Field Server Development and
Applications in Taiwan
Ye-Nu Wan
Agricultural Automation Center
National Chung Hsing University,
Taiwan
Conferences and Workshop

2003/11 “Taiwan AG-IT
conferences”
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2004/6 “AG-IT Wireless
Sensor Network Workshop”
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Dr. Hirafuji
(NARC) Dr. Ninomiya, Dr.
Hirafuji, Mr. Fukatsu, etc.
AG-IT was widely
respected & expected by
administrator because of
the conferences
2
Typical Ag-IT:
Traceability system
Field-server
Traceability IT structure
Product-ID
Production
DB
Process and
marketing DB
Production records
RFID
Farm
Raise, cultivate
Process and marketing records
Harvest
Process
Home
Transportation
Packing
Cargoes
retail sale
Trace linked using bar-code and/or RFID
From：NARC, Japen
Agricultural wireless sensor network
development and applications
IT makes
Ubiquitous & Automatic
▪ ICT and wireless technique development
▪ Measurement instrument getting smaller, modular,
networked, wireless, economic, and low power
consumption
▪ Wireless communication
▪ 802.11, Bluetooth, ZigBee or GSM
▪ Wireless sensor network (WSN)
▪ Distributed multi-channel remote monitoring and data
collecting time-shearing system
6
Price vs. performance:
agricultural wireless sensor network
▪ Crossbol: integrated commercial product
▪ Field-Server: performance & functions developing with
software, sensors, camera, wireless, even solar power
▪ Sensor module: web-AD/IO card, temperature, humidity,
sunlight, CO2, ammonia, moisture content, meteorological
sensors
▪ Wireless comm.: 802.11a/b/g AP
▪ Vision: CCD, CMOS, IR-camera
▪ Power consumption: low
7
Taiwan web-AD/IO engine
▪ web-AD/IO card
▪ 10cm x 7cm, 7.5-12V DC
▪ RJ-45 and RS-232 connectors
▪ Single chip computer
▪ PIC18F6520
▪ TTL I/O: 12 ports
▪ A/D: 10 bits, 5V, 8 ports
▪ Ethernet controller
▪ RTL8019AS
▪ IP & MAC programmable
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Sensors
• Humidity: (0-100% 
1% RH) TDK CHSUPS
• Temperature: ( 0-100
1C) LM35DZ
• NH3: (0-30PPM)
TGS2602
• CO2: (300-5000ppm)
HS-135
• Light (indoor): CDS
• Light(outdoor): solar
cell
• Camera: CCD and
CMOS, IR
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Automatic and nonstop information
collection and monitoring
Agent
program
Data collection
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Sensor calibration
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Wireless communication
▪ 802.11b/g：Wireless internet infrastructure, laptop
▪ Support TCP/IP、Ethernet, usually 2.4GHz
▪ 802.11b/11Mbps、802.11g/54Mbps, speed 1Mbps transmission
distance about 570 meter
▪ Router/Bridge types
▪ IEEE802.15.4 (ZigBee) : home set, PC, game box, toy
▪ 2.4GHz, 868MHz (European), 915MHz (US)
▪ Transmission distance about 75 meter, 20kbps～250kbps
▪ Low power consumption
▪ IEEE802.15.1 (blue tooth): m-phone, printer, medical equipment
▪ Short distance, 2.4GHz
▪ GPRS: bandwidth up to 160 Kbps
▪ Criteria: bandwidth, accessible, long term cost, technique popularity,
experience
12
Some FS
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Applications and Projects
Application:
ubiquitous and automatic information
collector
Monitoring, Management, Distance control
15
Poultry and livestock management
applications
Agricultural automation
platform and control center
▪ Front module: Web-I/O + SSR + wireless AP
▪ Confirmation module: FS (vision and movement
feedback, middle connection)
▪ Control module (remote): broker, z-transform,
intelligent control algorithm, etc.
17
Remote control application:
water sprayer cooling system
18
Food safety system issue:
Agriculture information input

Farmers and operators to use computers is
difficult


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Farmer need information but computer, farmer
earnest about profit but troublesome computer
learning
SOP？Tables？Manually？Static information？
Field server provides

Automatic, dynamic, intelligent able agriculture
data collection
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Example: Food safety issue
▪ Transparent superintend: safety and quality
check by consumer, impartial third party,
inspector in regularly, remote, routine basis
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Using Field server
User interface/Broker for internet monitoring and
management /Traceability system
Farmer
Consumer
Remote monitoring
management
Production process trace
1. Quality
2. Epidemic disease
drug residual
3. Consumers’ confidence
Third party superintend
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Project in
paddy field data collection
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Rice quality, weather data, physiology index
Improve management to increase quality
Two Universities, 5-10 experimental stations
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Application in
swine health & illness monitoring
- with RFID tracing dead swine to incinerate process
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Applications & projects
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Greenhouse
Fruit, traceability data input, cross-check
Aquatic product cultivation, fishery
Leisure farms: remote family farm
…
24
New project with RFID
in dairy farm
FieldServer ?
Mastitis inspection field
server with milk EC
25
Thank You