The fully remote Edge Controller from T-L Irrigation Co. allows irrigators the power to monitor and control pivot operations any time, any place, a Sept. 21 news release said. The controller is installed on the end tower allowing for increased accuracy and reliability of pivot function.
“Remote telemetry allows the operator to monitor and control the pivot from any connected device anywhere in the world,” Neal Schlautman, T-L Irrigation Co. engineering manager, said in the release. “Changing the controller location means all sensor input and commands are centralized to where the work takes place—at the end of the pivot.”
This also moves the pivot water pressure sensor at the end tower. The release noted this is optimal as it ensures the entire system is reaching the necessary water pressure for consistent, uniform application. The water pressure sensor is wired directly into the Edge Controller as are sensors and control valves for other critical functions like direction control, GPS position, and end tower speed—streamlining the overall wiring system.
Each sensor and control function requires its own wire, the release said. When a controller is installed at the pivot point, each wire—and the information it carries—must travel through the collector ring and the length of the pivot to the end tower. With the Edge Controller, the potentially half mile long span cable is reduced to just a few feet. Only a 24-volt DC power is required in the span cable.
The Edge Controller provides closed-loop speed control. The release noted real-time data is constantly incoming, and adjustments are being made right at the end tower to provide precise pivot speed. When combined with the steady movement of T-L Irrigation hydrostatic drives, this system provides exceptionally even, precise application—all controlled and monitored remotely.
“Through remote operation, increased accuracy, and improved reliability, the Edge Controller allows irrigators to be a better steward of their water, crops, and time,” Schlautman said.
The Edge Controller and the Edge Solar Option are available for new systems and can be easily retrofitted to existing systems, the release said.
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