Agricultural Industry Electronics Foundation
Picture this: a farmer is upgrading his equipment. He chooses a tractor that he feels is perfect for him, and he buys it. Then he needs an implement for his tractor. He likes one that is a different brand, and he consults his dealer as to whether it will work. He also says he’s been considering yet a different brand for his display monitor, and asks his dealer whether these will all work together with no issues. How can a dealer be sure that these different brands will work together and provide the best advice for his customer?
With so many different manufacturers creating a wide scope of agricultural products available on the market today, this is a fairly common problem. However, when products all share the same “nerve system,” more commonly referred to as the ISOBUS, they communicate seamlessly.
Using a common language allows the farmer to use a single display to operate any implement that is connected to his tractor. This includes implement set up and basic operation, as well as more advanced operations needed for precision farming, such as automatic section control and prescription mapping.
ISOBUS: Plug and Play, Then and Now
ISOBUS is the commonly used name for electronic communication via a common CANbus between tractor and implements. Manufacturers were utilizing the first ISOBUS products almost two decades ago, with the intention of enabling different equipment, electronics and software to work harmoniously together. But communication between tractors, implements and displays from different manufacturers did not always work trouble-free. Farmers were confronted with ISOBUS solutions that were not compatible, and quickly found that the “plug-and-play promise” of ISOBUS had not been realized.
Enter the Agriculture Industry Electronics Foundation (AEF). Founded in 2008 by seven agricultural equipment manufacturers and two trade associations, the group formed to volunteer their time and resources to together resolve farmers’ incompatibility issues.
The AEF set about defining ISOBUS in terms of individual functionalities so that everybody could understand what you could actually do with an ISOBUS system, typically (but not limited to) a tractor/implement/display combination. They then created a conformance test for those functionalities.
“Plugfests” were held twice a year, bringing together competing companies from around the globe to test their products against one another for compatibility. The AEF also created a database and a mobile app so any farmer or dealer could easily see all of the ISOBUS products that have passed the conformance test, ensuring their compatibility
And that is where we are at today: hundreds of products certified and able to work seamlessly with one another, no matter the color of the paint. Plus, there is an easy way to check online for compatibility.
Please visit AEF-online.org for more information.
This article is by the Agricultural Industry Electronics Foundation (AEF), an independent organization founded in 2008 by seven international ag equipment manufacturers and two associations. Today about 250 companies belong to the AEF, working to improve cross-manufacturer compatibility of electronic and electric components in agricultural equipment, and to establish transparency about compatibility issues. You can become a member and learn more about the AEF by visiting: www.aef-online.org/home.html or contact the AEF communications team: ryan.milligan@aef-online.org