Communication among family members, employees, suppliers and service providers is critical to helping your farm stay efficient and productive. Imagine if those lines of communication extended to your different makes and models of equipment, displays and software. That’s where ISOBUS can help.
Technology continues to be a boon for agriculture. But the lack of compatibility among technology platforms, equipment and implements poses a serious challenge. With so many proprietary solutions, components often do not interact smoothly or may not interact at all. Each implement and tractor requires its own display to make data exchange and machine control possible — sort of like if you had to carry a separate cellphone to talk to each person involved in your operation.
Working to reduce cab clutter
Agricultural equipment manufacturers around the world came together under the International Standards Organization (ISO) and agreed on ISOBUS as the universal protocol for electronic communication between implements, tractors and computers.
Technical development of ISOBUS began in 1991, leading to the introduction of ISO 11783 as the standard for tractors and implements in 2001. This guidance has helped unify communication, create compatibility to enable implements and machines to communicate regardless of manufacturer. Ultimately, the goal is plug and play capability for every combination. That would mean one ISOBUS display, such as the Case IH AFS Pro 700 Display, in the tractors or sprayer to control any implements or applications.
Consider these ISOBUS advantages:
- Simplification: One display in the cab controls several implements and applications, regardless of manufacturer.
- User-friendly: ISOBUS standardizes the control settings, reduces downtime, minimizes interface problems during installation and eliminates the need for calibration across platforms.
- Easy connections: The standardized, nine-pin plug makes it easy to connect different implements to your tractor.
- Less expense: You only have to purchase one display for equipment of all makes and models.
- Increased efficiency: Easily exchange data between your PC and the display.
- Actionable data: ISOBUS is essential for producing flawless precision farming documentation that helps you to optimize your operation.
Real-world, on-the-farm benefits
ISOBUS continues to play an important and growing role within Case IH Advanced Farming Systems (AFS). For example, one of our latest innovations, AFS Soil Command™, available on the Tiger-Mate® 255 field cultivator, relies on ISOBUS to report and display seedbed information and allows you measure and optimize the agronomic quality of your seedbed floor — right from the tractor cab.
From planting through harvest, ISOBUS facilitates variety tracking, so you can gather data in the spring for up to 30 different seed varieties per field. The technology matches seed varieties up with yield and moisture data tracked at harvest to help you easily and accurately analyze variety performance.
Throughout the growing season, AFS ISOBUS gives you the power to view and control your applications through your ISO-compliant display. Track everything from dry and liquid fertilizer to anhydrous ammonia and slurry applications. Our sprayer application system provides a live view of sprayer performance, up to 10-boom section control and manual or variable rate application.
It’s easy to see how ISOBUS technology already is making significant progress in helping all your equipment deliver its full potential. If you would like to learn more about how this new level of communication can benefit your operation, talk to your Case IH dealer.
