Center pivot irrigation systems have helped revolutionize agricultural irrigation and increase crop yields since 1940 when inventor Frank Zybach created his first design. They are an efficient way to evenly irrigate large fields and since their inception have improved dramatically in reliability and at preventing water loss. Recently, with better access to high-speed Internet, the proliferation of cellular networks, and the advent of IoT-powered precision agriculture, the next frontier for center pivot irrigation is remote monitoring and control.
Precision agriculture is a growing phenomenon. Mechanical and biological means of agricultural efficiency have done wonders for global food supply and lifted many out of poverty. Now, with global competition and increasing costs, farmers must continually adapt to find new efficiency gains to increase yields and profits.
Pivot monitoring gives growers complete situational awareness and control over their irrigation so they can react to the weather, reduce equipment failure, and do more in less time. As useful as remote pivot monitoring and control is, it’s unfortunately quite expensive, limiting who can take advantage of this valuable technology.
That’s why some growers and agronomy tech providers are turning to ControlByWeb. We help them create powerful remote monitoring and control of their pivots for a much more affordable price.
Problems
Costly Monitoring & Control
Most center pivot manufacturers offer comprehensive pivot monitoring and control, but at a steep cost that puts it out of reach for many farmers looking to save costs wherever they can.
Required Cloud Expenses
Most center pivot monitoring requires a cloud subscription that adds dramatically to the expense over time and provides few additional benefits outside of remote access.
Pre-Packaged Inflexibility
Off-the-shelf systems lack the customization needed to control costs by focusing on critical needs.
ControlByWeb™ Solutions
Low Cost Hardware & Software
ControlByWeb devices have remote monitoring and control baked into their DNA. They work on any web browser and our mobile app simplifies usability for end-users.
Cloud Optional
Our data acquisition and control modules feature embedded web servers for a stand-alone control system. While the ControlByWeb Cloud enhances capability, it is not required.
Completely Custom Solution
With the help of a talented integrator, farmers can create the solution they need to improve their operations.
FREE CENTER PIVOT MONITORING & CONTROL CONSULTATION
Case Study: Center Pivot Irrigation in Southeastern Idaho
A farm in South East Idaho has 26 center pivots irrigating thousands of acres of wheat and alfalfa fields. When they started their search for a smart center pivot solution, they were disappointed to find the steep costs of both hardware and monthly subscription fees. Luckily for them, a local integration company had both the technical acumen and the grit to find a way around those costly expenses.
Having a center pivot controller and monitoring system is a big advantage for the farmer. Not only can he maximize his yields, he can also closely monitor his water usage in an area hit hard by drought. With increasing state action to more carefully manage water, the farmer is in a position to comply with local laws, report all water usage, and even apply for tax credits that let him use more of his resources to improve his operations.
Another important advantage for the farmer is the real-time temperature and humidity data. When it comes to harvest time, in particular, humidity is key. If conditions are too dry the end product will lack quality, sell for a lower price, and even become a fire hazard. Too wet, and mold can be a serious problem. The farmer had previously evaluated humidity by looking at the crop and guessing at its moisture content. With center pivot monitoring, he can harvest when conditions are perfect for a valuable crop.
The local tech company is both a communications provider and control systems integrator serving the Intermountain West of the USA. They’re uniquely qualified to help farmers in this sparse region remotely monitor and control their equipment. This puts farmers in the driver seat so they can better respond to the changing climate and legislation action.
The solution for this farm was to source ControlByWeb. Our X-400 expandable platform gives the integrator all the programmable I/O needed to replace an out-of-the-box center pivot monitoring solution, but at a much lower cost. With ControlByWeb, they’re able to accomplish more with a lot less:
There are no recurring fees required. All the logic and logging is done on the device, so a local network is all the farm needs to access their data. And if they have any connectivity issues, the devices will continue to work, making sure they don’t miss any critical data or functionality.
Our optional cloud is only $0.99 per month (billed annually) per device. So even if they want cloud access, they can get it for much less than nearly any pre-packaged agricultural monitoring system currently available on the market.
This South Eastern Idaho integration company was able to put together a complete solution for their customer by installing a variety of sensors and using ControlByWeb as the programmable brains of the operation. Our integration partners love the flexibility, scalability, and competitive prices of our monitoring and control platform.
Products Mentioned
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X-400™ | Modular I/O Controller
$299.99 – $399.99X-400-I,X-400C-I-CAVIEW PRODUCTView ProductThe X-400™ is a web-enabled controller that allows for up to 32 added expansion modules and/or remote I/O devices. Expansion modules are connected directly to the X-400 via ribbon cable, or remotely with other CBW devices via P2P—allowing for monitoring and control of up to 64 I/O. The X-400C offers wireless capability with a built-in, low-power LTE-M cellular radio. Cellular models with an annual data plan include a dual SIM that provides combined coverage through AT&T and T-Mobile, automatically switching between the two for the best coverage.Expandable, Up to 64 I/O
Relays, Analog & Digital Inputs
Up to 16 temp sensors
Cellular version available
[frequentlyBought ids="7635,34491,7624,7577"]
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X-11S™ | High-Current Relay Expansion Module
$179.99X-11SVIEW PRODUCTView ProductThe X-11S™ two-relay expansion module is used with an X-400™ or X-600M™ controller. The relays are 20A Form-C (SPDT) and are wired through rugged, high-current terminals. One or more X-11S expansion modules can be connected with a ribbon cable that provides both power and communication. 2 High-Current Relays
Expansion Module for the X-400 or X-600M
[frequentlyBought ids="7635,"]
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X-12S™ | 8 Relay Expansion Module
$179.99X-12SVIEW PRODUCTView ProductThe X-12s™ eight-relay expansion module is used with an X-400™ or X-600M™ controller. The relays are 2.5A Form-A (SPDT) with commons tied together in two groups. A removable terminal connector provides connections to the relays. One or more X-12s expansion modules can be connected with a ribbon cable that provides both power and communication. 8 Relays
Expansion Module for the X-400 or X-600M
[frequentlyBought ids="7635"]
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X-15S™ | 8 Digital Input Expansion Module
$179.99X-15SVIEW PRODUCTView ProductThe X-15S™ eight-digital-input expansion module is used with an X-400™ or X-600M™ controller. Each input is optically isolated and allow the grounding system of equipment and the low-voltage circuits of the X-15S to be electrically separate. One or more X-15S expansion modules can be connected with a ribbon cable that provides both power and communication. 8 Digital Inputs
Expansion Module for the X-400 or X-600M
[frequentlyBought ids="7635,7798,34091"]
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X-22S™ | 8 Analog Input Expansion Module
$349.99X-22SVIEW PRODUCTView ProductThe X-22S™ eight-analog-input expansion module is used with an X-400™ or X-600M™ controller. It has eight precision analog inputs that can be configured for various voltage ranges and 4-20mA sensors. 8 Analog Inputs
Expansion Module for the X-400™ or X-600M™
[frequentlyBought ids="7635,7916, 22960"]
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Temperature/Humidity Sensor (Probe)
$139.99X-DTHS-PVIEW PRODUCTView ProductThe X-DTHS-P is a new temperature and humidity sensor probe which is used in conjunction with many of the 400-Series, X-600M, and WebRelay-Wireless products. Temperature and humidity are accurately measured, digitized, and sent to the ControlByWeb module over a serial 1-Wire Bus. Temperature Range: -40°C to 80°C (-40°F to 180°F)
Temperature Accuracy: ±0.4°C (typ 0°C to 80°C)
Lead Length: 10ft (3.04m)
Type: Digital 1-Wire (Maxim Semiconductor DS18B20)
