic?

thanks

james

 

[Jfp]

Basically just using the 750 for a signal? Yes it is possible because we have it to go from a 750 to our amazon spreader! Not sure what the actual wire is called but im fairly sure it came from as communications! Im sure someone will know what its called! Not really much help i know...!

 

[Robt]

Ok,
I'm not Trimble but I'll try to help.
1) GPS to Amazone is called NMEA. It basically gives speed, or whatever you ask it to do, position etc....
Section control is a whole different thing!
My advice, ring lee or Ben at AS comms and ask their advice . It may cost a few hundred but at least it will be accurate advice , not my mates uncles sister etc.....

 

[Jfp]

The amazon box will sort out the section control, all it requires is the signal from the 750. The lead he needs is the one your describing!

 

[jameslloyd]

The amazon box will sort out the section control, all it requires is the signal from the 750. The lead he needs is the one your describing!

That is what I think but the local new holland dealer is wanting to sell me all sorts of hard ware to sort out the problem.

 

[Northern farmer]

The amazon box will sort out the section control, all it requires is the signal from the 750. The lead he needs is the one your describing!

Seems you know more details than Robt (certainly more than myself but that does not mean much), for the interest of the OP you could also share those details. The rest of use would like to learn too.

We have an Amatron+ box controlled via the GPS-Switch box. Now I'm not sure if we are talking about the same Amatron+ controller, seems latest units are CAN-connected and talk to an Isobus controller.

The "signal" you mention must be more than the speed signal (most current tractors anyway provide a better speed signal than any GPS receiver, it would not make sense to use the Trimble screen (only) for a speed signal. In our case the GPS Switch box is location aware and knows which parts of the field have been sprayed. It then controls the sprayer via the Amatron+ screen to switch sections on and off as necessary. Amatron+ is able to drive sections on and off but it has no knowledge when each section needs to be switched on or off. I interpret that the Trimble 750 is compatible with the Amatron+ box and is able to send the same section control information to the Amatron box as e.g. the Amazone GPS Switch box would do?

 

[Jfp]

Seems you know more details than Robt (certainly more than myself but that does not mean much), for the interest of the OP you could also share those details. The rest of use would like to learn too.

We have an Amatron+ box controlled via the GPS-Switch box. Now I'm not sure if we are talking about the same Amatron+ controller, seems latest units are CAN-connected and talk to an Isobus controller.

The "signal" you mention must be more than the speed signal (most current tractors anyway provide a better speed signal than any GPS receiver, it would not make sense to use the Trimble screen (only) for a speed signal. In our case the GPS Switch box is location aware and knows which parts of the field have been sprayed. It then controls the sprayer via the Amatron+ screen to switch sections on and off as necessary. Amatron+ is able to drive sections on and off but it has no knowledge when each section needs to be switched on or off. I interpret that the Trimble 750 is compatible with the Amatron+ box and is able to send the same section control information to the Amatron box as e.g. the Amazone GPS Switch box would do?

Haa i wouldnt say i know that much but i can try and help! We just have a new amazon spreader but it doesnt mean im an expert!

We dont have a switch box that your talking about... Just an amatron box for the spreader. And yeh basically our trimble is compatible with and connected to the amatron via the nmea cable and between them they sort out the section control with auto shut off and everything! All I have to do is have the trimble powered up and it will work section control on the spreader.

And then when things get really complicated we plug the nomad into it and have that applying variable rate and run out of room on the window for anymore control boxes and screens!

 

[jameslloyd]

Ok So from what every one is saying all I need is an NMEA cable and then calibrate the box. Who sells them?

Does the NMEA cable also work for a Kuhn Spreader (Quantrum E box) ?

 

[Northern farmer]

Thanks, that at least confirms the two talk to each other and that is exactly what I wanted to know.

It cannot be NMEA messages only but who cares, from your experience we know that the Trimble screen can send control messages (other than speed, Amatron+ does not really care about position info from NMEA) to switch on and off sections as needed and that is exactly what I wanted to know (didn't need to spend hours trying to decode that from the Tribmle website).

 

[Robt]

JFP, in your situation, the amatron box is doing section control. You can tell this as the sections on the amazone screen change colour depending if they are on or off. All the Trimble box is doing is giving the amazone box an accurate gps position.

Like I said, best to talk to AS Comms for accurate advice which might save you some time in the long run.

 

[Jfp]

Just found ours in the cupboard, it isnt called nmea on the box, thought it was cos that rings a bell... :S anyway this is what we have and like i said it plugs straight into the back of the trimble!

That sounds about right robt, but i dont really know the technicalities of it all lol!

 

[Northern farmer]

Is that Amatron+? Looks like Amatron 3 to me and these are quite different products. I wonder if the OP actually has an Amatron 3 device or the Amatron+ controller? Amatron 3 can run many different applications, including the functionality of a GPS Switch box and/or the Amatron+ box (the GPS Switch device and the Amatron+ device run only this one application that their name refers to).

 

[moldengineer]

We have our ez150 talking to our gps switch box. Sure it's just a null modem cable between the 2 boxes. The correct settings for gps will be in the instruction book for the Amazon box

 

[Robt]

A null modem is
The null modem cable is frequently called a crossover cable. It is used to allow two serial Data Terminal Equipment (DTE) devices to communicate with each other without using a modem or a Data Communications Equipment (DCE) device in between. For this to happen, the Transmit (TXD) pin of one device needs to be connected to the Receive (RXD) pin of the other device. To enable handshaking between the two devices, the Request to Send (RTS) pin of one device must be connected to the Clear to Send (CTS) pin of the other device. Because these pins are "crossed" on the two cable terminals, the name crossover cable is used.

That box in JFP is an amatron 3 which is a single screen with built in GPS switch. All it requires is either it's own GPS receiver or feed (NMEA) from another GPS system.
Firstly,
Identify which screen you have, the. Ring AS Comms, other Trimble dealers are available, and they will sell you the correct cable. You will then have to go Into the NMEA setting page on the Trimble and enable the correct GPS protocol such as GGA or VTG etc. it tells you which you need in the Amazone manual. Set the baud rate to export, set anazone box to the same baud rate....
Or ignore my words and ask a bloke down the pub!

 

[T Hectares]

I use a 750 with a amatron + box on a fert spinner.
Using 750 for speed ,section control (all on or off as it's a spreader not a sprayer )and VRA.
The following pictures show how they are connected and lead numbers, but you might have to talk to someone re sprayer specific info !

 

[hansen]

did you have to unlock GPS switch in the Amatron +

 

[HBfarmer]

Looks like an amatron 3. Has anyone mastered the amazone 3 connected to FMX with serial rate control. I have had issues connecting for rate control through the fmx. Getting correction alright.

 

[drifter]

Trimble FMx to Amatron3, is the spreader a ZA TS, if so, unless this has been fixed there is a problem with the serial rate control on this box when connected to this particular spreader, if it is not a ZA TS does the BAUD rate in the FMX correspond to the Amatron,m either 19200 or 57600 which ever will work but both have to be the same. If it is a ZA TS contact your Amazone rep, if it is any consolation wont work with Greenstar of any description either, only way round this is full ISOBUS control. @CPP

 

[CPP]

That's correct a far as I know
Best way with a za ts is ISO bus

 

[drifter]

ui06t

That's correct a far as I know
Best way with a za ts is ISO bus

Thanks Carl