Electronics and software development for smart farming systems

Electronics and control for agricultural machinery from planting to harvest

Custom electronics projects can be developed for combine and forage harvesters, seed drills and planting equipment, sprayers and fertiliser spreaders, balers and feed preparation units. Orchard and vineyard machinery, potato and beet harvesting equipment and post-harvest processing systems can also be considered. Self-propelled, tractor-mounted and stationary machines have different connection and operating requirements. We define the scope of the custom control board, sensor module and operator display accordingly.

A CAN connection does not imply access to the same data on every machine. Make, model, year, electronic control unit and manufacturer documentation are assessed. CAN, J1939 and ISOBUS requirements are not treated as interchangeable promises; an ISOBUS project particularly requires review of target functions, licensed software options and terminal interoperability. Scope is prepared for auxiliary measurement, data transfer or defined equipment control while preserving the machine manufacturer's safety architecture.

• Sowing, planting, spraying and fertilizing equipment electronics
• Measurement and telemetry for combines, forage harvesters and other harvesting machines
• Custom interfaces for baling, feeding, orchard and crop-processing machinery

Precision agriculture, process monitoring and field data collection

In precision agriculture, location records become meaningful when combined with measurements of the work performed. Operating time, machine status, application quantity and relevant field information can share a timeline. GNSS records alone do not guarantee an accurate calculation of the area sown or sprayed; working width, active equipment time, overlap and data validity must also be included. The required report's inputs and calculation method are documented at the outset.

For example, separately recording a sprayer's target dose and measured flow is more informative than retaining only the setpoint. In sowing, target density and sensor-counted passages are also different quantities. Criteria set by the agricultural application specialist become explicit data fields in the electronics and server software. Reports identify incomplete, estimated or calibration-dependent data; unmeasured outcomes are not presented as confirmed performance results.

Smart irrigation, measurement and control projects for fields and greenhouses

Measurements such as soil moisture and temperature, ambient humidity, water pressure, flow rate, tank level, EC or pH are taken into the system according to the intended use. Data sharing with ventilation, lighting or existing air conditioning unit in the greenhouse can also be considered. The location, contamination, calibration and replaceability of the sensor are as important as the selection of the sensor. Instead of assuming that a single measurement point represents the entire land, a field plan is prepared to show the differences.

Irrigation control defines the electrical interfaces of the pump, valves and fertilisation unit. Local schedules, measurement-based decisions and remote commands are distinguished. The project defines which rules continue without internet, how the system starts after power returns and what happens when measurements are invalid. This prevents control from depending solely on server commands. Agricultural decision rules are validated using the customer's expertise and field trials.

Precision agriculture sensor systems for soil and climate measurements →

Livestock farming, feed management and agricultural storage

Devices that monitor water consumption, feed bin level, ambient temperature and equipment operating status can be developed in livestock facilities. Reading the weighing cell on the feed mixer, showing the recipe steps to the operator, or recording the actual feeding cycle are separate project scenarios. Since mechanical assembly, movement and electrical noise can affect the result in weighing, board design is considered together with the placement on the machine.

For grain silos, agricultural stores and cold rooms, measurement points, product conditions and maintenance access are defined. Temperature, humidity and other readings from suitable sensors can be logged with time and location. Alarm thresholds, recipients and delays are specified. Scope is based on measurable technical functions, rather than claims that one sensor automatically determines spoilage, disease or yield outcomes requiring agricultural expertise.

Designing LoRa, 4G, local displays and server software together

LoRa based network for distributed fixed sensors, 4G telemetry for moving machine or Wi-Fi options within the facility are compared based on need. Terrain structure, antenna placement, operator coverage, data frequency and energy go into the same evaluation. The duties of the wired CAN or RS485 connection within the equipment and the internet connection are separated. The existence of a communication technology alone does not ensure uninterrupted data flow from the device to the server.

The local display must show the necessary operating information even when there is no connection. A data model is prepared on the server for device identity, machine and field matching, user authorizations, historical measurements and events. It is determined where the records will be kept during the outage and how they will be synchronized upon reconnection. If the customer has existing software, API scope, authentication and data ownership are clarified; Access to commercial producer platforms is also examined separately with permission and relevant service terms.

Sensor and communication selection guide in agricultural IoT project →

Mechanical protection, prototype and real use trials

Field devices face sunlight, rain, condensation and maintenance-access requirements; machine-mounted devices particularly face vibration, cable strain and supply variations. Enclosures, PCB mounting, sensor connections and antenna position are designed together. 3D prototypes can assess assembly and service access; moulds and production methods are considered separately for mass production. Environmental protection cannot be inferred from enclosure selection alone; the completed device needs a validation plan.

Pilot scenarios cover reference measurements, connection loss, sensor disconnection, power interruptions and restarting. Prototype results are recorded with the date, software version and hardware revision. Prototype PCB manufacturing and assembly support are provided only for customer projects developed by VOMRO. Seasonal effects on the pilot schedule are also planned, defining the evidence needed to progress from bench trials to field decisions.

Confidentiality, your own brand and project file delivery

Before technical details, we work with a confidentiality agreement (NDA) upon your request. Product idea, business processes and customer data are evaluated within the scope of the project. We do not offer the customer projects we develop as a product in the VOMRO sales catalogue. You can start the collaboration with the field problem you want to solve, the existing machine or facility knowledge and the usage you expect; Not all technical decisions need to be made in advance.

Source codes, electronic schematics, PCB design files, mechanical CAD files and technical documents developed within the scope of the project are delivered at the end of the project. The delivery list for compilation and programming steps, interface descriptions, test records and production files is determined from the beginning. Third-party libraries, protocol stacks, and manufacturer documentation are subject to their own license terms; It is not assumed that their rights are transferred unconditionally. This creates a usable and traceable project package for the customer's own team.