Norac UC5 Topcon X30 User manual

Spray Height Controlle
r
Operator Manual

Printed in Canada
Copyright ©2009 by NORAC Systems International Inc.
Reorder P/N: UC5-BC-MANUAL Rev A (UC5 Operator Manual)
NOTICE: NORAC Systems International Inc. reserves the right to improve products and their specifications without notice and without
the requirement to update products sold previously. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this
manual. The technical information in this manual was reviewed at the time of approval for publication.

Contents
1INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................1
2SAFETY PRECAUTIONS..........................................................................................2
3KEY FEATURES.........................................................................................................3
4SYSTEM DESCRIPTION ..........................................................................................4
4.1 General UC5 System Layout....................................................................................................................4
4.2 Height Sensors..........................................................................................................................................5
4.3 Roll Sensors .............................................................................................................................................5
4.4 Modules....................................................................................................................................................5
5SYSTEM OPERATION..............................................................................................6
6UC5 KIT OPTIONS ....................................................................................................8
6.1 Severe Terrain Kit....................................................................................................................................8
6.2 Roll Bias (Active Roll) Kit.......................................................................................................................8
7UNDERSTANDING THE UC5 SYSTEM.................................................................9
7.1 Sensitivity Setting ....................................................................................................................................9
7.2 Boom Reaction Time ...............................................................................................................................9
7.3 Ditches, Waterways and Outside Rounds.................................................................................................9
7.4 Driving Through Ditches and Over Terraces...........................................................................................9
7.5 Sensing Further Ahead of the Boom......................................................................................................10
7.6 Height Sensor Capabilities and Limitations...........................................................................................10
7.7 Soil Mode and Crop Mode.....................................................................................................................11
8SYSTEM SETUP.......................................................................................................12
8.1 Navigating to the UC5 Setup Menu .......................................................................................................12
8.2 Automatic System Setup........................................................................................................................14
8.3 Retune ....................................................................................................................................................19
8.4 Manual Setup..........................................................................................................................................22
9MAINTENANCE.......................................................................................................34

1
1 Introduction
Congratulations on your purchase of a NORAC UC5 Spray Height Control System. This system
has an unmatched reputation within the industry for boom protection and spray height accuracy.
When properly used, the UC5 Spray Height Control system provides protection from boom
damage as well as improving sprayer efficiency and chemical performance by ensuring correct
chemical application.
To fully understand your new system and use it to its fullest capacity it is recommended that you
read this manual. This manual provides a general overview, key features, operating instructions,
assistance with system setup, regular maintenance recommendations and troubleshooting.
If you have any questions, feedback or comments regarding the NORAC UC5 Spray Height
Control system, please contact and of the numbers below.
Phone: [phone] Canada (Toll Free)
1 866 306 6722 United States (Toll Free)
0 800 404 8389 United Kingdom (Toll Free)
([phone] All other regions
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.norac.ca

2
2 Safety Precautions
Always ensure that the UC5 Spray Height Control system is powered down or in manual
mode:
•Before leaving the operator’s seat.
•While the machine is not moving.
•When transporting the machine.
Before working on any part of the booms:
•Set the UC5 system to manual mode.
•Turn the sprayer engine off.
Do not operate this system before:
•Reading and understanding the operator’s manual.
•Thoroughly understanding the machine operation.
The UC5 Spray Height Control system will greatly improve your spraying height accuracy and
protect the boom against damage in a wide variety of field conditions. However, under some
circumstances performance may be limited. The operator of the sprayer must remain alert at all
times and override the automatic control when necessary.
Under no circumstances should any service work be performed on the machinery while the
UC5 Spray Height Control system is in the automatic mode.

3
3 Key Features
Non-contact Sensing
•Sensing is done using ultrasonic sensors which means no parts of the UC5 Height Control
System come in contact with the ground.
•Using a non-contact system means there will be no additional forces put on the boom,
which could cause damage to the sprayer boom.
Automatic Software Setup
•The system completes an automatic system setup, which calibrates the software specifically
for the sprayer.
•This provides the maximum performance for the sprayer.
Individual Boom Overrides
•When necessary one boom section can be put into manual mode to avoid an obstacle, while
the other boom sections stay in automatic.
•This can take the stress out of spraying along obstacles such as fences because you only
have to watch the boom along the obstacle, knowing that the UC5 is maintaining the height
on the rest of the boom sections.
Improved Reliability
•Each UC5 system is installed in a way to leave the sprayer hydraulics operational.
•This means that if a cable is damages or a UC5 component is removed the sprayer remains
functional.
Ease of Use
•The UC5 operates on a touch screen display, which makes it easy to navigate and change
settings.
Smart Sensor Technology
•All sensors are designed by NORAC specifically for the agricultural industry.

4
4 System Description
4.1 General UC5 System Layout
Figure 1: General UC5 System Layout (Self Propel Type)
Figure 2: General UC5 System Layout (Pull Type)

5
Figure 3: General UC5 System Layout (Front Mount)
4.2 Height Sensors
•Height sensors use an ultrasonic signal to measure distance to the ground or crop canopy.
•Generally there is a sensor mounted to the outer part of each boom tip, and another sensor
mounted to the center section. Refer to the UC5 installation manual for more detail.
4.3 Roll Sensors
•Roll sensors are important for measuring boom and sprayer roll dynamics.
•Two roll sensors are required for Roll Control™ technology.
•Mounting position varies from sprayer to sprayer. Refer to the UC5 installation manual.
4.4 Modules
•Generally there are three modules per kit: control module, input module, and a valve
module.
•Module status is indicated by a LED. Shortly after power-up, the module should present a
green light, indicating the module is functioning and ready.

6
5 System Operation
Once the system is correctly configured, it is very simple to use. The majority of functional
settings and controls can be accessed on the Insight™ main screen.
Figure 4: Insight™ Main Run-Screen
From the main run-screen, select the boom height tab at the bottom of the screen. An image of
the boom, with the height of each boom section is displayed. If there are five sensors on the
sprayer, the height displayed is the average for each boom section.
•When the boom is black, the UC5 system is in manual mode.
•When the boom is blue, the UC5 system is in automatic mode.
•To change between automatic and manual mode, press the button in the lower right corner
of the terminal.
When the UC5 Height Control System is in automatic mode, arrows will appear on the screen
above or below the boom sections. These arrows indicate the UC5 system is making a correction
to part of the boom in the displayed direction. Often times the correction will be very small and
there may not be a noticeable change in boom position.
Boom Height Tab
Settings
Button
Auto / Manual
Button

7
When a sprayer switch is pressed, an arrow will be displayed on the terminal showing which
function is being activated. For example, if the left up switch is pressed then an arrow will be
shown above the left boom pointing up.
While in automatic mode if either left or right tilt switches are pressed, the corresponding boom
section will go into manual mode. This is useful when spraying near ditches or fences where you
would like to manually control one of the booms while leaving the other boom in automatic
mode. To return all boom sections to automatic mode, press the auto / manual button.
While in automatic mode if the main lift up or down switch is pressed, the target height is
incrementally adjusted up or down. By pressing and holding the main lift switch the system will
go into manual mode.
On the right side of the screen, the NORAC UC5 settings are displayed. To change these
settings, click the settings button to display the boom height control options screen.
Figure 5: Boom Height Control Options
The boom height control options window provides the ability to modify UC5 settings.
•The top drop down box allows the system to be changed from soil mode to crop mode.
•The sensitivity can be adjusted from 1 through to 10.
The target height is the height you would like the boom to be set at when spraying. When
operating in soil mode, the target height is measured from the spray nozzles to the soil. In crop
mode the target height is measured from the crop canopy to the spray nozzles.

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6 UC5 Kit Options
6.1 Severe Terrain Kit
•Additional sensors may be added to improve boom protection and system performance.
•This is more suitable for larger booms and in severe terrain conditions.
•Figure 6 illustrates the benefits of the severe terrain kit.
Figure 6: Example of Severe Terrain
6.2 Roll Bias (Active Roll) Kit
•Available on certain sprayer models (most sprayers with boom roll capability).
•Full boom roll is controlled actively together with wing tilt functions.
•Provides active isolation between the boom and sprayer, and increases reaction speed.
•This option improves spray height accuracy and provides unprecedented control .
•Figure 7 illustrates the benefit of the roll bias system.
Figure 7: Roll Bias over a Terrace

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7 Understanding the UC5 System
The UC5 Spray Height Controller will work well in most situations. As with any equipment, it
is important that the operator remains alert at all times. There may be some situations and terrain
where performance is limited and in these situations the operator must resume manual control of
the booms. A discussion of settings and performance is given below to clarify these situations.
7.1 Sensitivity Setting
•The sensitivity setting affects a number of settings within the UC5 system.
•Lower settings allow for a small amount of error (a few centimeters or inches).
•Higher settings allow for virtually no error, but have a greater hydraulic demand.
7.2 Boom Reaction Time
•Sprayer hydraulics and boom suspension systems are the governing components to boom
reaction time.
•The maximum hydraulic speed of the boom is determined by the sprayer manufacturer and
is not diminished by the addition of the UC5 hydraulic system.
7.3 Ditches, Waterways and Outside Rounds
•In many situations it is necessary to spray with one sensor reading over terrain that does not
reflect the same situation of the rest of the boom.
•These situations may arise when spraying over ditches, waterways, or field edges.
•When spraying in these situations the operator must remain alert and override the height
controller when necessary.
7.4 Driving Through Ditches and Over Terraces
Changes in terrain such as driving over terraces or through ditches are special performance
situations. This type of terrain can cause the sprayer to pitch and roll significantly and when
operating at high speeds this can cause rapid changes in boom tip height. Sprayer hydraulic
systems are not capable of tip speeds high enough to correct for the boom tip error. There are
two solutions to this problem.
•The first is for the operator to recognize these situations before they occur and manually
raise the boom to a safe height.
•The second is to add the NORAC Roll Control option, if one is available for the specific
sprayer. This will compensate for the sprayer roll and make the required corrections faster
and smoother, allowing for increased boom protection and higher spraying speeds. For a
description of the NORAC Roll Control, see section 6.2.

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7.5 Sensing Further Ahead of the Boom
•A common misconception is moving the sensor further ahead of the boom will increase
performance.
•Moving the sensor further ahead of the boom increases the distance between the nozzle and
sensor. This puts the sensor at a different location within the field than the nozzles, which
introduces a height error at the nozzles. In severe terrain this height error can bring the
nozzles close to the ground as the sensor reads over the crest of the hill or down a ditch.
•Similarly, aiming the sensors ahead (rather than pointing straight down) will reduce sensor
performance.
7.6 Height Sensor Capabilities and Limitations
•The UC5 sensors are designed and built specifically for agricultural purposes. However,
the ultrasonic transducer must be clean and dry for optimal performance. The foam disc
fitted into the bottom of the sensor protects the transducer from dust.
•If the protective foams become wet (from rain, drift from the spray nozzles... etc) the
sensors may have trouble reading. Furthermore, if the transducer itself becomes wet, leave
the UC5 system on, but in manual mode. The transducer’s vibrations will clean itself of the
water and after a few minutes it will begin to function again.
•The height sensors will provide height readings from 22 to 300 cm (9 to 120 inches), under
typical conditions.
•In order to optimize sensor performance, the UC5 sensor has a minimum distance that it
will read (also known as the blanking range). As a result, the UC5 sensor is designed to
ignore targets closer than 8 inches (20cm) from the bottom of the sensor housing.

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7.7 Soil Mode and Crop Mode
•Height sensors use “smart sensor” technology, which take measurements from both the top
of the crop canopy and from the soil surface. This allows the user to select either “Crop”
or “Soil” mode.
•In “Soil” mode the target height is measured from the soil to the sprayer nozzle. In “Crop”
mode the target height is measured from the crop canopy to the sprayer nozzle.
•Crop mode is usually used when operating in mature cereal grains, row crops or specialty
crops. Soil mode is generally used to follow the ground through young crops, stubble or
normal trash. Generally, if 60 percent of the ground is covered, crop mode should be used.
Sometimes either mode may be used, depending on the crop.
•When mounting the main boom height sensor, ensure the sensor does not measure behind a
wheel or tramline, when driving straight or turning. The crop behind a wheel will be
flattened, resulting in inaccurate readings and poor crop mode performance.
•In row-crops, crop mode will work best with the sensor placed directly above a row. Soil
mode will work best with the sensor placed between two rows.
•Crops in growing stages are relatively good targets for crop mode.
•Bearded crops are relatively poor targets for crop mode as they are a poor reflector of
sound.
•Some crops will produce a more varying canopy than others. In these situations, the severe
terrain option will provide more representative measurements when in crop mode and
better performance.
•When operating in crop mode when the crop is lodged, or where there is no crop, the sensor
will follow the target down and begin to track the soil. However, when the crop resumes,
the sensor may be beneath the crop canopy, or the canopy might be within the blanking
range of the sensor therefore preventing the sensor from making proper measurements.
This situation may require the operator to manually raise the boom.
Figure 8: Area of No Crop When Operating in Crop Mode

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8 System Setup
Once the UC5 Spray Height Control hardware has been installed, the NORAC unlock code must
be entered in the Ag Leader® InSight™ display. The NORAC unlock code can be purchased
from AgLeader®. Before continuing, it is also recommended that any software updates for the
AgLeader® InSight™ display and the NORAC UC5 Spray Height Control system be
downloaded from www.agleader.com and installed into the system.
After the NORAC unlock code has been installed on the Ag Leader® InSight™ display, the UC5
functionality must be tested and the software must be tuned for the sprayer. There are two
methods to setup the UC5 system. The recommended way is to use the automatic system setup
as shown in Section 8.2. The alternative method is to use manual setup, which is intended for
expert users and troubleshooting.
8.1 Navigating to the UC5 Setup Menu
To perform either the automatic or manual system setup, the user must navigate to the NORAC
UC5 setup menu.
On the INSIGHT™ panel,
navigate to the setup screen.
Select the application button
under the operations setup.

13
Select the implement tab.
In the implement list select your
sprayer and then click on the
NORAC UC5 setup button.
Make sure the enable boom
height checkbox is checked.
This is the NORAC UC5 setup
menu. The following sections
will describe the features found
within this menu.

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8.2 Automatic System Setup
•All boom sections will move during the automatic install.
•People and equipment must be clear of sprayer boom.
•Ensure the booms have sufficient range to lift fully and are clear of any power lines.
Unfold the sprayer in a location that is relatively level and where the sensors are over bare soil or
gravel. Do not conduct the system setup or retune procedures over standing crop or weeds/grass.
Also, avoid concrete or asphalt surfaces.
Ensure the boom roll suspension system is functioning properly and smoothly. Friction on wear
surfaces can be relieved using lubricants (grease, etc) or adjustment. Properly tuned suspension
systems will optimize UC5 performance, especially on roll-bias (active roll) systems.
For best results, the hydraulic system should be under a normal load and at a normal working
temperature.
•Start the solution pump and run the sprayer’s engine at a normal working RPM for the
entire setup.
•Cycle all boom sections up and down manually for five minutes to warm the oil.
•For pull-type sprayers, ensure any hydraulic flow controls are adjusted for normal field
operation.
•Changing the hydraulic flow controls after or during the system setup will affect the UC5
performance.

15
Navigate to the UC5 setup screen.
When the UC5 setup window is
displayed, make sure the drop
down box under the NORAC logo
is populated.
Select automatic setup.
Select the sprayer make and model
from the drop down boxes.
Then click the ok button.

16
A list of precautions will be
displayed on the terminal. It is
very important that you read these
precautions and follow them.
Once you have read the
precautions, click the proceed
button.
A list of connected modules will
be displayed. Make sure the
modules match your system
modules.
If the list of modules matches the
currently installed modules, press
the proceed button.
The system will instruct you to
move boom functions using the
sprayer controls. Move each
boom as instructed on the
terminal.

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You will then be instructed to
place your booms so the nozzles
are 35” (90 cm) from the ground.
Adjust the distance from the
nozzle to the ground directly
beneath. Ensure you are over
bare, flat soil.
When the measured distance is 35”
(90 cm) press proceed.
You will then be instructed to hold
the proceed button. Continue
holding proceed while each boom
section is moved.
The terminal will display
“Cruising”. At this time the boom
will be in motion. Continue to
hold the proceed button during this
time.
When it is done “Cruising” the
terminal will instruct you to
release the proceed button. Do not
move the booms at this time.
The terminal will then instruct you
to exit the cab and pull the boom
tip down towards the ground, and
then release the boom.
Ensure you stay a minimum of 3
feet (1 m) away from any of the
sensors.
When finished, return to the cab.
35”
90 cm