DitchFlow’s new land irrigation sensor leverages Nordic’s nRF9160 SiP integrated with a 64 MHz Arm Cortex-M33 application processor into relay sensors for data via LTE-M/NB-IoT to the cloud. Users can utilize remote notifications (email / text) when irrigation water reaches a specified level. The sensor can notify up to six individuals when triggered so decisions on water changes can be decided. “We realized cellular IoT was our best solution to ensure reliable connectivity,” says Mamer. “The level of integration and low power consumption were key elements in our decision to then employ the Nordic nRF9160 SiP in our Land Irrigation Sensor,” said Ryan Mamer, Owner, DitchFlow
Incorporated into the SiP is a multimode LTE-M/NB-IoT modem for secure transmissions to the cloud via cellular or IoT network as well as an integrated RF Front End (RFFE). The solution decreases the need to walk around a field checking irrigation flow. Mamer continues, Thanks to the land Irrigation sensor, once the irrigator is notified, they can simply go to the ditch where the water is delivered and change the ‘set’ – taking away the human error associated with not knowing when the water will reach that specific point. In this sense the solution helps support sustainability goals by conserving fuel and saving time.”
Source : Embedded Computing Design