DIGITAL SYSTEM FOR COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SENSORS AND PLANTING MONITOR
A serial communication system with up to 128 sensors connected via a single wire in agricultural machinery addresses the challenges of complex wiring and cable vulnerabilities, enhancing reliability and reducing costs.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- BR · BR
- Patent Type
- Utility models
- Current Assignee / Owner
- AGRAL INDA E COMERCIO DE EQUIPAMENTOS ELECTRONICSOS
- Filing Date
- 2009-07-17
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-07
- Estimated Expiration
- Not applicable · inactive patent
AI Technical Summary
Agricultural machinery equipped with multiple sensors faces challenges due to the use of extensive wiring harnesses, which increase costs, installation complexity, and vulnerability to cable breakage, while existing solutions for connecting sensors on a single wire are not applicable in this context.
A serial communication system where sensors are connected to a central unit via a single wire, allowing up to 128 sensors to communicate sequentially, utilizing microcontrollers for digital and analog adjustments.
This approach reduces equipment costs, simplifies installation, and enhances reliability by minimizing cable failures.
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Description
/ 4 DIGITAL SYSTEM FOR COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SENSORS AND PLANTING MONITOR - TECHNICAL FIELD
[001] This descriptive report refers to a digital system for communication between sensors and a planting monitor, for electronic equipment that uses various sensors, thus eliminating the excessive need for cables and harnesses. STATE OF THE ART
[002] Embedded electronics technology uses various sensors spread throughout agricultural equipment, using several cables and harnesses for communication between the sensors and a central control or monitoring unit.
[003] To this end, there are several ways to carry out this communication, which can be in parallel or serial form. In parallel, data is sent by the sensors through several communication lines, and serial communication basically uses two transmission lines.
[004] The constantly increasing need to apply technology to agricultural tasks to reduce failures and increase productivity means that mechanical equipment is increasingly equipped with sensors spread across all points prone to failure, so that problems can be identified as quickly as possible using an electronic monitor.
[005] In view of the above and considering the adoption of new equipment that is essential for carrying out agricultural tasks without fail, this work was developed. Petition 870170084903, dated 03 / 11 / 2017, page 11 / 18 / 4
[006] Currently, electronic equipment used in agricultural machinery uses parallel or standard serial communication, and in parallel communication, very large wiring harnesses are used, making the equipment more expensive, difficult to install, and more vulnerable to cable breakage.
[007] In searches carried out in the state of the art relevant to the technical field of the invention, documents were found that show the use of sensors connected to a single cable.
[008] Document GB 2,326,450 describes a single-wire brake wear and adjustment sensor system. A brake condition sensor system including a plurality of sensor types electrically connected in series to an indicator light that is energized to remain activated when the sensors are in normal condition and that is de-energized and remains de-energized when any of the sensors is in abnormal condition. Two sensor types include a brake wear sensor and an actuator stroke limit switch. In an alternative mounting, the brake condition sensor system is activated only when the vehicle brakes are applied.
[009] Other patent documents showing sensors connected to a cable are: US 4491241, US 5621666 and US 5936234. DISCUSSION
[010] The use of sensors to control various functions in agricultural machinery is quite common in the most modern equipment. These onboard sensors allow the operator to control the machine and all its operations. The connection of several sensors on a single wire is known as Petition 870170084903, dated 03 / 11 / 2017, page 12 / 18 / 4 vehicle braking systems. However, the connection of several sensors on a single wire, used in agricultural machinery, was not disclosed in the art. PROPOSED SOLUTION
[011] Thus, due to the considerations pertinent to the state of the art previously discussed, one of the objectives of the present invention application is the development of a serial communication system, where the sensors are connected on only a single wire to a central unit and are cascaded one after the other in the required quantity, from one (1) up to 128 sensors, plus one hundred (100) different sensors. DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURE
[012] The characterization of the present application for a patent of invention is made by means of a representative drawing of the digital system for communication between sensors and planting monitor, in such a way that the product can be fully reproduced by appropriate technique, allowing full characterization of the functionality of the object claimed.
[013] Based on the elaborated figure that expresses the best or preferred way to carry out the product now conceived, the descriptive part of the report is based, through a detailed and consecutive numbering, where it clarifies aspects that may be implied by the representation adopted, in order to clearly determine the protection now sought.
[014] This figure is merely illustrative and may present variations, provided they do not deviate from what was initially requested.
[015] In this case we have:
[016] - Figure 1 illustrates a schematic representation of the system Petition 870170084903, dated 03 / 11 / 2017, page 13 / 18 / 4 proposed. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[017] A preferred embodiment comprises the use of several sensors and planting monitors, wherein said sensors 1 to 128 communicate with the monitoring center (1) via a single wire (3), wherein the communication protocol was developed specifically for the use of these sensors. The sensors are equipped with small microcontrollers which, in addition to performing digital communication, also control the operation of the sensor, making it much more effective by having analog and digital adjustments at the same time.
[018] The monitor (1) has seed fertilizer sensors (4), area and speed sensors (5), all connected to the same wire (2), each seed sensor (4) is responsible for monitoring and counting the grains, sending the data to the central monitoring unit (1) as soon as requested. The speed sensor (5) reports the travel speed and also the application area.
[019] The control unit (1) that is attached to the tractor provides visual and audible information about any type of failure that occurs during planting, also providing real-time information on speed, area and grain population. Petition 870170084903, dated 03 / 11 / 2017, page 14 / 18
Claims
CLAIM: 1- DIGITAL SYSTEM FOR COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SENSORS AND PLANTING MONITOR, characterized by having from 1 to 128 seed and fertilizer sensors (4), area and speed sensors (5), where these sensors communicate with the monitoring center (1), by means of a single wire (3) composed of several segments (harnesses), which can be disconnected separately, said sensors being equipped with small microcontrollers. Petition 870170084903, dated 03 / 11 / 2017, pages 15 / 18