Hello! I’m about to start implementing AOG auto steering on either a Steyr 8075 or Deutz DX 3.90 S for seeding corn and later hoeing that same corn. I’m doing organic corn so being able to hoe precisely along the rows is valuable. Here in Switzerland, most of our fields contain slopes. When driving parellely to the slope, heading of the tractor and moving direction diverge. The implement is therefore set off from the tractor’s track. When seeding, this divergence can’t be avoided. Ideally, the seeder is on track while the tractor is off (higher on the slope). However, the hoeing implement features two guide wheels moved by a hydraulic cylinder in order to compensate for this divergence.
So far I can imagine two ways to use AOG for seeding/hoeing on slopes:
Install the antenna on the implement itself. When seeding, the antenna is on the seeder while auto steering works on the tractor’s steering wheel. Record track while seeding. When hoeing that field, install antenna an hoeing implement. Let autosteer adjust the hoeing implement via the hydraulic cylinder which moves the guide wheels. Keep tractor in track manually.
Seeding same way as in (1.). Hoeing with two antennas; one on the hoeing implement to correct its position via hydraulics as mentioned and second antenna on the tractor to keep it on track also. This way I would require two separate AOG setups running independently.
What are your opinions on my ideas? Do you see a better way to use AOG autosteer on slopes?
Any experiences/ideas/comments are greatly appreciated!
If the pull type machine:
1 antenna + MMA + BNO on the machine should be enough. The tractor + machine should then be treated as 1 vehicle where the tractor is a steering axle and the machine is a rear axle.
Im still having problems just getting the machine to stay on the line on a sidehill at the moment, never mind the implement, watching with great interest…
Have posted regarding this problem in my other thread, but will add to this also…
The problem I find, is when in high sidehill / draft situations, or really anywhere, that requires more steer angle to maintain the line than on the level, it wont pull back to the line, It just gives x angle which it thinks will be enough, and just stays there…Its like it needs an integral or something in AOG to allow the steering error to multiply to get it to request more steering angle.
There is no problem with the PID on the arduino, that is doing its job perfectly, AOG asks for 5 degrees, it gives 5 degrees, it just wont request enough in the first place…
Its proving to be a real problem at the moment so really keen to see what solutions are available…
I have been playing with that a bit this weekend @BrianTee_Admin Brian…
I use dual antenna, so up until now have had roll source set to “none” as obviously roll calcs are done in AOG… But Franz now says its possible to use OGI as roll source, does AOG then use this purely for sidehill drift gain? And no longer do roll correction? As obviously it would be double corrected if it did…
I am curious here. Does the tractor stay as much off line on side hill, when using pp (with point under hitch) compared to Stanley (with point in front of the tractor) ?
What with the heading from dual GPS, is that 90 degree to the line between the two antennas or is it same as moving direction?
If 90 degree to antenna line, system might correct back because it thinks it has already passed the line when skidding sideways?
Without a roll source correction type you never have sidehill draft compensation. When selecting OGI it will not do the compensation twice but use the sidehill compensation slider gain to have forced steering when doing sidehill.
I am also looking for implement guidance (planter and row cultivator), but still no luck neither hardware steering itself nor software.
Trimble is too costly and I heard result not so good as expected.
What manufacturer implement guidance do you use?
Ideal config for me would be:
-dual antenna on tractor
-dual antenna on implement (for real time roll correction)
-autosteer for tractor
-autosteer for implement
-seed monitoring (why not)
Everything connected via udp wifi.
Many people prefer udp over ethernet, but for me there are too many problems with wires and connectors on the field (especially after winter), problems with 2 wires (power) much easy diagnose.
Ideally one AOG instance, but for start I want change network routing from broadcast to mDNS, maybe try in a few month, for now too much work.
Not sure about precision, but for rough terrain dual antenna will give real position.
While inclinometer used only to calculate “average” roll.
Also dual antenna give stable heading on slow speeds.
Single or double but it will always be the position of the antenna at the mounting height.
When it comes to inclination or course, there are really good results with the inclinometer and BNO. My configurations work at speeds below 0.5 km and work with an accuracy of +/- 2-3cm.
For me, the biggest benefit of a dual antenna would be a constant front / back orientation. So that the tractor in AG does not rotate when reversing.
Here’s a question for darrenjlobb:
How is it with your 2 antennas? Does AG still turn the “tractor” when reversing?
The TE-connectivity DOG2 sensor is rated at 100 Hz update rate, 12 bit resolution. Is your dual antenna roll reading more up-to-date?
I do understand the heading advantage but on the implement I believe one only needs to make difference between forward and backwards directions, 90 degree heading error might not be an issue.
I thought about this the last time regarding my trailed seed drill assembly. 2 AOG for sowing, one on the tractor, one on the seed drill. If we could record each pass sown by the seed drill, we could use them to guide the tractor to hoeing (weeding). Just an idea …
To be fair, I havent tried PP much on the hills, I guess I should, but I find PP as an all rounder dosnt seem to work to well for me with the valve / dual antena, whereas stanley is super smooth, gets on the line super easy and just drives straight as an arrow all day long…
The tractor just sits so the side of the line, but at an angle, as obviously tractor is steering up hill / drifting slightly, if point is in front the tractor, I guess this would make sense, as the point probably is on the line… just everything else behind is drifting… Wonder if moving my antenna position back (in aog) it would pull it up on the line better?
What does the hillside gain slider actually do? Move the target position to the high side of the line based on roll? If so and if i can use OGI input for roll without double calcuating the actual roll compensation, I must try this asap as this could solve alot of it…
For me dual antenna changes everything… tractor always remains pointing forwards, just moves backwards, so it never gets confused… It will stay on the line in reverse, just the same as fowards, its super super useful in the field, when planting veg, or rowing grass with single rotor rake, I just turn into the field, turn autosteer on and reverse, it will line itself up perfectly on the line and then when i go fowards its already perfectly on the line, and in heading 100%. I would highly recommend it…