AgOpenGPS Rate Control for seed drill, retro fit electric metering

[Andy26]

A little project to fit auto rate control and variable rate control to a Stocks FanJet Plus, this has an electric driven metering wheel,

that at present is controlled at a set speed from a VS-2 control box:

So I'm using an RC11 PCB the same as for my Knight Sprayer,

This has a motor controller that varies a PWM signal to control the speed of the motor and has an input for an encoder to monitor the motor speed.

The Stocks FanJet Plus has an encoder mounted on the motor, as a cost option is to use their iCon control system (similar to RDS Artemis) that does autorate and calibration.

So just had to wire up the power for the motor and the encoder to the PCB, this is all on a 6 pin Deutsch plug so I can swap between the OEM control box and the RC11 PCB simply by swapping the Deutsch plugs over.

Then just needs setting up...

So I put a pulse per unit in of 9999, with a target rate of 40kg/ha, then ran a calibration, it shows how much product its estimated will of been metered, so then stop the calibration and weigh out the dispensed product.

So there was 8.4kg of product actually dispensed, I entered this and it automatically calculated the correct pulses per unit.

As you an see 6,904 pulses per Kg of product, repeat this a few times to get the best average.

And then you are ready to go, the FanJet will auto rate control according to forward speed and the selected working width, will turn on and off automatically on the headland and turn off when you travel over an area previously covered.

Can vary the rate with onscreen buttons or use a variable rate map in AgOpenGPS.

I will be using this to establish CS and SFI options like AB9 and AHL2.

 

[del_boy]

A little project to fit auto rate control and variable rate control to a Stocks FanJet Plus, this has an electric driven metering wheel,

that at present is controlled at a set speed from a VS-2 control box:

So I'm using an RC11 PCB the same as for my Knight Sprayer,

This has a motor controller that varies a PWM signal to control the speed of the motor and has an input for an encoder to monitor the motor speed.

The Stocks FanJet Plus has an encoder mounted on the motor, as a cost option is to use their iCon control system (similar to RDS Artemis) that does autorate and calibration.

So just had to wire up the power for the motor and the encoder to the PCB, this is all on a 6 pin Deutsch plug so I can swap between the OEM control box and the RC11 PCB simply by swapping the Deutsch plugs over.

Then just needs setting up...

So I put a pulse per unit in of 9999, with a target rate of 40kg/ha, then ran a calibration, it shows how much product its estimated will of been metered, so then stop the calibration and weigh out the dispensed product.

So there was 8.4kg of product actually dispensed, I entered this and it automatically calculated the correct pulses per unit.

As you an see 6,904 pulses per Kg of product, repeat this a few times to get the best average.

And then you are ready to go, the FanJet will auto rate control according to forward speed and the selected working width, will turn on and off automatically on the headland and turn off when you travel over an area previously covered.

Can vary the rate with onscreen buttons or use a variable rate map in AgOpenGPS.

I will be using this to establish CS and SFI options like AB9 and AHL2.

Flipping heck @Andy26 this is really clever stuff eh. Agopengps is really moving at quite a pace.
Whatever next

 

[S.Jamieson]

I honestly can't keep up with how much aog is progressing.

I need twice the hours in the day to do all I want to with it!

 

[Andy26]

Flipping heck @Andy26 this is really clever stuff eh. Agopengps is really moving at quite a pace.
Whatever next

Only scratching the surface what this Rate controller will do, can control two rates at the same time so on a seed drill could be auto metering seed whilst also auto metering slug pellets or Avadex etc.
5 different products, do auto section control and monitor pressure.
Input to monitor fan speed on an air drill etc.

David Cox who has written the App and coded it all, is very quick to fix problems or add features.

 

[S.Jamieson]

A little project to fit auto rate control and variable rate control to a Stocks FanJet Plus, this has an electric driven metering wheel,

that at present is controlled at a set speed from a VS-2 control box:

So I'm using an RC11 PCB the same as for my Knight Sprayer,

This has a motor controller that varies a PWM signal to control the speed of the motor and has an input for an encoder to monitor the motor speed.

The Stocks FanJet Plus has an encoder mounted on the motor, as a cost option is to use their iCon control system (similar to RDS Artemis) that does autorate and calibration.

So just had to wire up the power for the motor and the encoder to the PCB, this is all on a 6 pin Deutsch plug so I can swap between the OEM control box and the RC11 PCB simply by swapping the Deutsch plugs over.

Then just needs setting up...

So I put a pulse per unit in of 9999, with a target rate of 40kg/ha, then ran a calibration, it shows how much product its estimated will of been metered, so then stop the calibration and weigh out the dispensed product.

So there was 8.4kg of product actually dispensed, I entered this and it automatically calculated the correct pulses per unit.

As you an see 6,904 pulses per Kg of product, repeat this a few times to get the best average.

And then you are ready to go, the FanJet will auto rate control according to forward speed and the selected working width, will turn on and off automatically on the headland and turn off when you travel over an area previously covered.

Can vary the rate with onscreen buttons or use a variable rate map in AgOpenGPS.

I will be using this to establish CS and SFI options like AB9 and AHL2.

So are we able to import variable rate maps in shape files into aog now?

 

[Andy26]

So are we able to import variable rate maps in shape files into aog now?

Import a map and use as field background

You add the VR map as a background, I think at the moment you have to import via Google Earth to use a shape file.

TBH I'm not sure, will get everything working with one rate to start with!

 

[Andy26]

So fine tuning today, I plugged in the Stocks controller, which has a dial with positions from 1-12 for the metering speed.

I counted the RPM of the metering shaft when set at 1,6, and 12, which were:

Pos 1- 24RPM
Pos 6- 48RPM
Pos 12-64RPM

So plugging the Rate Controller PCB Deutsch plug into the Stocks I set the PWM fixed as 100 and counted the RPM of the metering shaft

This gave 24 RPM, just the same as Position 1 on the Stocks controller.

Tried the same with PWM of 255 (the max), which gave 64RPM the same as Position 12 on the Stocks.

177PWM gave 44RPM

So was able to set the min and Max PWM

If we didn't set a PWM minimum then it would try to turn the motor with a PWM of 1, which would have no effect as it needs a certain amount of current to start the motor,

 

[BuskhillFarm]

Very interesting. Be interested in one for my accord. How long does it take to calibrate once set up? Just similar time to conventional I’d be chopping and changing seeds fairly regularly.

 

[Andy26]

Very interesting. Be interested in one for my accord. How long does it take to calibrate once set up? Just similar time to conventional I’d be chopping and changing seeds fairly regularly.

Just like Artemis,

press start, meter some seed out, press stop, weigh it, enter the actual weight of seed.

Repeat a couple of times, till the estimated and actual weight of seeds are close.

Job done.

 

[Andy26]

Very interesting. Be interested in one for my accord. How long does it take to calibrate once set up? Just similar time to conventional I’d be chopping and changing seeds fairly regularly.

Accord has a land wheel at present?

 

[BuskhillFarm]

Accord has a land wheel at present?

Yep, aim is to do that rate control, then move the accord from combi to front of tractor so it can be used with another toolbar, will need a few cups of tea and a lot of a team music to get it done!

 

[del_boy]

@Andy26 could this agopengps app do away with a control box on a drill? Could it monitor low seed level and advance a tramline sequence etc like a normal drill control box

 

[Andy26]

@Andy26 could this agopengps app do away with a control box on a drill? Could it monitor low seed level and advance a tramline sequence etc like a normal drill control box

Control the tramliner yes, low seed level, I think so there are setting for lots of things I haven't tried yet, the RC11 has 4 input pins for sensors.

 

[del_boy]

Control the tramliner yes, low seed level, I think so there are setting for lots of things I haven't tried yet, the RC11 has 4 input pins for sensors.

Clever stuff.
Can see @davidroberts30 rigging up his accord to this

 

[BuskhillFarm]

Control the tramliner yes, low seed level, I think so there are setting for lots of things I haven't tried yet, the RC11 has 4 input pins for sensors.

Have seen ones putting a light on the seed drill for low level (I use a camera) if it can do rate and tramlines your there. But if your using rtk you don’t really need tramlines, I haven’t bothered

 

[Andy26]

Had a call from a Farmer I fitted AgOpenGPS to his tractors, asking if it would be possible to do electric metering for his Vaderstad Rapid drill following an accident with the land wheel and a £3.5k repair bill and wait for parts and fitting.

So we measured the required input speed to help spec a motor, pretty slow compared to an Accord (Which needs max speed approx. 80rpm), only needing 15RPM.

So sped'd a 24V phidgets motor, which I've fitted an encoder to (very different gearbox to the one used for autosteer which is around 500rpm):



And a coupling which will have a UJ with sliding shaft to fit straight onto Rapid metering to drive it:

Then will use the Rate control App to control the drill, like above this will give electric calibration, auto section control to turn drill on/off and the ability to do variable rate.

Will add to this thread next week when hopefully its all working.

 

[Andy26]

A little project to fit auto rate control and variable rate control to a Stocks FanJet Plus, this has an electric driven metering wheel,

that at present is controlled at a set speed from a VS-2 control box:

So I'm using an RC11 PCB the same as for my Knight Sprayer,

This has a motor controller that varies a PWM signal to control the speed of the motor and has an input for an encoder to monitor the motor speed.

The Stocks FanJet Plus has an encoder mounted on the motor, as a cost option is to use their iCon control system (similar to RDS Artemis) that does autorate and calibration.

So just had to wire up the power for the motor and the encoder to the PCB, this is all on a 6 pin Deutsch plug so I can swap between the OEM control box and the RC11 PCB simply by swapping the Deutsch plugs over.

Then just needs setting up...

So I put a pulse per unit in of 9999, with a target rate of 40kg/ha, then ran a calibration, it shows how much product its estimated will of been metered, so then stop the calibration and weigh out the dispensed product.

So there was 8.4kg of product actually dispensed, I entered this and it automatically calculated the correct pulses per unit.

As you an see 6,904 pulses per Kg of product, repeat this a few times to get the best average.

And then you are ready to go, the FanJet will auto rate control according to forward speed and the selected working width, will turn on and off automatically on the headland and turn off when you travel over an area previously covered.

Can vary the rate with onscreen buttons or use a variable rate map in AgOpenGPS.

I will be using this to establish CS and SFI options like AB9 and AHL2.

An update on this in operation:

So this was broadcasting an AHL2 SFI Winter bird food mix @25kg/ha

Same field pictured today:

 

[Andy26]

Had a call from a Farmer I fitted AgOpenGPS to his tractors, asking if it would be possible to do electric metering for his Vaderstad Rapid drill following an accident with the land wheel and a £3.5k repair bill and wait for parts and fitting.

So we measured the required input speed to help spec a motor, pretty slow compared to an Accord (Which needs max speed approx. 80rpm), only needing 15RPM.

So sped'd a 24V phidgets motor, which I've fitted an encoder to (very different gearbox to the one used for autosteer which is around 500rpm):



And a coupling which will have a UJ with sliding shaft to fit straight onto Rapid metering to drive it:

Then will use the Rate control App to control the drill, like above this will give electric calibration, auto section control to turn drill on/off and the ability to do variable rate.

Will add to this thread next week when hopefully its all working.

Bench testing the motor in calibration mode...

 

[Blue.]

Has anyone connected a krm calibrator up with Agopen?

I could do to do away with the control box and use direct off Agopen,this would also save having a sensor for speed off the wheel and allow me to use anything with agopen.

 

[Andy26]

Has anyone connected a krm calibrator up with Agopen?

I could do to do away with the control box and use direct off Agopen,this would also save having a sensor for speed off the wheel and allow me to use anything with agopen.

Is the KRM calibrator for a seed drill or spreader?

Only issue can be if the OEM control box does other functions like fold machine up etc...

Otherwise anything that involves metering a product, be it sprayer, spreader, seeder etc. can be controlled with AgOpen rate control App.

Should be able to utilise the existing shaft speed monitors (or motor speed encoders), flow meters and control, electric motor, valve, turn sections on/off control tramlines valves etc...