DitchFlow Leverages Nordic for Land Irrigation Sensors

By Chad Cox

Production Editor

Embedded Computing Design

June 30, 2023

News

DitchFlow Leverages Nordic for Land Irrigation Sensors
Image Credit: DitchFlow

DitchFlow’s new land irrigation sensor leverages Nordic’s nRF9160 SiP integrated with a 64 MHz Arm Cortex-M33 application processor into relay sensors for data via LTE-M/NB-IoT to the cloud. Users can utilize remote notifications (email / text) when irrigation water reaches a specified level. The sensor can notify up to six individuals when triggered so decisions on water changes can be decided. “We realized cellular IoT was our best solution to ensure reliable connectivity,” says Mamer. “The level of integration and low power consumption were key elements in our decision to then employ the Nordic nRF9160 SiP in our Land Irrigation Sensor,” said  Ryan Mamer, Owner, DitchFlow

Incorporated into the SiP is a multimode LTE-M/NB-IoT modem for secure transmissions to the cloud via cellular or IoT network as well as an integrated RF Front End (RFFE). The solution decreases the need to walk around a field checking irrigation flow. Mamer continues, Thanks to the land Irrigation sensor, once the irrigator is notified, they can simply go to the ditch where the water is delivered and change the ‘set’ – taking away the human error associated with not knowing when the water will reach that specific point. In this sense the solution helps support sustainability goals by conserving fuel and saving time.”

Chad Cox. Production Editor, Embedded Computing Design, has responsibilities that include handling the news cycle, newsletters, social media, and advertising. Chad graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a B.A. in Cultural and Analytical Literature.

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