Accessing farm equipment over the network with Port Virtualization Technology

The way in which society feeds itself has been forced to evolve over time to respond to the demands of a steadily growing world population. The modern farm employs cutting-edge technology and the use of dedicated hardware and software in a mechanized system of livestock and crop production.

There are many sophisticated devices that are used on modern farms. They are employed in a variety of ways such as minimizing environmental pollution, promoting the health of the animals and crops, and to assist in the planning and realization of agricultural operations. Furthering biodiversity and automating irrigation systems are other examples of technology being used on the modern farm.
A central management system using customized farm software and hardware is the optimal solution for performing remote monitoring and maximizing production.

The problem of farm data management

Effective planning and execution of farm operations require the use of a resilient data management system. A single server running specialized farm management software is usually used to control the system. The remote equipment such as automatic feeders, irrigation systems, and climate control devices communicate with the server through serial ports. In this way, the farm management application collects information regarding the performance and condition of the farm equipment.

In many cases, remote access to the farm equipment is required because they are located a considerable distance from the central data center. This is done by connecting the server and all of the peripheral devices to the same network.

By itself, this connectivity does not assure that all devices will be able to communicate among themselves and with the central server. Simultaneous and remote access to all equipment requires the support of port virtualization technology which enables the redirection of any USB or COM port regardless of distance.

The solution for remote access to farm equipment

Eltima Port Virtualization Technology (EPVT) is an effective solution to remote access for farm management systems. Both serial and USB devices can be virtualized and redirected via network protocols using EPVT. Any network attached equipment can be accessed and managed from a single data server as if they were directly attached to the machine.

Eltima Port Redirection Technology provides any system with the ability to create an unlimited number of virtual serial interfaces which act and appear identical to the actual physical ports.
Port redirection technology can be employed as part of your overall farm management system and can also be built directly into the operating system of electronic farm equipment. With the assistance of Eltima Software’s custom development team, you can incorporate serial port virtualization technology on systems of any size or complexity.

By integrating EPVT into farm software, manufacturers and developers of farm management systems get the following benefits:

• The ability to monitor and manage complex and fully-functioning farm systems and collect data in a central database.

• The ability to expand your business by achieving improvement in the quality of the end product.

• Gains in efficiency and overall operational productivity will lead to a competitive advantage.