Novel technology for tractor and implement control is putting greater opportunities for bespoke solutions in the hands of operators.
Kuhn’s latest ISOBUS technology, for example, includes a “smart” joystick that can not only be configured with functions placed where the operator wants them but also with appropriate icons to match.
Individual control configurations can already be set-up on certain joysticks, allowing operators to allocate functions such as electric spool valves to whichever buttons or switches an operator finds handiest.
But unlike joysticks with pre-allocated, immovable functions that can be labelled with relevant icons, identifying functions on a configurable joystick involves nothing more sophisticated than sticking labels on it.
That all changes with the A3 ISOBUS-compatible joystick developed by Competence Centre Isobus, an electronics business formed by a consortium of European implement makers to create control and display products for its members.
The A3 replaces joystick buttons and switches with a small adaptable touch screen displaying bespoke function symbols.
To cater for different types of implement and the number of control functions required, the screen is divided by clip-on frames in a choice of shapes, sizes and layouts.
The screen automatically responds to whichever frame is attached and operators have some autonomy over which segments control which functions to suit individual preferences and priorities.
To mimic the tactile response of a mechanical switch or button, the controller vibrates when one of the screen segments is touched and an audible signal is emitted.
The joystick is connected to one of CCI’s display consoles, including the new CCI 800, which is an 8in screen alternative to the current CCI 1200
It can operate with precision farming applications such as section control, variable rate application, work recording and documentation, in addition to providing operator control through a common layout and icons that are standardised for all compatible implements.
Farmers who like the ISOBUS concept can now adapt non-compatible implements to exchange data with an ISOBUS-equipped tractor using the iQblue module from Lemken.
The module, which is plugged into the tractor’s ISOBUS socket, gathers data from sensors added to key mechanisms on the implement and passes them into the tractor’s electronics system.
This will activate a common display on the in-cab universal terminal and functionalities can include tractor-implement control, which enables the machine to trigger selected functions on the tractor – such as automatically bringing the tractor to a halt when round baling while the binding net is applied.
Also, the iQblue module is equipped with GPS and a mobile data connection, which means it can transmit via Agrirouter – a multi-manufacturer platform – into farm computer records.
