Ferrari Costruzioni Meccaniche REMOWEED User manual

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Operator manual REMOWEED
Pict.1
1. INTRODUCTION
The Remoweed operator board allows to manage and control how the automatic weeding machine
manufactured by Ferrari Costruzioni Meccaniche works both in the space between the rows and between
plants in the same row.
1. STARTING
To power on the panel press the ON/OFF button for a few seconds. The system must first complete some
set up operations and memory control by itself. Then it will show on the lower right corner the number of
optical sensors detected (corresponding to the number of the machine elements). (Pict.2).
Pict.2
If on the display appears a memory loading error, or if the number of detected sensors does not
correspond to the number of the machine elements power off the system and start again. If the problem
persists please contact the customer service or your sell referent at Ferrari Costruzioni Meccaniche
([phone]).
[ver.1.2/
rif.v.84]

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Press the grey button (the one with the arrow) on the lower right corner (Pict.2) to enter the Selection
Menu (Pict.3) :
Pict.3
From this screen you can enter the main sections of the system: Work Menu (Pict.4) and Setup Menu.
(Pict.19).
1. WORK MENU
3.1 MAIN PAGE
By pushing the button (Pict.3) you enter the Work menu main page:
Pict.4
Referring to Pict.4:
A) Access to the database history
B) Bargraph trajectory adjustment: by following the baragraph indications the operator will be able
to gradually adjust the machine trajectory.
C) Access to the shifter setup while working
D) Access to the page for the infrared readers sensitivity control
E) PTO Speed
F) PTO Recommended speed
G) Indication of the Hydraulic circuit current pressure
H) Access to work parameters page
I) Access to alarm control page
J) Centering button (by pushing this button the shifter will automatically center the elements with
the toolbar)
A
B
C
D
E
K
J
I
H
G
M
L
F
N

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K) Work speed
L) Power tension
M) Working mode (weeding/thining)
N) Back to selection menu (press for 3 seconds)
3.2 DATABASE HISTORY PAGE
Press the floppy button to (Pict.4) enter the database history page. This page contains the
partial and total data related to the work hours, to the plants (A-Pict.5)and to the worked hectares (B-
Pict.5). Press the reset key (C-Pict.5) to reset the partial data (with the yellow background). With the arrow
button (D-Pict.5) you return to the main page of the Work Menu. (Pict.4)
Pict.5
3.3 SHIFTER SETUP
Press the shifter button (Pict.4) to enter the shifter setup page. The “C” button
(Pict.6) allows you to choose between the automatic and the manual mode for the shifter. If
you choose the manual mode, you can use the arrows (A-Pict.6) to move the shifter. The
marker below (B-Pict.6) shows the measurement taken by the angular sensor, that is the shifter
position compared to the toolbar. Press the D button (D-Pict.6) to return to the Work Menu
page.
Pict.6
C
B
A
A
B
C
D
D

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3.4 SENSITIVITY SETUP
Press the button (Pict.4) to enter the setup page and control the infrared readers
sensitivity (Pict.7).
Pict.7
Press the “+” or “-” button to select a row and set the infrared readers sensitivity from a
minimum of 0.0 to a maximum of 5.0. In the “E” section (Pict.7) the panel shows the real
view scanned by the system in order for you to see where the plants actually are on the
field and to set the right sensor sensitivity while the machine is working. The system shows
also the hoe between the plants (D-Pict.7/Pict.8) and a reference value, updated every two
seconds, that allows you to verify the system scanning procedure. (F-Pict.8).
Pict.8 (A) Hoes Open Pict.8 (B) Hoes Closed
Press the “A” button (Pict.7) to set the mode you prefer for the sensitivity adjustment:
“AUTO” is for the automatic adjustment (however it will be still possible to manhandle the
set using the + and –buttons). On the contrary the “MAN” mode is for the manual setting
using the + and –buttons. In that way the adjustment will be independent for each row.
The sensitivity is set correctly if during the work the “E” screen (Pict.7) shows clearly the
image of the vegetables head string. (Pict.9 A)
E
C
A
B
D
F
G
G

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Exemples:
Pict.9 (A): Sensitivity OK Pict.9(B): Sensitivity too low Pict.9(C):Sensitivity too high
ATTENTION: If you are using the automatic mode (recommended) you need to set
correctly the heads dimension and the distance between the plants (see the
section “Work Menu: Work parameters”)
Press the “C” button (Pict.7) to deactivate a single element: the hoe for weeding between
the rows will stop in the “open” position (it won’t be possible to see the data scanned by
the sensor, and they won’t be used to set the work). We recommend to choose this option
when you want an inferior number of rows working.
Press the “G” button (Pict.7)to go back to the main page of the Work Menu(Pict.4).
By pushing the “B” button (Pict.7) (SCROLL OFF/ON) you can activate or deactivate the
automatic scroll mode for the rows display: by the activation the “Row” screen will be
automatically updated by the system and the operator will be ready to control the work.
Press the “B” button (Pict.7) for a few seconds to enter the Scroll speed setup page
(Pict.10): the lower the number is, the faster will be the scroll speed [min.1-max.9].
Pict.10
3.5 WORK PARAMETERS
Press the button on the main page of the Work Menu (Pict.3) to enter the work
parameters setup pages:
G

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Pict.11
A)(Pict.11)Using the arrows on the screen (F-Pict.11) you can setup the following
parameters:
“PLANTS DISTANCE” : the distance on the row between the plants you have to weed
[min.5cm-max.200cm].
Pict.12
“PLANTS DIAMETER”: the average plants diameter [min.5cm-max.100cm].
Pict.13
“KNIVES OPENING”: indicates the distance between the hoes trajectory and the plant in the
working direction, that is the knives opening and closing time near the plant. The lower this
value is, the closest the knives will get to the plant. A negative value means that the
machine will work “under leaf”. [min.-4 cm - max. 6cm ].
Pict.14
B)(Pict.11) Button to deactivate the hoes movement: on all the elements: in this way only the movement
is deactivated (the hoes stay open) while the reading that allows to visualize the virtual image and to
control the translator is carried out anyway. This option is useful during the test because it allows to adjust
the sensor sensitivity without risks for the plants.
Pict.15: Hoes deactivated
A
B
E
D
C
F

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C)(Pict.11) Reset button: it erases all the data related to the scanned statistic analysis and
also the read archive. We suggest to reset the parameter when starting a new work in
different conditions
D)(Pict.11) Protection mode for small plants: with this button you can select the protection
mode for small plants. This function is useful when on the field there are isolated areas with
very small plants. Because these plants are a lot smaller than the others, the infrared
readers could remove them by mistake. By activating this option the system will be able to
open the hoes for precaution in a determinate moment, without scanning any plant of
average dimension. Furthermore the hoes will open close to the small plants position
assumed by the general distance on the row set in the beginning. There are two protection
levels (LIGHT e STRONG): we suggest to use the STRONG level only when the plants
detection is particularly difficult (when the picture shown in the sensitivity setup page in
not clear and steady).
Pict.16: Protection mode for small plants
E)(Pict.11) Pressure setup: press this button to enter the pressure setup page for the
hydraulic circuit. (Pict.17).
G) (Pict.11) back to the Work menu main page.(Pict. 4).
1. WORK MENU: PRESSURE OF THE HYDRAULIC CIRCUIT SETUP
Press the button in the “Work Parameters” page in the Work Menu section
(Pict.11) to enter the pressure of the hydraulic circuit setup page (Pict.17)
Pict.17
You can choose among three control modes by pushing the “D” button (Pict.17)
-AUTO (recommended): the hydraulic pressure is automatically controlled by the
system depending on the ground consistency and on the work speed. The range of
values for the pressure setting is included between the minimum and maximum
pressure values you can adjust pushing the “B” and “C” buttons. (Pict.17)
D
C
B
A

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-SPEED: the system automatically sets the hydraulic pressure only according to the
work speed (the pressure setting is included between the minimum and maximum
pressure values you can adjust pushing the “B” and “C” buttons). (Pict.17)
-OFF: the hydraulic pressure is kept stable on the value set in the “B” frame
(Pict.17). For this mode the “C” value (Pict.17) is not used.
Press the “A” button (Pict.17)to go back to the “Work Parameters” page in the Work
Menu section. (Pict.11).
ALARM WARNING
When alarm activates, the background of the “H” button in the Work Menu (Pict.4)
becomes red and an intermittent acustic signal warns you: press the button to enter
the alarm display.
Fig.18
Referring to Pict.18:
A) Alarm number indication
B) Short alarm description
C) Indication of the element that presents the anomaly (if the warning concerns a specific
element)
D) Alarm symbol
E) Back to the Work Menu main page
For a more precise description of the different kind of warnings please see the chapter
“ALARMS” on page 13.
2. SETUP MENU
4.1 SETUP PAGE
Premendo sul tasto (Fig.3)si accede alla prima pagina del menu di programmazione:
D
B
C
A
E

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Pict.19
Referring to Pict. 19:
A) Pulse/meter: the quantity of pulse of the encoder per meter run by the wheel The formula to
calculate the value you have to insert is:
Attention: the resulting value obviously changes according to the wheel diameter.
Example: Wheel diameter: 15 inches → diameter value to insert in the formula: 0.381
B) Test Counter: counter of the centimeters scanned by the system to verify the exactness of the
pulse/meter set.
C) Machine work width to calculate the worked hectares.
D) Row Width: in case that the row width is not the same for all rows, insert here the minimum
distance.
E) Software version concerning the touchscreen, the motherboard and the optical sensors.
Attention: the system verifies if the version installed on each optical sensor is the same on the
others. In case of incongruity the signal “IR SENSOR” will be shown in red on the screen. If this
situation occurs please contact the assistance center to reinstall the software.
F) Button to enter the Advanced Setup Menu (reserved).
G) Arrows for the “Setup Menu”
H) Reset button to clear the Test Counter.Back to the Selection
I) Back to the Selection
A
C
D
B
E
F
H
G
I

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4.2 INPUT/OUTPUT 1 (TRASLATORE)
Pict.20
Referring to Pict.20
A) Manual shifter activation to the left (left of the direction of travel).
B) Manual shifter activation to the right (right of the direction of travel).
C) Hydraulic pressure setup to test the shifter.
D) Indication of the power for the proportional solenoid valve that controls the hydraulic pressure.
E) Arrows for the “Setup Menu”
F) Measurement of the angular sensor that scans the shifter position to the toolbar.
G) Back to the Selection Menu (Pict.3).
4.3 INPUT/OUTPUT 2 (KNIVES)
Pict.21
Referring to Pict.21:
oSelect the unit on which use the knives
oSetup the hydraulic pressure to test the knives
oIndication of the power for the proportional solenoid valve that controls the hydraulic
pressure. D) Control light warning that the knife is open
oControl light warning that the knife is closed
oArrows for the “Setup Menu”
A
B
C
D
F
A
B
C
D
E
G
H
E
F
F
I
I

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oOpen/Close button for the knives. By pushing the button for a few seconds you activate the
“swinging” mode, in that way the knife/hoe keep on working with an opening7closing
frequency you can set by using the “H” button in picture 21 (in this case the background is
colored in yellow). Press again the button to deactivate the “swinging mode”.
oSwinging frequency setup.
4.4 INPUT/OUTPUT 3 (IR SENSORS)
Pict.22
Referring to Pict.22:
A) Infrared sensitivity setup.
B) 15 markers for infrared readers: to verify the functionality pass one hand a few centimeters close
to the sensor and check if the marker on the screen turns red.
C) Select ton which row test the infrared sensor.
D) Arrows for the “Setup Menu”.
E) Back to the Selection Menu (Pict.3).
4.5 WORK MODE SELECTION
Pict.23
Referring to Pict.23:
A) “THINNING” mode activation.
B) “WEEDING” mode activation.
C) Arrows for the “Setup Menu”.
D) Back to the Selection Menu.
A
B
C
D
E
A
a
A
B
C
D

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3. THINNING MODE
The automatic weeding machine Remoweed can work also in thinning mode. This mode allows you
to remove little plants in regular intervals of time. In the page “Work Mode” (Pict. 23) you can
select the THINNING mode over the standard WEEDING mode.
With this mode the parameters you can set in the Work menu automatically change:
“PLANTS DISTANCE” : the distance between the plants of the same row you want to preserve
[min.5cm-max.200cm].
“PLANTS DIAMETER”: the medium diameter of the plants you want to preserve [min.5cm-
max.100cm].
“LANE WIDTH”: the medium width of the plants lane you want to thin [min.5cm - max. 30cm ].
ATTENTION: it often happens that parameters “PLANTS DIAMETER” and “LANE WIDTH” have the
same value.

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4. TOUCHSCREEN/CPU REPLACEMENT
In case the Touchscreen or the motherboard (CPU) are broken, damaged or defective, the device
must be immediately replaced. Once the damaged device has been removed, a copy of the
parameters is stored inside the other functioning device. After the replacement, when you first
start the machine on the screen will be shown the frame below (Pict. 24)
Press the “A” button (Pict.24) to copy the Touchscreen memory on the new motherboard (CPU).
Press the “B” button (Pict. 24) to install the motherboard memory on the new Touchscreen.
ATTENTION: If you push the wrong button do not turn the machine off by using the ON/OFF
button but low the power of the machine (disconnect the battery) and then start the system again.
5. SWITCH OFF
To switch the system off push the ON/OFF button for a few seconds: when you hear the acoustic signal
release the button and wait for the system to complete the closing and saving data operations. After
that the system will automatically turn off.
6. ALERTS
Alert n.1
“BLOCKED HOE” : the system warns that one of the hoes is blocked in a wrong
position. On the “Row nr.” button is shown the number of the element on which
the problem has occurred.
CAUSES/REMEDY:
- Verify if the power takeoff is activated.
- Verify if the sensors on the hoes are working correctly.
- Verify if the hoes movement is not obstructed (by a rock, dirt etc.)
A
B

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Alert n.2
“ RS485 TOUCHSCREEN” : serial connection error between the power plant and
the Touchscreen monitor.
CAUSES/REMEDY:
- Verify if the harness of the cable that connects the power plant to the monitor
is correct
Alert n.3
“ HIGH SPEED RS485 POWER PLANT” : serial connection error between the
power plant and the readers boards.
CAUSES/REMEDY:
- Verify if the harness of the cable that connects the power plant to the machine
elements is correct.
Alert n.4
“ POWER TAKEOFF NOT ACTIVATED” : the system warns that the power takeoff
is not activated.
CAUSES/REMEDY:
- Verify that the power takeoff is activated.
- Verify that the generator signal “W” is correctly connected to the power plant.
Alert n.6
“ PTO SPEED NOT CORRECT” : the system warns that the PTO speed id not
correct.
CAUSES/REMEDY:
- Verify the number of PTO revolutions per minute (rpm).
Alarm n.7
“PROBLEM WITH THE HYDRAULIC PRESSURE SOLENOID VALVE”:
problem with the control of the solenoid valve that sets the hydraulic pressure.
CAUSES/REMEDY:
-Verify the right connection between the solenoid valve and the power plant.
Alarm n.8
“HOES OPEN FOR A LONG WAY” : the system warns that one hoe has remained
open for a long way. On the “Row nr.” button is shown the element on which
the problem has occurred.
CAUSES/REMEDY:
- Verify that the sensitivity is set correctly.
Alarm n.9
“HOES CLOSED FOR A LONG WAY” : the system warns that one hoe has
remained closed for a long way. On the “Row nr.” button is shown the element
on which the problem has occurred.
CAUSES/REMEDY:
- Verify that the sensitivity is set correctly.

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7. FLOW CHART

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1. INDEX
1. INTRODUCTION ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1
2. STARTING -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2
3. WORK MENU ----------------------------------------------------------------- 2
3.1 Main Page --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2
3.2 Database history page ------------------------------------------------------------ 3
3.3 Shifter setup ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3
3.4 Sensitivity setup -------------------------------------------------------------------- 4
3.5 Work parameters-------------------------------------------------------------------- 6
3.6 Pressure of the hydraulic circuit setup--------------------------------------- 7
a. Alarm warning ------------------------------------------------------------------ 8
4. SETUP MENU ----------------------------------------------------------------- 9
4.1Setup page ----------------------------------------------------------------------------9
4.2 Input/Output 1 (Shifter) ------------------------------------------------ ----------10
4.3 Input/Output 2 (Knives) ---------------------------------------------------------10
4.4 Input/Output 3 (IR Sensors) ---------------------------------------------------- 11
4.5 Work Mode Selection------------------------------------------------------------ 12
5. THINNING MODE ---------------------------------------------------------- 12
6. TOUCHSCREEN/CPU REPLACEMENT ---------------------------------- 13
7. SWITCHING OFF ------------------------------------------------------------ 13
8. ALERTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 14
9. FLOW CHART --------------------------------------------------------------- 15
10. INDEX --------------------------------------------------------------------- 16