The digitalization of production processes has revolutionized traditional agricultural processes, which are now more productive, more sustainable and safer. But it also raises the issue of developing a common communication protocol that will allow different types of mechanical vehicles to communicate with each other.
The application of digital technologies is based on the exchange and sharing of a huge amount of data between tractors and operating machines, and the equipment being controlled in order to optimize cultivation operations. There is the possibility that every manufacturer could develop its own unique machine language which would only pertain to its own brand of vehicles and not to those of other manufacturers, who are often competitors. The inability to communicate would thus significantly limit the scope of 4.0 technologies, thereby penalizing the entire primary sector.
Exactly for this reason, the Agricultural Electronics Foundation (AEF) – an independent association composed of eight equipment manufacturing companies, three trade associations (including FederUnacoma) and over 280 member companies – organizes the event called Plugfest every year. The 2024 event, presented this afternoon in Bologna, and to be held in the capital of the region of Emilia from 16 to 20 September, is designed to allow engineers from different manufacturers to reconcile the ISOBUS systems of their machines with those of other manufacturers and resolve any compatibility problems. Plugfest thus brings together companies that are normally in competition with each other in order to cooperate and work to improve the technological profile of their machines. The event organized by AEF is truly a one-of-its-kind happening in the industrial landscape.
Over 350 operators from the Americas, Asia and Europe are expected to come to Bologna for this year’s event, not just engineers engaged in testing but also other operators in the sector who will participate in the over 20 technical meetings scheduled as part of the initiative. During the five-day event in Bologna – as was explained during the presentation – 45 servers (Universal Terminals and Task Controllers installed in the panels of ISOBUS tractors) will be put to the test. with 64 clients (ISOBUS electronic control systems for agricultural tools) on two test stations developed by the AEF (AEF Conformance Test) with the task of verifying the compatibility of the different technologies, including four digital platforms for agriculture (Farm Information System). In total, more than 3,000 tests will be performed during the AEF event. A demonstration of the High Speed ISOBUS is also planned.
