Troubleshooting: Seeding error %

Explanation of seeding error - Causes and solutions

The FD20 places a certain amount of seeds at a given distance in the soil. The settings can be programmed prior to the autonomous seeding operation. Mechanical settings must be made manually.

The robot keeps track of the seed placed in the ground. Whenever a seed drop is either not detected or is released in the wrong place (according to the seeding settings), the robot increases the "seed error %" by 1. The robot stops whenever the "seed error %" reach the alarm threshold value, which, in the case of the image below, is set to 25%.

PARAMETERS INVOLVED

The seeding error can be related to 2 main categories:

1. Incorrect set-up of the machine
   1. Incorrect seed discs
   2. Incorrect distance ring
   3. Incorrect HMI settings
   4. Incorrect mechanical settings
2. Environmental reasons
   
   1. Seed stuck in the seed disc
   2. Seed clogged in the tube or seed valve area
   3. Dirt light sensor

In the following paragraphs, we will look into details how to identify the cause and find the solutions

CAUSES AND SOLUTIONS: INCORRECT SET UP OF THE MACHINE

As mentioned previously, there are three causes that can raise the seed error percentage.

1. INCORRECT SEED DISC

   1. For the seed type: this happens when seeding a crop with disc that was not tested for this specific combination of crop and seeding distance. This can results in seeds not falling, falling too many seeds, as well as placement of seeds at the wrong distance
   2. For the desired amount of seeds to be dropped: if the disc used has either not been tested or is not what has been recommended by FarmDroid, it may happen that the amount of seed falling is not correct
   3. For the desired distance between the seeds: when the seeding density is too high, the seed motor has to rotate too fast to deliver the desired amount of seeds, therefore it will not be able to deliver the seeds with the right timing
   In these 3 cases, the solution is to have your seeds tested by FarmDroid and use a custom-made seed disc.

2. INCORRECT DISTANCE RING

   1. For the installed seed dics: it is fundamental that the distance ring has the same thickness of the seed disc, otherwise the disc will have issue to rotate regularly and will damage the seeding motor. Check this article to pick the right distance ring for your disc (LINK MISSING)

3. INCORRECT HMI SETTINGS

   1. Incorrect number of holes per disc: whenever you change a seed disc set, remember to update the "number of holes in seed disc" setting in page 4.1.2.0.
      This may cause the seeding motor to rotate with the wrong RPM and therefore delivering the seeds with the wrong timing
      
      
      
      
   2. Light sensor threshold value not calibrated for the crop: crops with tiny seeds may require to increase the sensibility of the light sensor. Discuss that with your FarmDroid Distributor
      
      
      
   3. Incorrect driving speed: whenever you are sending a seed sample to FarmDroid, you will receive a certificate stating at which speed the robot should drive. If you are willing to test the crop on your own, please use the SEED TESTING feature, which you can access from page "seeding tool settings 4.1.2.0" page.
      Insert the settings you wish to use and start the test. Aim for the RPM of the seed motor to be within 6-16 revolutions per minutes.
      Once you have found the proper settings for the operation, please remember to report them in the page "seeding tool settings 4.1.2.0" as they are not automatically transferred.
      
      

4. INCORRECT MECHANICAL SETTINGS

   1. Wrong angle of the seed container: read the seed test certificate to double-check that the seed container angle is correct. Changing the angle can increase or decrease the amount of seeds reaching the seed disc, with the risk of not having enough seeds in the funnel, or, conversely, to have too many

CAUSES AND SOLUTIONS: ENVIRONMENTAL REASONS

The seed error % can increase also because of different reasons, both due to the natural variability of the seeds, as well as to the environment in which the robot operates.

1. Seed stuck in the seeding disc: this seeding error can be spotted quite easily as it is repetitive. It is normally present in 1 row only and has a "seed error %" which is a fraction of the amount of holes of the seed disc. For example, if you spot a 20% seed error when seeding with a 5 hole disc, it is very likely that a hole got clogged with seeds or dirt
2. Seed clogged in the tube or in the seed valve area: to spot this error, have a look at the tube connecting the funnel to the seed valve (see image below). In this case, seeds will not be falling on the ground. Clean the assembly before resuming the autonomous seeding operation and make sure the seed valve open and closes using the Manual Function Test (page 4.3)
   
   
   Clogged seeds
   
   
3. Dusted light sensor: when the sensor gets covered in dust, it becomes harder to detects the seeds falling and therefore the seed error % may start raising. For this reason, it is a good idea to set the threshold for the dusted light sensor around the standard value of 97%, and to lower this value when seeding crops with tiny seeds