Integration with Trimble

10/27/2021

The SatAgro platform can integrate with Trimble’s cloud tools. This allows your device information to be shared with SatAgro. Then we can send prescription maps created on our platform to your Trimble account or directly to one of your Trimble terminals.

Photo of a Trimble GFX-350 terminal in the cab.
Trimble GFX-350 terminal. Source: trimble.com.

Sending prescription maps to Trimble

To upload our variable rate prescription maps to your Trimble account, simply select one of the Trimble terminals available in the Terminal field when creating a fertilization or crop protection treatment.

After creating a treatment, you will find a “Send to” button at the bottom of the module. When you click on it, the “Trimble Connected Farm” option will appear as on the attached image.

Screenshot of the option to send an application map to Trimble before authorization
Fragment from the module for creating application maps with the option of sending the map to Trimble before authorization.

Authorization proces

If this is the first time you want to send your maps to Trimble, or you haven’t used this option for a while, when you click on the “Trimble Connected Farm” button, a popup will appear indicating authorization process start. When it is complete, SatAgro will access your Trimble terminal data. This allows you to send application maps directly to a specific terminal or to your organization without using a USB stick.

To start the process, simply click on the “Authorize in Trimble” button and you will be taken to the Trimble login page. There you will need to log in using your Trimble Ag username and password.

Popup with authorization process start information.
Information popup starting the SatAgro authorization process at Trimble.
Sign in dialog in Trimble Ag.
A fragment of the login page on the Trimble Ag platform.

The authorization process consists of several steps in which you must log into your Trimble Ag Software account and approve the integration of your organization’s data with SatAgro.

After logging into Trimble, you will see a connection notice where you just need to Allow the connection between SatAgro and Trimble in the popup that appears as soon as you enter your account, as shown in the image below.

Screenshot with the authorization dialog of the connection between SatAgro and Trimble.
Connection authorization screen between SatAgro and Trimble on the Trimble Ag platform.

The final step in the authorization process is to assign permissions to SatAgro to access your organization’s data. As you will usually only have one organization, simply select it from the list and click Save. This step is only necessary if you are authorizing SatAgro for the first time. Once the whole process is complete you will be sent back to the SatAgro platform.

Screenshot with the authorization screen to allow access to organization's data.
Access permissions screen to get access to SatAgro to the data of a given organization.

Sending prescription maps to Trimble

Once you have linked your Trimble account to SatAgro and created a treatment where you have selected one of this manufacturer’s terminals, it will be possible to upload the prescription map to the Trimble Ag platform. Now if you click on the “Send to” button at the bottom of the treatment details sheet, you will be presented with different options to send it to Trimble. You can choose to send the created maps to your Trimble account or directly to a terminal.

An example with a list of organisations and devices received from Trimble to which a prescription map created in SatAgro can be sent after the authorization process.

Displaying uploaded prescription maps in Trimble

Once you have sent your prescription map, it will appear in the Prescriptions section of the Trimble Ag platform. To check it, simply log into the Trimble platform and select Field from the top menu, then Prescriptions from the side menu.

A screenshot of the list of application maps in Trimble Ag.
List with application maps sent to Trimble Ag.

If you have sent the map directly to one of your terminals, you can access it directly from that terminal. To do this, depending on the model you have, you will need to follow different steps. You can check how to load an application map to a particular Trimble terminal through the following drop-down menu:

TMX-2050

Variable rate prescription maps created in SatAgro are fully compatible with Trimble TMX-2050 terminals. To import a prescription maps into a TMX-2050 terminal you can either download the maps from the SatAgro precision treatment creation module or send them directly to your terminal using Trimble Ag cloud solutions.

Trimble TMX-2050 terminal. Source: trimble.com.

Importing prescription maps from USB

To import prescription maps from a USB stick to a TXM-2050 terminal, the USB stick must contain a strictly defined file structure. To receive the data correctly prepared remember to specify the terminal model when creating the prescription map. When the map is ready just click on “Download > terminal format” in the SatAgro precision treatment creation module.

To avoid difficulties, it is best to use an empty USB 2.0 stick on which you can copy the folder that is created after unzipping the file downloaded from the SatAgro platform. After copying this folder from your computer to the USB stick continue with the following instructions:

  1. Insert the USB into the USB port of the TMX-2050 terminal.
  2. Touch the bottom right corner of the screen.
  3. A list of different notifications will appear.
  4. Click on the USB icon
  5. The terminal will display the USB options menu, among which you will have the File transfer option.
  6. Press on the icon to transfer the files from the USB memory stick to the terminal.

After this step the prescription maps should be already imported in your Trimble and everything should now be ready for you to work with the maps on your terminal.

Use of prescription maps in a TXM-2050 terminal

Whether you have loaded the maps from a USB stick or the maps have been transferred via the SatAgro integration with Trimble to use the prescription map on a TMX-2050 terminal, it is necessary:

  • adjust and confiture the parameters of the equipment (spreader, sprayer, etc.) controlled by the terminal,
  • select the field in which you will carry out the treatment,
  • assign the prescription map to the field.

Prescription map configuration

Before using a prescription map to treat your field, it is necessary to adjust its parameters. To do so, follow the steps below:

  1. In the Run menu click on the prescription map icon .
  2. From the list of active channels that will appear, select the one you want to use for the treatment.
  3. Then you should be able to select the file to be used by clicking on the option Prescription File Name.
  4. Select the prescription map from the available files.
  5. Confirm the section by pressing Next.
  6. Select the Column name with the dose values. For SatAgro maps select the DOSE column.
  7. Then select the column with the units in which the dose values are given (Column Units).
  8. The last necessary step is to set the behaviour of the equipment when it leaves the zones defined in the prescription map (When outside Prescription). You can select between:
    • Close: the equipment will stop spreading the used product,
    • Last Rate: last used value of the prescription map,
    • Default Rate: default rate set manually when performing the setup.

Once all parameters have been configured, press Finish and confirm to save the prescription map data to the terminal.

Loading the map to be used on a treatment

Once you are in the field to perform the precision treatment indicated on the configured map, you only need to perform the following actions to get started:

  • In the Run menu it is necessary to click on the button to switch to variable dose control mode.
  • Then in the dose control mode, click on the icon for the dose to be set by the prescription map configured.
  • To return to manual dose mode, press the prescription map icon once more.

CFX-750

Terminal CFX-750 oferuje najważniejsze funkcje związane z rolnictwem precyzyjnym w tym prace z mapami aplikacyjnymi zmiennego dawkowania tworzone w SatAgro. Jest to intuicyjne urządzenie, które pozwala na łatwe wykonywanie najczęstszych zadań rolniczych, redukując czas pracy i zwiększając wydajność gospodarstwa.

Wyświetlacz GFX-750 - Trimble Agriculture
Terminal Trimble CFX. Source: trimble.com

Importowanie map aplikacyjnych

Uwaga: w polskojęzycznej instrukcji obsługi Trimble CFX-750 mapy aplikacyjne nazywane są „opisami”

Przy tworzeniu nowy zabiegu w module do zabiegów precyzyjnych w SatAgro, należy pamiętać o prawidłowym określeniu nazwy terminala. Żeby pobrać wynikającą mapę aplikacyjną, w dolnej część trzeba nacisnąć w przycisk “Pobierz > format terminala”. W ten sposób otrzymasz odpowiednio przygotowany folder który, po rozpakowaniu wystarczy skopiować do zewnętrznej pamięci USB.

Aby importować mapy aplikacyjne do komputerów pokładowych Trimble, nośnik USB musi zawierać ściśle określoną strukturę plików i nie zawierać innych danych lub starych map aplikacyjnych. Aby uniknąć utrudnień, do transferu danych najlepiej korzystać z pustego pendrive’a USB 2.0, na który skopiować możemy katalog przygotowany przez SatAgro.

Wgrywanie map aplikacyjnych

  1. Nośnik USB wkładamy do gniazda USB terminala CFX-750.
  2. Aby wgrać dane, w widoku Settings > Data > Manage data (Ustawienia > Dane > Zarządzaj danymi) naciskamy „USB”, po czym wybieramy Retrieve data (Wczytywanie danych).
  3. Możemy teraz wybrać z listy mapę aplikacyjną, którą chcemy wgrać do pamięci wewnętrznej wyświetlacza CFX-750.

Korzystanie z map aplikacyjnych

  1. W widoku Guidance screen (Ekran prowadzenia) naciskamy przycisk pola, aby utworzyć nowe lub wybrać istniejące pole.
  2. Wyświetlacz CFX-750 szuka w pamięci wewnętrznej plików powiązanych z polem; po wyznaczeniu lub wybraniu przez użytkownika pola wyświetlany jest następujący ekran:

    z którego wybrać możemy interesującą nas mapę aplikacyjną.
  3. W kolejnym kroku musimy określić szereg parametrów mapy aplikacyjnej:

     

    1. Rate Column (kolumna dawki) – nazwa kolumny zawierającej wartości dawek, w przypadku map aplikacyjnych SatAgro – „Rate”.
    2. Rate Units (jednostki dawki) – jednostki, w których zdefiniowaliśmy dawki: kilogramy lub litry na hektar.
    3. Scale Factor (czynnik skalujący) – wartość, przez którą przemnożone zostaną dawki. Jeżeli nie rozcieńczamy nawozu i chcemy stosować dawki zdefiniowane w kreatorze mapy aplikacyjnej, pomijamy to ustawienie lub definiujemy jako „1”.
    4. Rate Outside Prescription (dawka poza mapą aplikacyjną) – dawka, jaką chcemy zastosować poza granicami mapy aplikacyjnej. Jeżeli mapa aplikacyjna obejmuje cały obszar na którym chcemy nawozić, najlepiej ustawić wartość „0”.
  4. Zatwierdzamy wybraną mapę i wprowadzone wartości parametrów naciskając zielony ptaszek.