EnCata helped a startup develop a smart soil irrigation system from concept to MVP. The system includes custom electronics, BLE, LoRaWAN, and solar-powered modules for real-time soil monitoring and control. Built and tested in just 8 months.
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We initiated the project from a concept developed by a startup. As the system needs to operate in agricultural field, we encountered the following challenges:
The startup prioritized creating a user-friendly and affordable system, which required us to reduce the cost and simplify the hardware of the chemical analysis module and the executive module.
The development of the system was carried out in 2 stages. In the first stage, EnCata worked on the soil chemical analysis module, which takes measurements at predefined intervals and transmits data over the LoRaWAN network to the central control module.
To enable the chemical analysis module to function as a standalone unit outside the system, a BLE module was added, allowing direct retrieval of data stored in the internal memory log.
During the second stage, EnCata developed 2 modules: the central module, collecting data from the analyzer module and using it to send signals to the executive module, and the executive module,receiving signals from the central module, initiating the soil irrigation and fertilization.
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The system is designated for operation during the summer months in open environments. As a power source for all modules, solar panels were selected, which charge the installed lithium batteries within the enclosure.
In the development of the control module, we opted to forgo cloud servers and placed the applications servers on a single-board computer within the central module. When an internet connection is available, the system can be remotely managed, and in its absence, direct connection to the central module is possible via Wi-fi, allowing manual system control within the Wi-Fi range.
To reduce the system’s production cost, we replaced the off-the-shelf LoRaWAN modem with an RFM95 module, which functions as a transceiver rather than a modem. This decision did increase the development cost due to the extra effort required to modify the firmware. However, it allowed us to employ a significantly cheaper (almost 3 times less expensive) radio module for implementing LoRaWAN communication.
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EnCata developed a smart soil irrigation MVP tailored for field operation in agriculture. Three functional hardware modules — analyzer, control, and executive — were designed, engineered, and manufactured in-house. The system operates autonomously using solar power and communicates via LoRaWAN, with fallback control via Wi-Fi. Firmware and electronics were optimized to minimize cost, resulting in a scalable and field-ready prototype that advances the customer's TRL from 3 to 6.
EnCata can support your agri-tech MVP with electronics engineering, firmware development, and rapid prototyping. Let’s talk — contact us.
range of operation
remotely through the mobile network and directly via Wi-Fi modules
reduction in the cost of the system
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