Technical  Elements

FieldServer consists of durable casing, web-server, multi-sensors, web-camera, wireless LAN module, high intensity LED lighting, etc. The power on/off of equipments can be controlled by the photo-MOS relays in the FieldServer. Field server gateway which is connected to Internet, field server agent which is collect data in remote via Internet, and MetBroker interface which is to data grid and to link data to applications, are also important elements for FieldServer.

Durable Casing

FieldServer requires a high performance under serious dust, heat and cold environments to operate well even in the typhoon, rainstorm, desert etc. In general, a prefabricated shed placed air conditional, power supply, and communication device such as telephone, have to needed for observation instruments in outdoor. FieldServer with a acryl casing with 200 mm diameter is operated well under the serious environment by using following techniques.

.・Forced Ventilation by Fans
Taking in fresh air from outside to inside by PC-use fan is high efficiency in  ventilation for FieldServer performance and measure temperature and humidity by using inlet air which is like as Assmann-style measurement is improve the measured accuracy.  The forced ventilation is used to cool the chip temperature and make bigger electric-consumption devices possible to use.

 ・Filtration
The filter was affixed in inlet for prevent the invade of dust and microorganism. Filter can also used as a sampling for farina and spore.

・Customization
The casing of FieldServer as platform to correspond size-changes and device-added in a good flexibility.

Stereo-cameras embedded in FieldServer

Left image

Right image

Web-server for Measurement

Field server engine as the core part of FieldServer is developed to DDS (Direct Digital Synthesizer) vision and FPAA (Field Programmable Analog Array) vision. FPAA vision means that 20 modules can be defined again and the wires can be changes. The field server engine is carrying out analog calculator and 8-channel A/D convert in 24 bit. Filter circuit, transmitter and receptor can to generated in real time. The signals generated by DDS can be used for measuring moisture of soil and plants.

Field server engine in DDS vision

Field server engine in FPAA vision

The new vision of field server engine is integrated to one chip. The commercial FieldServer is using PICNIC and the DDS vision of field server  engine will be used for commercial products in the near future.  The measured data can be shown and operated by any browser, because the field server engine without OS is a web-server.

Examples of data view on browser

Sensors

The sensors of temperature, humidity, and light intensity as elementary configuration are equipped in FieldServer as a standard configuration.  As the options, following sensors can be selected.
・Soil moisture
・Leaf wetness
・CO2 concentration
・UV （Ultraviolet radiation）
・Pest accounting
By the way, the sensors of vibration,  pressure, GPS, radiation, NMR, spectrum can be equipped easily by using field server engine.

Wireless LAN

Wi-Fi devices will be suitable elements in the world as the wireless communication because of the restriction of radio law.  In order to transmit the huge data in short time and high speed, general sensing network always use the wireless devices with the special radio and low power. The commercial wireless LAN modules used in PC or handy game machine is preferred to use in FieldServer. The wireless transmitter distance is covered in several 100 m to 1 km, or extend to several km to 10 km using beam antenna. Recently, there is a wireless LAN module can communicate to 22 km far in market. Therefore, Deploying FieldServers around the area from several 10 m to 10 km can provide a ubiquitous wireless network environment.  In the future, the more broadband wireless transmitter network covered to 60 km will be extended by using WiMAX (IEEE802.16) and Adaptive Radio (IEEE802.22), so the ubiquitous Internet environment will be provided by FieldServer combined with  wireless technology. 

FieldServer can provide a ubiquitous network in rural areas for environment monitoring in real-time, and enjoying the fishing and picnic easily. The interesting of green-tourism or eco-tourism is to enjoy and surf the Internet such as「where is comfortable environment same to Hawaii?」,「what is delicious food here?」, 「where is the spring water?」etc. under natural environment even in the camping time.

Web-Camera

The built-in a web-camera with resolution of 0.3 Megapixels and sensors were equipped. The web-camera can be changed to following others.

・Digital camera with resolution of 3.00 Megapixel

images in different magnification.

Image collection of produce history in  traceability, visible agriculture, farm observation, and crop close-up image in agricultural product certification system are required in image automatic collection.


・Microscope digital camera

Paddy Leaf Surface

Blowup of Pest

FieldServer using blinking character of embedded super-intensity LED can be used as pulse signals and to light for camera or surrounding. The LED with different colors as a lighting design can also be used for landscape.

Solar Panels Powered for FieldServer