Raven Industries Choose Perle Device Servers For Integration Into Slingshot®

Perle IOLAN STS4 Device Servers provide critical connectivity for GPS transmissions to optimise hydraulic-assisted steering of tractors

Nashville (I-Newswire) November 15, 2012 - Perle Systems, a global provider of advanced serial to Ethernet and secure device networking solutions, reveals that Raven Industries chose Perle Device Servers for integration into Slingshot® servers.

Today, less than 2% of the population farms for a living. Therefore, the part that machinery plays in farming automation continually increases. As a solution to minimise loss of product at harvest time, Raven Industries developed the assisted steering device – SmarTrax™. This hardware package uses GPS transmissions to ensures the tractor drives straight and true so no crops are left un-touched – something that can’t be done by the best of human drivers. In order to communicate with the on-tractor hardware, Raven Industries required a device which would be able to transmit GPS signals to Slingshot® Servers which in turn send the GPS signals to other steering devices on-board the tractor.
SmarTrax

After extensive testing, the IOLAN STS4 Device Server was selected and integrated into the Slingshot® base station. In particular, the feature in the IOLAN which allows for custom packet forwarding sealed the deal for Raven. Custom Packet Forwarding allows the user to define the packet forwarding rules based on the packet definition or the frame definition.

Clint Mundt from Raven Industries specified, “The Custom Packet Forwarding allows us to set up our Slingshot Base Station in an optimal configuration regardless of the data type and timing characteristics.”

To learn more, read the full Raven Industries Choose Perle Device Servers for integration into Slingshot® Case Study.

The SmarTrax™ can be fitted to any tractor and is the optimum solution for maximising yield and profitability while spending as little time on the field as possible.

About Raven: http://www.ravenprecision.com
Since 1978, Raven has helped define the concept of precision agriculture—and continues today to bring ground-breaking new ideas and precision products to growers around the world that improve agricultural efficiency, productivity and stewardship of the land.