ISOLynx AE50 | System gets nod by ag engineers for ISO equipment compatibility
A cross-system compatibility tool has made this year’s Top 50 new products list from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.
ISOlynx from Ally Precision Industries in Souix Falls, S.D., was chosen for its utility.
“Nearly anything you can imagine, we test it on,” said Djamel Khali of Ally.
The dream more than a decade ago was that all machinery manufacturers would work to a single ISO standard and share their systems so that farmers would be able to plug and play when heading to the field.
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The results haven’t delivered complete function compatibility across platforms, and only a handful of independent companies now build complete steering, guidance and implement management controllers that are cross-system compatible.
Khali said his system is designed to replace existing systems or upgrade basic units, “or where a farmer wants to gain full access to all of the functions on an implement.”
Ally also provides hydraulic steering control where there isn’t an existing auto-steering unit, or its ISOlynx can interface with original equipment manufacturers’ valving and controllers using existing safety circuits.
“We have CAN-based chassis control as well. It gets you one location for all of your information such as engine data, transmission information. It has pop-up warnings. You can customize the touch screen control. There is a diagnostic screen for troubleshooting the machine,” said Khali.
“There may be more than the OEM system provides. Just because a machine has an ISO plug on it doesn’t mean it will play.”
Ally began developing the system two and a half years ago. Through the acquisition of Dakota Fluid Power, it was able to offer that company’s Mobilestar telematics systems, which allowed real-time monitoring of machine locations and functions.
Using a CDMA cellular modem, the ISOLynx terminal’s data is remotely available to a farm or custom applicator’s office via its Mobilestar powered FieldLynx telematics.
“But all of this goes against many of the OEM’s principals of keeping the farmer locked up in their systems and with their dealers, using just their brands of products,” Khali said.
“And I can understand that. But this is about what is best for the farmer who doesn’t want to be using one brand for everything.”
The company has outfitted a wide variety of machines, including for producers looking to upgrade high powered Versatile tractors that have a minimum of factory installed electronics.
“It means you can have all the best in machinery management and information communication, the same as if you were running all of the latest gear from John Deere,” he said.
“And we make the Deere, Case and Agco machines talk to any other company’s implements.”
The ISOLynx system with the modem will cost about $15,000 with the FieldLynx telematics, which is similar to an OEM system upgrade.
The 12.1-inch Miller Electronics toughened touch screen terminal displays in 1024 by 768 resolution can be used in portrait or landscape orientations.
The system is capable of controlling 72 sections independently and can display up to three cameras simultaneously.
Section cutoff for overlapping and headlands and variable rate control based on shape files can run up to five products.
The unit can also provide navigation outside of the field, allowing transport maps for operators.
Optionally parallel tracking and automatic section control are available.
ISOLynx is integrated into Ag Junction software and is compatible with most office systems, including Farm Works and SST.
“We don’t store or keep any of the farmers’ data. Most of the other (OEM) systems want to do that and it makes some farmers uneasy,” said Khali.
The ISOLynx box has a pair of CAN connections, a USB 2, three camera ports, one ethernet 10/100 Mbps port and three serial interfaces.
The unit is rated for operation from -20 C to 40 C and can remain in the cab safely from -40 C to 85 C. It has 256 MB of RAM and runs on Windows CE6.
The system is compatible with receivers from Hemisphere, NovAtel, Trimble and Deere.
Khali said the system can also be custom programmed for specialized equipment or to control “stuff we haven’t thought of yet.”
For more information, contact Khali at 855-304-0444.
