Case Studies

SMART CROPS MONITORING SYSTEM

In today’s competitive market, precision agriculture is becoming an important factor. The advantages are beyond water-saving and fertilization optimization. It also enables speeding up the crop collection and providing preventive maintenance, meanings, identifying abnormal trends, and recommending actions to correct potential damages.

The RFN Smart Crops Monitoring solution utilizes the Electrical Connectivity (EC) sensors to receive Soil information – Moisture, Temp, and Nutrient. In addition, the solution includes Air Temp & Humidity sensors. The information can be stored for an extended period to provide trends and comparisons to previous times. The system can send alerts in cases where the monitored parameters are exceeding the predefined recommended thresholds.

The solution also includes the following components:

  • RFN Tags, RFN Gateway, and RFN Solar module – to enable sending the information to the cloud
  • Application – to present the collected information, present trends and provide recommendations

SEAMLESS MACHINE CONNECTIVITY SOLUTION

One of the challenges in deploying a product at the customer’s premises is the ability to get immediate remote connectivity, which is usually required to receive initial stats/alerts, to perform remote configuration actions, etc. The main reasons could be insufficient local IT support or lack of secured connectivity to the internet. The RFN Seamless Machine Connectivity (SMC) solution enables to configure the product before leaving the factory, so once it turns-on at the customer’s facility, it connects automatically to a management application on the cloud, via secured wireless communication, using universal SIM. No action is required at the customer site. Later on, the RFN SMC solution could be configured to connect via LAN or WiFi to the customer’s communication network.

  • The solution consists of RFN Tags per the customer’s number of Devices and one RFN Gateway with cellular connectivity. 
  • The RFN Tags could be connected to the customer’s machine/device using different interfaces (e.g., RS-232, USB, LAN, etc.) and different protocols, e.g., ModBus RTU. 
  • The RFN Tags are connected to the RFN GW via RF (e.g., 433 MHz). The connection can be direct or using Mesh network configuration.
  • The RFN GW supports LAN, Wi-Fi, and Cellular and is configured to connect in this order.
  • The RFN GW includes a universal SIM that can operate everywhere globally. In addition, it knows how to reconfigure itself to get the low pricing (proprietary SW on the SIM).
  • The machine/device, the RFN Tags, and the RFN GW are preconfigured at the customer’s factory to automatically connect to the cloud application, upon turning on at the customer’s site.
  • The RFN Tag and GW have a small footprint and could be inserted in the Customer’s Device case.

CRANE ANTI-COLLISION SYSTEM

A construction area can be a very tense and hectic environment, especially when it consists of several cranes in close proximity. The Crane anti-collision system objective is to minimize human errors, by notifying the cranes’ operators when a crane or its load is getting too close to another crane (configurable, e.g., 3 meters). If the cranes’ distance keeps getting closer, the system can send a command to shut off their engines and notify the site supervisor. When the building coordinates are entered, the system can also inform the crane’s operators when the crane or its load is in proximity to the building’s external walls.

  • The solution consists of two GPS sensors, two pressure sensors, and one GW.
  • GPS 1 sensor provides the location of the end of the Jib (working arm). GPS2 provides the Trolley location.
  • Pressure 1 (HTP) sensor provides the pressure at the Jib height. Pressure 2  the hook height pressure. 
  • Pressure 2 (HTP) sensor provides the pressure at the hook height. 
  • The Gateway is located in the operator cabin.
  • The hook location is calculated, considering the hook distance from the Jib (using the two pressure sensors) and the GPS 2 information. 
  • All the sensors send the data to the Gateway every 0.1 seconds (programable). 
  • Similar sensors are located on other cranes that also send the data to the Gateway.
  • The Gateway analyzes the data, checks the distance between the cranes, and sends alerts if it below a certain distance (configurable). If the distance continues to get reduced, the GW sends shutoff commands to the relevant cranes.

SILO BAGS MONITORING SYSTEM

Silo bags have been, for some years, the cheapest and cleanest way to store almost any agricultural commodity. Its advantages are well known to every farmer around the world. But how about monitoring its actual status? What if the silo bag is damaged?

According to grain storage specialists, storing grain in silo bags for more than three months after harvest will increase the risk of losing grain quality and value – and the chances of damage to the polymer membrane. Therefore it is recommended to have weekly monitoring to ensure the membrane is free of holes that would allow water to infiltrate and cause spoilage.

Per research that was conducted in Argentina to learn about the grain condition within the Silo Bags (made by Bartosik R.), a strong correlation was found between the grain storage condition and the CO2 level. The RF-Networks system continuously monitors the CO2/Temp/Humidity levels inside the Silo Bags and sends alerts in case certain condition indicate abnormal situation, so actions can be taken to prevent possible damage.

Real-time Silo Bags Monitoring Solution description

  • Components: RFN Tags, RFN Gateway, RFN Solar module, RFN Probes, and three types of sensors: CO2, Temperature, and Humidity.
  • The RFN Probe was specially designed to address the requirements of this solution. It has a hollow infrastructure, which enables the connection of the sensors located at the lower part to the RFN Tag attached to the upper part.  
  • The tags send the collected information to the Gateway, which sends it to the application on the cloud.
  • Based on the defined rules, the application identifies abnormality and sends alerts to the property owner.  The alerts include information about the probe location and the sensors’ data.
  • One GW can serve several about 12 Silo bags.  
  • The probe also includes special glue tape to prevent any substance from entering the bag.
  • The property owner can view the real time CO2/Temp/Humid information, per each Silo-bag using the solution application. 
  • All the solution components are reusables
  • The solution can work with the “Theft early warning” system – described below, utilizing the same RFN GW.

THEFT EARLY WARNING SYSTEM

  • The RFN Tag with wireless Movement sensors monitor assets scattered in the field or in construction area – data is transmitted to the RFN Gateway.
  • The RFN Gateway conveys the data to cloud software.
  • If a movement is detected at an unauthorized time (for example, at night), the Server will send an SMS, alerting the farm owner.
  • The system is automatic – no human intervention needed

Main Features

  • Tags Movement detection
  • 24/7 location tracking supervision
  • Long battery lifespan
  • Long transmission range

Applications

  • Asset tracking
  • Asset protection
  • Alert on movement for objects that are supposed to be static, such as construction Material, Agriculture equipment and Warehouses good storage