JPH10117593A - Field management device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a field management device easily installable in terms of a price and an operation because a price was high and attaching work and operation were difficult before since plural equipments for managing a field are required. SOLUTION: This device is constituted of sensors 1-4 for measuring plural soil components in the field, a sensor amplifier 6 provided with input ports from the plural sensors and provided with a function for performing the analog signal processing of signals from the sensors, converting the analog signals to digital signals and performing the digital signal processing of the digital signals further, a storage device 7 for storing the digital signals from the sensor amplifier 6 and a personal computer 17 provided with a radio equipment for accessing the storage device 7 and the radio equipment for accessing the field.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an apparatus for managing soil in a field where agricultural products are cultivated.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in order to manage the cultivation of agricultural products,
A sensor for measuring a plurality of soil components is installed in a field, and information on the field is collected. As shown in FIG. 4, one sensor amplifier is provided for one sensor, and the same number of sensor amplifiers 19 as about eight sensors are connected in parallel to one data logger 20 in one field. The sensor amplifier continuously measures a sensor value, converts the sensor value and outputs it as a current value, and performs analog signal processing. The data logger converts the current value into a digital value, performs digital signal processing, prints and stores the digital value. In FIG. 4, the sensor amplifier 19 converts the resistance value → voltage value → frequency value → insulation → frequency value → current value, and the data logger 20 converts the current value → voltage value → digital amount. Analog signal processing. To perform analog signal processing, the sensor amplifier 1
9. In the data logger 20, an expensive variable resistor was used as a calibration device.

[0003]

In the prior art, analog signal processing was performed by a data logger.
Analog signal processing is complicated, the signal is easily degraded,
In order to prevent deterioration, many high-precision calibration devices are required, and the cost becomes high. In addition, wiring from the sensor to the sensor amplifier to the data logger increases the number of connection points and increases the amount of work. Construction costs for installation are expensive, and wiring tends to be in the way after installation. In addition, since the number of sensor amplifiers required is the same as that of the sensors, the cost is high, and if the number of installed sensors is increased, the number of sensor amplifiers must be increased.

[0004]

Means for Solving the Problems To solve the above problems,
A sensor for measuring a plurality of soil components in a field,
A sensor amplifier having an input port from a plurality of sensors, having a function of converting the analog signal into a digital signal after converting the signal from the sensor into an analog signal, and further processing the digital signal by a digital signal; A storage device that stores a digital signal from the amplifier, a sensor configured to measure a plurality of soil components in the field, and an input port from the plurality of sensors, comprising a personal computer that accesses the storage device; A sensor amplifier having a function of converting the analog signal into a digital signal after converting the analog signal into a digital signal and further processing the digital signal into a digital signal, a storage device storing the digital signal from the sensor amplifier, and a storage device Equipped with a wireless device for accessing a field and a wireless device for accessing a field Constituting from computer, take the means of.

[0005]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS When a device configured as described above is started, a sensor measures a soil component, and most of analog signal processing performed by a conventional sensor amplifier and a data logger is performed by the sensor amplifier of the present invention. Performs digital signal processing with
Store in the storage device.

[0006]

An embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment in which a soil management device is installed in a field and data is collected by wire. Four soil buried electrical conductivity sensors (EC sensors) 1, two soil buried moisture sensors (PF sensors) 2, one soil buried ground temperature sensor 3, and one rain gauge 5 , A temperature sensor 4, a sensor amplifier 6 for reading the measured values of the sensors 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, and a storage device 7 constitute a soil management device. These data are transmitted to the personal computer 17 and can be viewed on the display 18. The sensor amplifier 6 is equipped with a microcomputer 8 that can perform digital signal processing and has a data logger function. In addition to the above sensors, a PH sensor may be provided.

[0008] The soil conductivity sensor (EC sensor) 1 measures the electric conductivity in the soil, examines the content of fertilizer (nitrogen component) in the soil, and knows the excess or deficiency of the fertilizer.
The soil embedded moisture sensor (PF sensor) 2 measures the moisture content in the soil to determine the solubility of the fertilizer, excess or deficiency of the moisture, and the like. The soil temperature is measured by the soil temperature sensor 3 and the rainfall is measured by the rain gauge 5.
Measure the temperature by: Based on the measured values of the sensors 3, 4, and 5, weather conditions are examined to determine the timing of fertilization and the amount of fertilizer, and the relationship between the weather conditions and the growing condition of agricultural crops is investigated, which is useful for soil management. .

In the sensor amplifier 6, the microcomputer 7 performs digital signal processing for most of the signal processing, and converts the resistance value → voltage value → digital amount. Calibration of the sensor is performed simply by turning on / off the switch.

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment in which a soil management device is installed in a field and data is collected by wire, and a sensor amplifier 6 is connected in series. When one field is divided into a plurality of fields, two soil-buried electric conductivity sensors (EC sensors) 1 and one soil-buried moisture sensor (PF sensor) 2 Type ground temperature sensor 3
, One sensor amplifier 9, two soil buried electrical conductivity sensors (EC sensors) 1, one soil buried moisture sensor (PF sensor) 2 in the section 2, One sensor 4 and one sensor amplifier 10 are installed, and one rain gauge 5 is installed at another place. The sensor amplifier 9 of the section 1 and the sensor amplifier 10 of the section 2 are connected in series, and the converted values of the sensor amplifiers 9 and 10 and the data of the rain gauge are sent to the storage device.

FIGS. 3 and 5 show a third embodiment in which a soil management device in a field is installed and data is collected wirelessly.
In the field, four soil buried type electric conductivity sensors (EC sensors) 1, two soil buried type moisture sensors (PF sensors) 2, and one soil buried type ground temperature sensor 3,
One rain gauge 5, one temperature sensor 4, and a sensor amplifier 6 for reading the measured values of the sensors 1, 2, 3, 4
And a soil management device including a data storage device 7, a solar cell 11 for operating the sensors 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and the sensor amplifier 6, a storage battery 12, and a measured value of a specific low-power radio. A specific low-power radio device 13 and a transmitting / receiving antenna 14 are provided as radio devices for transmitting data at the same time.

The sensors 1, 2, 3, 4 measure once an hour, and the measured value is sent to a sensor amplifier 6,
It is stored in the storage device 7. Sensors 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
And sensor amplifier 6, storage device 7, specific low power radio 13
Are operated by solar energy from the solar cell 11. The measured and stored data is wirelessly transmitted from the specified low power radio 13 and the transmitting / receiving antenna 14 at a preset time or when instructed to transmit. The data transmitted wirelessly is taken into a personal computer 17 by a transmitting / receiving antenna 15 and a specific low-power radio 16 and can be viewed on a display 18. When sending and receiving at a preset time, the device automatically starts up at the set time,
When transmission / reception and information collection are completed, the device automatically stops. In the case of transmitting and receiving data when it is necessary, when the transmission request is made to the field where the data is required in the management room without going to the field, the data is transmitted in real time and the information can be known.

[0013]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following effects.

By mounting the microcomputer in the sensor amplifier, most of the digital signal processing is performed, so that the signal processing configuration can be simplified and the number of calibration devices can be reduced. In addition, the conventional variable resistor for calibration was difficult to adjust unless it was a specialist, but by turning on / off the switch, the operation can be easily performed even by a field administrator.
Since the number of wires between the devices is small, installation is easy, and it is unlikely to hinder subsequent maintenance and management of the field. Although the sensor amplifier and the calibration equipment are expensive, the number of installations can be reduced, so that they can be installed at lower cost than before.

By collecting data and reducing the amount of fertilization that has become excessive in recent years, the cost of fertilizer can be reduced, and excess fertilizer does not flow to rivers, leading to protection of the natural environment. Also, the management of agricultural products becomes easier, which is useful for agricultural management.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a first embodiment for collecting data by wire.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a second embodiment for collecting data by wire.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a third embodiment for collecting data wirelessly.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a related art.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a third embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Soil buried type electric conductivity sensor (EC sensor) 2 Soil buried type moisture sensor (PF sensor) 3 Soil buried type ground temperature sensor 4 Temperature sensor 5 Rain gauge 6 Sensor amplifier 7 Storage device 8 Microcomputer 9 (of section 1) sensor Amplifier 10 sensor amplifier (of section 2) 11 solar cell 12 battery 13 specific low power radio 14 transmitting and receiving antenna 15 transmitting and receiving antenna 16 specific low power radio 17 personal computer 18 display 19 (conventional) sensor amplifier 20 (conventional) )Data logger

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A sensor for measuring a plurality of soil components in a field, and an input port from the plurality of sensors. After a signal from the sensor is subjected to analog signal processing, the analog signal is converted into a digital signal. Further, a field management device comprising a sensor amplifier having a function of processing the digital signal to a digital signal, a storage device for storing the digital signal from the sensor amplifier, and a personal computer accessing the storage device. 2. A sensor for measuring a plurality of soil components in a field, and an input port from the plurality of sensors. After a signal from the sensor is subjected to analog signal processing, the analog signal is converted into a digital signal. Further, a personal computer including a sensor amplifier having a function of processing the digital signal digitally, a storage device for storing the digital signal from the sensor amplifier, a wireless device for accessing the storage device, and a wireless device for accessing the field A field management device comprising: