IAN WARE SEPTEMBER 2016
Making your farm a modern, connected workplace
• Improve efficiency and profit with time and labour
savings
• Improvements in Water use efficiency
• Increases in production and yields
• Making more informed farm management decisions
• Access to information and advisers real-time
Why adopt new technology?
• Connectivity is the limiting factor in the adoption of new technology, particularly in rural areas.
• Maximising the speed and coverage of your internet service will provide the best access to information and services as well as allowing the adoption of new technologies
Adopting New Technology
Internet Options Preference
1. NBN Fibre
2. NBN Wireless
3. ADSL 2+
4. NBN “Skymuster” Satellite
5. 4G/3G Mobile Broadband
6. Relay of NBN Wireless
The relaying of NBN Wireless is the most expensive option, but only in initial setup costs. NBN Skymuster is a cheaper option, with the relay being considered for clients with large download requirements or clients using software not compatible with the satellite service (cloud based services, Virtual Private Networking)
Internet Connection Speeds
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Dial Up Old SatelliteBroadband
(ISS)
3G MobileBroadband
4G MobileBroadband
NBN"Skymuster"
Satellite
NBN FixedWireless
ADSL2+ NBN Fibre
Co
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ecti
on
Sp
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(M
bp
s)
Upload Speed
Download Speed
• NBN Fibre and NBN Wireless currently being rolled out in Australia
• NBN Fibre is available in cities and major centres only so NBN Wireless is the most likely form of NBN in rural locations
• www.nbnco.com.au
• Limited connections, so when it does become available sign up fast
National Broadband Network (NBN)
• In rural areas most users will have some form of wireless internet connection – NBN is not the only provider (Internode, Countrytel)
• Fixed Wireless connections have a directional antenna mounted on the exterior of your building pointing at a tower– Need line of sight to the NBN tower, be within 10km of the tower
– Range typically up to 20km
Fixed Wireless / WiMax
NBN “Skymuster” Satellite Service
30x more capacity than the Interim Satellite Service (ISS)135Gbps of capacity compared to just 4Gbps on the Interim Satellite Service (ISS)
Services are being sold and installed, but waiting lists are months for installation
Nominally either a 12/1Mbps or a 25/5Mbps service but with peaks and troughs, latency issues
DO NOT exceed your data allowance, NBN Fair Use Policy has very strict usage
Some services, particularly cloud based apps may not work with the satellite system due to latency
– The signal strength is affected by weather conditions, terrain, distance from the nearest transmission tower and the number of other users on the network
– The reliability and speed of your service can be improved with the use of an external antenna
– Voice and data need to be addressed separately
3G/4G Mobile Internet Coverage
NBN Rollout Map
Tower Locations: Search
• Oztower.com
As well as NBN tower searches, this site is also useful for locating phone towers which will assist in setting up directional antennas for phone/mobile broadband devices
Case Study: Relaying an NBN connection
Client has a house outside of the NBN service area
BUT…….
• Has a shearing shed on the property that is within the NBN service area
• The house has line of sight from the shearing shed
Case Study
Shearing Shed
View of the house from the shearing shed
Distance from shearing shed to House site: 3.3km
Connectivity Solution: Install NBN connection onto Shearing Shed, relay signal to the house site
Link Analysis
Link Analysis
Terrain analysis
No line of sight to the tower using a 15m tower at the winery -> increase the height of the tower OR go to a different location on the property (shed) and relay from the shed to the winery
Case Study
2 x 120 degree sector antennas
NBN dish
Case Study: relay point
Relay installed at Machinery Shed
Extending WiFi across the property
• 900Mhz/2.4/5GHz wireless system
• Internet connection connects to Rocket radio M5 unit
• Basestation 90o Sector Antenna+ Nanostation M5 at each location
– 8 -10km range
• Picostation radio Antenna unit
– Create 500m Wifi range
• Solar Powered remote camera
• Solar powered live view camera
• Tank and Irrigation monitoring
• Weather Station
• RFID Pipe Reader for eartags
• uSee system: www.farmapps.com.au
Remote Monitoring
• Not just IP cameras, but some software systems are now very customisable
• Cross line technology
– Gateways, fence lines, stock movement etc
Security / CCTV
Source: axis.com
• Requires WiFi
• Allows user to monitor and control a remote engine through a standard web browser interface
• Start, throttle and stop an engine from a computer or your smartphone
• Engine faults sent via email and SMS
Engine Management
Source: murcal.com
• Ethernet I/O for relay control, data acquisition and remote monitoring
• Connect any device, switch it on/off and monitor it
Control by Web
• Level
• Flow and Total Flow
• Pressure
• Any Digital Switch and Analog
• Tanks / Reservoirs
• Cathodic Protection
• Pipelines
• Pumps
Wireless Sensor Applications
Level
Pressure
Flow
Electronic ID (EID)
Source: www.gallagher.com.au
Weighing and Data Collection
Source: www.gallagher.com.au
• Weight crate and 3way draft module
• Drafting is one man operation as drafting is controlled my machine
• High stock throughput
• Used in conjunction with EID reader
Sheep Auto Drafter
Source: www.gallagher.com.au
• Batteries in tag have life 3years
• GPS calculates location when a single receiver triangulates signals received from 3 base stations
• Base stations are located within 10-20km of the tags
• The triangulated position is accurate within 5-15m
• The eartags weigh just 15-20g
Taggle – GPS Tracking
Take home messages
• Choose the best internet connection available to you
• If connectivity does not exist in your area, create it
• Use networking to bring WiFi to the paddock
• Start deploying new technology and equipment
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