Avaliação de um módulo de interface para sistema de aplicação localizada de insumos líquidos a taxas variáveis.

Abstract

Modern agriculture searches for new technologies for the application of nutrients with greater precision. In order to achieve that, it has been necessary to develop more adequate machines, with higher operation capacity and precision. Now a days, the development of such machines tends towards automation and the introduction of embed electronic systems. The aim of this work was the evaluation of an Interface Module (MDI) developed to be used in a system for application of liquid products, proposed by the Control and Instrumentation Laboratory (LIC) from the Faculty of Agricultural Engineering at Unicamp. The function of the MDI is to receive the information proceeding from the Control Module, carry out the readings of the field sensors, process all this data and command the peripherals involved in the application. In order to assure the precision of the application, proportional valves, which have been developed by the LIC, activated by servo-motors and controlled by modulated signals through pulse width (PWM), have been used. Due to the limitations of the speeding process of micro-controllers and the cost of equipment, hardware and software have been developed, aiming to optimize the functions performed by the MDI to enable the operation with only one micro-controller. The results of the valuation have shown that the MDI has surpassed the performance required by the application system of liquid nutrients.