Hectare 5 — Quick Start Guide

Hectare 5 · Quick Start Guide — document AS01.01.04.03.000, firmware v1.0.20. The panel speaks English; this guide quotes the screen as you see it. Questions your machine raises and this page does not answer: support@agriwelt.com — an engineer answers, not a bot. Download as PDF.

1General information

This quick start guide describes the seeding control system with the Hectare 5 control panel for grain seed drills and seeding combinations: switching on, operating with the finger, the screens, the first setup and the work in the field. Document AS01.01.04.03.000, version 1.1.

How to read this guide

• NOTE highlights supplementary information, for example the description of additional functions.
• IMPORTANT highlights information that must be observed.
• (Operator) marks menu items and parameters that are always available to the user.
• (Agronomist) marks hidden menu items and parameters that require the Agronomist access level. The PIN for it is given in the passport of the system.
• Tap means: touch the screen and release at once. Hold means: touch the screen and keep the finger there until the function is executed.

What the system does

Hectare 5 — the seeding control system with a control panel (hereinafter the system) — is made by Agriwelt GmbH.

Functions of the system:

• monitoring and display of the seed flow through the seed tubes in real time; alarm when the seeding intensity drops;
• alarm on a blocked seed tube or a missing seed flow, with the number of the tube;
• recording of the worked area, split into the area sown and the area not sown;
• detailed statistics of the seeding process;
• monitoring of the speed of the seed drill with a warning when it leaves the set limits;
• alarm on a low seed level in the hoppers;
• alarm when the metering shafts do not turn;
• optionally, control of the speed of the metering shafts depending on the speed of the seed drill, with an alarm when it leaves the set limits;
• optionally, recording of the weight of seed applied by the metering units, with an alarm when it leaves the set limits;
• alarm when the fan speed leaves the set limits;
• display of the air pressure at the fan outlet and alarm when it leaves the set limits;
• monitoring of the working position of the seed drill by a sensor;
• monitoring and display of the dry fertilizer flow through the lines; alarm when the fertilizer intensity drops; alarm on a blocked line or a missing flow, with the number of the line; alarm on a low fertilizer level in the hoppers;
• monitoring of the sensors of the autonomous fan drive engine: low oil pressure, no battery charge, ignition key position.

Contact

Agriwelt GmbH, Hackhofergasse 1, 1190 Vienna, Austria. Phone +43 664 156 4910, e-mail info@agriwelt.com. Technical questions: support@agriwelt.com.

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2Appearance and controls

The control panel consists of four parts:

• the screen, through which the panel is operated — there are no buttons;
• the touch-sensitive on/off switch at the top of the housing: to switch on or off, hold the hand there for three seconds;
• the bracket of the control panel;
• the connector for the cables: speed sensor, sensor network, power supply and the other devices listed in the passport.

The gestures

The control panel has no buttons. Every action is performed with the finger on the screen:

Action	Gesture
Open the menu	Tap the home screen with two fingers.
Leave the menu	Touch the free, darkened area of the screen outside the menu.
Scroll up or down	Touch the screen and swipe up or down.
Change a value (item marked with “−” and “+”)	Touch the item and swipe left or right.
Switch the working screen (home screen, table, statistics)	Tap with two fingers and swipe left or right.
Go to the home screen	Tap with three fingers.
Open the context menu of a sensor	Touch the column of the sensor on the home screen for a few seconds.
Set the alarm threshold automatically	Double-tap the area of the columns.
Change a digit in the entry window	Touch the digit and swipe up or down.
Change the field on the “Statistics” screen	Tap with two fingers and swipe left or right.

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3Basics of the interface

Switching on

Right after switching on, the screen of the control panel shows the loading screen with the logo and the firmware number. During this time the panel searches for all connected devices. Then the home screen opens.

The working screens

The control panel has several working screens:

• the home screen;
• the table view of the seeding;
• the statistics (“Statistics”);
• depending on the equipment, further screens, for example the screen of the electric motors.

You switch between the working screens by tapping with two fingers and swiping left or right — like turning the pages of a book. Tapping with three fingers returns from any screen to the home screen.

Menu and context menu

The system parameters are changed through the menu and the context menus. The main menu opens when you tap the home screen with two fingers.

The main menu holds the items “Volume”, “Language”, “Buttons sound”, “Change Date&Time”, “Alarm delay”, “Seeding machine parameters” and “User” — the access level.

Tapping an indicator on the home screen — for example the speed — opens the context menu of that sensor with its settings.

The context menu of the speed sensor, for example, holds “Information”, “Speed calibration”, “Pulses”, “Count period”, “Diameter, cm”, “Factor, %”, “Seeding criteria”, “Min speed, km/h”, “Max speed, km/h”, “Imitation, km/h” and “Reset to defaults”.

If a menu item performs an action, the action is triggered by a short tap on the item. If the item leads to another menu, the tap opens that menu. You leave the menu by touching the darkened area outside it.

Changing values

If a menu item changes a parameter, its value is framed by the characters “−” and “+” when the item is selected. To change it, touch the item and swipe left or right — for example “Language”, “Volume” or “Width, cm”.

Entering numbers

For some parameters a number entry window opens. It holds the name of the parameter and a number field. The digit that can be changed is shown black on a blue background. To change its value, touch the digit and swipe up or down.

Windows that ask, and windows that tell

Before some actions the control panel asks — for example whether a sensor should really be taken out of control. You answer with the “Yes” and “No” buttons in the window.

Message windows show the results of actions. Such windows close by themselves or when any place of the screen is tapped.

Alarm windows

The alarm window holds:

• [1] the text describing the fault;
• [2] the type of the sensor for which the alarm was raised;
• [3] the list of sensor numbers, if the system has several sensors of the same type and the same alarm was raised for them.

To close the alarm window, tap the “Close” button.

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4Setting up the control panel

This chapter describes the sequence of actions needed to configure the control panel when the system is installed and commissioned.

Connecting and checking

1. Connect all devices to the control panel according to the diagram in the passport of the system and switch on the power supply.
2. Check the basic settings of the control panel and make sure the devices of the system are connected:
   • check the profile settings;
   • if the profile settings do not match the configuration of the system, set the profile anew;
   • check the connection between the control panel and the sensors.

General system settings

3. In the menu “Seeding machine parameters”:
   • “Width, cm” (Agronomist) — enter the working width of the seed drill;
   • “Mode of seeding” (Agronomist) — check the seeding control mode; for grain seed drills it must be “Flow”;
   • “Mode of fertilizers” (Agronomist) — check the fertilizer control mode; it must be “Flow” as well.

First configuration of the sensors

4. For the sensors used in the system, set the following parameters. You open the context menu of a sensor by touching its indicator on the home screen for a few seconds.

Speed sensor

• “Diameter, cm” (Agronomist);
• “Impulses” (Agronomist);
• “Speed calibration” (Agronomist) — calibrate the speed sensor.

Rotation sensors of the metering shafts

• “Period, s” (Operator);
• “Rotation speed control” (Agronomist) — if needed, switch the speed control on and run a calibration;
• “Weight control” (Agronomist) — if needed, switch the weight control of the seed on and run a calibration.

Fan speed sensors

• “Impulses” (Agronomist);
• “Minimum, rpm” (Operator);
• “Maximum, rpm” (Operator).

Pressure sensors

• “Filter” (Agronomist);
• “Minimum, Pa” (Operator);
• “Maximum, Pa” (Operator).

Working position sensor

• “Transporting position signal” (Agronomist).

Sensors of the fan drive engine

• “Activation signal” (Agronomist) — check the settings of the sensors monitoring the fan drive engine.

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5Operating the system

Before the work

Before the work in the field, run the following calibrations:

• calibration of the speed sensor (Agronomist) — “Speed calibration” in the context menu of the speed sensor;
• calibration of the metering units (Agronomist) — needed only if their speed is controlled depending on the speed of the seed drill, or if the weight of the seed is monitored.

At the start of the work, first open the “Statistics” screen and make sure the required active field is selected. If you start work on a new field, select the active field and then reset its statistics to zero.

The alarm threshold

On the home screen, in the control mode of the system, set the alarm threshold of the seeding intensity. The threshold is shown in the diagram of the seed sensors as a figure and as the control line under the columns.

The easiest way is automatic: tap the area of the columns twice in quick succession (double-tap). The control panel then sets the threshold itself so that the columns stand at the required level above the control line.

If the weight control of the seed by electric motors is active, change the target rate in the main window by touching the rate indicator for a few seconds.

Checking the control parameters of the sensors

Then check the control parameters of the sensors that change with the kind of work. For this, enter the sensor configuration mode — touch the column of the sensor for a few seconds.

For every rotation sensor of the metering shafts

• “Period, s” (Operator).

For every fan speed sensor

• “Minimum, rpm” (Operator);
• “Maximum, rpm” (Operator).

For every pressure sensor

• “Minimum, Pa” (Operator);
• “Maximum, Pa” (Operator).

For the seed sensors and, separately, for the fertilizer sensors

• “Fraction” (Operator);
• “Correction” (Operator).

The access level

Before the work, make sure the “Operator” access level is selected: main menu, item “User”. At any other level no alarm messages are shown.

The work

The system is now ready. Seeding can begin. A few seconds after the seeding starts, the system enters the control state; this is signalled by one long beep.

During the work, check the readings of the sensors on the home screen: the speed, the fan speed, the pressure, the level in the hoppers, the rotation of the metering shafts and the diagram of the seed sensors. A column that falls onto the control line reports a section that no longer sows; the control panel opens an alarm window with the number of the section (chapter 3, Alarm windows).

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