Juan Vazquez
Team Leader, EDAS Service Provision
Pass-to-pass accuracy is the key performance indicator to assess the precision of guidance systems, characterizing the short-term dynamic performance determined from off-track errors along the straight segment passes (error with respect to the desired path in the direction perpendicular to the tractor trajectory).
The results of the tests reported in this article, jointly performed by Topcon Agriculture and ESSP, confirm that EDAS DGPS corrections can support a wide range of precision agriculture applications and represent a real alternative for cereal farms, when located in the vicinity (at least up to 260 km away) of an EGNOS reference station, complementing the benefits that the EGNOS signal-in-space is already providing to a large number of agriculture users in Europe.
TOPCON AGRICULTURE
Julian Rioja
Channel Development and Business Intelligence Manager
All tests were performed using Topcon receivers, vehicles and auto-steering systems. Two different Topcon guidance systems on board tractors ran simultaneously to assess the EDAS DGPS positioning performance with respect to the reference provided by a real-time kinematic (RTK) system. Hence, two independent positioning outputs were continuously available (the receivers were placed along the same longitudinal axis on the roof of the tractor):
On board the tractor, two Topcon X35 consoles were each connected to one of the receivers. A Topcon AES-25 electric steering system was installed on the tractor so that the selected navigation input (RTK or EDAS DGPS) could be used to automatically guide the tractor along the defined reference pattern.
HEMISPHERE GNSS
John McClure
Engineering Manager, Precision Agriculture
Precision agriculture is expanding the use of ISOBUS for CAN communication between a common terminal and implements, to reduce clutter in the cab. These virtual terminals now act as display and user entry for multiple applications including GNSS receivers and factory or after-market steering systems.
INS-aided GNSS solutions, typically using RTK or satellite-based correctors such as Atlas, provide time/position data for rate and section control and auto-steering. CAN-based NMEA 2000 is the commonly used receiver protocol for position data, replacing serial NMEA 0183.
All major tractor, agricultural equipment, and GNSS manufacturers attend regular “Plugfest” meetings, organized by the Agriculture Industry Electronics Foundation, to test interoperability of products and set common standards.
Smart CAN dongles are being developed to read sensors and control systems, supplying positioned data via telematics as the Big Data for real-time and post analysis.
Source：https://www.gpsworld.com/industry-experts-share-gnss-trends-in-the-ag-industry/
