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  • Author Author: RWReynolds
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Stacked Container Hydroponics for Vertical Farming : Blog 6 Part 2 - SCADA

RWReynolds

In this blog post, I will present and explain the remainder of the design and implementation of my vertical farming SCADA system.This post is focused on system data acquisition, utilization, and logging and will serve as an overview of the data to be collected and analyzed. I will cover many of these data points in more detail in subsequent blog posts. As this system has been developed as a prototype for research and development, I will be monitoring and logging many more data points than might be practical in a production installation. This will allow me to determine those data that are most critical to an optimum cultivation environment as well as reliable, robust and energy efficient system operation.


Just to reiterate...

So, what is SCADA?

SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) is a system operating with coded signals over communication channels so as to provide control of remote equipment (using typically one communication channel per remote station). The control system may be combined with a data acquisition system by adding the use of coded signals over communication channels to acquire data about the status of the remote equipment. This data can then be used as control feedback, for HMI display, and for system data logging.



Overview of data to be monitored and logged and how it will be utilized in the system.


Table 1 defines the cultivation area data points to be monitored and logged.

Data Point SensorOutputUnit MeasureStatusFunction
Cultivation Data
Ambient TemperatureSiLabs Sensor-PuckAnalogDegrees CentigradeImplementedMonitor cultivation area temperature. Possible feedback for cultivation area automatic environmental control. For analysis of optimal cultivation temperature.
Relative HumiditySiLabs Sensor-PuckAnalogPercentageImplementedMonitor cultivation area humidity. Possible feedback for cultivation area automatic environmental control. For analysis of optimal cultivation humidity.
Ambient LightSiLabs Sensor-PuckAnalogLuxImplementedMonitor cultivation available light and verify supplemental lighting operation. For analysis of optimal cultivation lighting.
Ultra Violet LightSiLabs Sensor-PuckAnalogUV Index ValueImplementedMonitor UV index of natural lighting. For analysis of optimal cultivation UV lighting.
Sensor-Puck Battery LevelSiLabs Sensor-PuckAnalogV/mVImplementedMonitor Sensor-Puck battery usage and notification battery replacement required.
Nutrient Solution EC/TDSHomemade sensorAnalogPropsedMonitor electrical conductivity/total dissolved solids of nutrient solution. Notification of nutrient replacement required. Feedback for operation of automatic nutrient replacement system. For analysis of optimal dissolved nutrient levels.
Nutrient Solution pHHomemade sensorAnalogProposedMonitor pH (acidity/alkalinity) of nutrient solution. Notification of pH adjustment. Feedback for operation of automatic pH adjustment system. For analysis of optimal pH levels
Grow Container Moisture Level

Sunkee Soil Hygrometer

Anaog/Digital

Above/Below Threshold

Percentage of Moisture

Partialy ImplementedMonitor lowest level container of stacked container cultivation unit. Provide feedback for operation of automatic ebb and flow nutrient feed system.
Nutrient Reservoir TemperatureDS18B20 Waterproof temperature probeDigital W/One Wire Interface(9, 10, 11, or 12 bits) Binary value.

Partialy

Implemented

Monitor nutrient solution reservoir temperature. Possible feedback for operation of reservoir heating/cooling system. For analysis of optimal nutrient solution temperature.
Cultivation System Operational Data
Cultivator Rotator Operational???DigitalDry contact switch outputProposedVerify cultivator rotator system is operational. Notification of non-operational.
Nutrient Feed Timer Cycle TimeTimer hacked control lineDigitalDigital signal outputImplementedMonitor nutrient feed cycle times and durations. Verify nutrient feed timer circuit is operational. Notification of non-operational.
Nutrient Feed Pump Operational???DigitalDry contact switch outputProposedVerify nutrient feed pump is operational. Notification of non-operational.
EZR32WG Operating TemperatureController Board Si7021AnalogDegrees CentigradeImplementedMonitor MCU operating environment temperature. Possible feedback for automatic system environmental control.
EZR32WG Relative HumidityController Board Si7021AnalogPercentageImplementedMonitor MCU operating environment humidity. Possible feedback for automatic system environmental control.
EZR32WG Current usageController Board AEMAnaloguA/mA

Partialy

Implemented

Monitor MCU current usage. Feedback for low energy operation and for estimating total MCU energy usage.
Rpi Core TemperatureOnboard temp sensorAnalogDegrees CentigradeImplementedMonitor Raspberry Pi core operating temperature. Possible feedback for automatic system environmental control.
Rpi Memory UsageLinux System dataAnalogKbImplementedMonitor Raspberry Pi memory usage. Analysis for code optimization. Notification of possible memory leaks.
RPi Processor UsageLinux System dataAnalogPercentageImplementedMonitor Raspberry Pi memory usage. Analysis for code optimization. Notification of processor over usage, possible runaway threading, etc...
Total system current usageHall Effect Current SensorAnalogA/mAProposedMonitor total cultivation system current usage. For calculating and recording total cultivation system energy usage.

Table 1.



Table 2 defines the centralized control area data points to be monitored and logged.

Data Point SensorOutputUnit MeasureStatusFunction
Central Control System Operational Data
EZR32WG Operating TemperatureController Board Si7021AnalogDegrees CentigradeImplementedMonitor MCU operating environment temperature. Possible feedback for automatic system environmental control.
EZR32WG Relative HumidityController Board Si7021AnalogPercentageImplementedMonitor MCU operating environment humidity. Possible feedback for automatic system environmental control.
EZR32WG Current usageController Board AEMAnaloguA/mA

Partialy

Implemented

Monitor MCU current usage. Feedback for low energy operation and for estimating total MCU energy usage.
Rpi Core TemperatureLinux System dataAnalogDegrees CentigradeImplementedMonitor Raspberry Pi core operating temperature. Possible feedback for automatic system environmental control.
Rpi Memory UsageLinux System dataAnalogKbImplementedMonitor Raspberry Pi memory usage. Analysis for code optimization. Notification of possible memory leaks.
RPi Processor UsageLinux System dataAnalogPercentageImplementedMonitor Raspberry Pi memory usage. Analysis for code optimization. Notification of processor over usage, possible runaway threading, etc...
Total system current usageHall Effect Current SensorAnalogA/mAProposedMonitor total cultivation system current usage. For calculating and recording total cultivation system energy usage.

Table 2.

 

Wow, that's a lot of data points. But for an R&D based prototype that's just what I would expect to see. As testing moves forward I suspect some of these data points will be relevant, and collected only if there is an issue that needs to be resolved and others will be abandoned altogether. But for now I'll watch and try to analyze all of them.


Again, in subsequent blog posts, I will cover many of these data points, the sensors used to collect the data and how they will be analyzed and used as feedback for control.


Good luck to all the challengers and happy vertical farming!

 

Cheers,

Rick

Parents

  • I agree, that is a lot of data.

     

    You might want to select just a subset to start and then add the others after you get the initial set up and running.

     

    DAB

  • in reply to DAB

    It is a lot of data... image I didn't realize how many data points I was working with until I created the tables.

     

    All data points in the table with a status of Implemented have been tested. As in captured and logged to a cloud-based logging system. Those having a status of Partially Implemented have been tested as far as connecting and reading the chosen sensors, but not as far as logging is concerned. For those designated Proposed the sensors either have not been tested, have not been chosen, or have not been built in some cases. I am going to try and implement the EC sensor designed by Michael Ratcliffe .

     

    I will group data into individual log files based on the area or system from which they are collected. i.e. Cultivator data, cultivation system (control electronics) data, etc... The logging system I'm using, InitialState.com, provides a very nice data visualizer and allows for real-time event logging as well as import and export of formatted data files. I believe Charles Gantt is also now using it to log data from his Foginator Halloween project.

     

    Currently, my electronics are all disassembled while I get them installed in a project box and permanently wired. But the cultivator is completed and set up. So when I get the controller box put back together I'll start collecting whole system test data. When this is all running I'll create a blog post that demonstrates the entire system and provides access to the logged data.

     

    I meant to include in my last blog post a link to some of the test data I've already captured. You can see it in the links below.

     

    This is test data from the EFM32ZG and the SiLabs Sensor-Puck. I know have the EZR32WG MCUs so when I get everything back up I'll be logging data from that.

     

    https://www.initialstate.com/app#/tiles/8873fa75-fc12-4122-9893-a51a002b9aa2

     

    Cheers,

    Rick

  • in reply to m.ratcliffe

    It's coming along. Looks like you've been busy as well! I am going to go back through all your EC posts shortly. There'll probably be lots of questions. image

     

    I was lucky and got a beta testers pricing at Initial State. Otherwise, I'd be doing it all from scratch as well. Not terribly hard, just time consuming. You can get plenty of free cloud hosting that will let you put up a LAMP stack and run it through a visualizer API. I haven't looked very deeply into this, but Google offers one. Don't know if it's free or pay, though. Probably a little of both. At some point, I intend to try it out.

     

    https://developers.google.com/chart/?hl=en

  • in reply to RWReynolds

    I feel like i've been going slow almost backwards, really need to get working on that opensource spectrometer, to really take the projects to the next level.

    I've got access to a SQL, hopefully it will be open for anyone to use for aquaponics logging once I have tested it out, A friendly guy at one of the local aquaponics meets has set it up on one of his servers.

     

    I's there somewhere on Element14 for a forum type post, we could do with a main page for the open spectrometer work. So anyone can contribute and see what we come up with.

  • in reply to m.ratcliffe

    Michael Ratcliffe wrote:

     

    I's there somewhere on Element14 for a forum type post, we could do with a main page for the open spectrometer work. So anyone can contribute and see what we come up with.

    Would starting a 'discussion' meet your needs?

  • in reply to gadget.iom

    Thanks for the reply Paul, I'm not used to the layout of element14 yet.

     

    I would like a page to discuss the idea, a main page[or post that is kept to update] and a few sub sections below for discussing things that need more work before making their way to the main post. If possible with the whole thing open so anyone can contribute/make changes to the main post.

     

    Does that sound like a discussion?

  • in reply to m.ratcliffe

    It sounds very much like a discussion. Think of a discussion as a single thread in a traditional forum.

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