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Device Control Guide

Comprehensive guide for monitoring and controlling IoT devices, sensors, and automation equipment in your vertical farm.

Overview

The device control system provides real-time monitoring and control of all connected equipment, from environmental sensors to irrigation systems. This guide covers device setup, monitoring, control, and automation.

Device Categories

Sensors (Monitoring)

Environmental Sensors - Temperature sensors - Humidity sensors - CO2 monitors - Light meters (PAR, DLI, lux) - Air quality sensors

Water Management Sensors - pH meters - EC/TDS sensors - Water level sensors - Flow meters - Pressure sensors

Plant Health Sensors - Leaf temperature sensors - Soil moisture sensors - Weight scales - Camera systems

Controllers (Actuation)

Climate Control - HVAC systems - Fans and vents - Heaters - Cooling systems - Dehumidifiers

Lighting Systems - LED grow lights - Supplemental lighting - Photoperiod control - Spectrum control

Irrigation Equipment - Water pumps - Solenoid valves - Nutrient dosers - Misting systems - Drainage pumps

Adding Devices

Method 1: Manual Addition

  1. Navigate to Devices > Add Device
  2. Enter device information: 
    {
  "device_id": "TH-SENSOR-001",
  "name": "Zone A Temperature",
  "type": "temperature_humidity",
  "manufacturer": "SensorTech",
  "model": "TH-PRO-100",
  "serial_number": "2024-001234",
  "firmware_version": "2.1.0"
}
  3. Configure connection:
  4. Protocol: MQTT, HTTP, Modbus, etc.
  5. Connection string/URL
  6. Authentication credentials
  7. Assign to farm location
  8. Test connection

Method 2: Auto-Discovery

  1. Navigate to Devices > Discover
  2. Select discovery method:
  3. Network scan (local devices)
  4. Bluetooth scan
  5. Zigbee network
  6. Home Assistant entities
  7. Review discovered devices
  8. Select devices to add
  9. Configure and assign locations

Method 3: Bulk Import

  1. Prepare CSV file: 
    device_id,name,type,zone_id,ip_address
TEMP-001,Greenhouse Temp,temperature,zone-a1,192.168.1.100
HUMID-001,Greenhouse Humidity,humidity,zone-a1,192.168.1.101
  2. Navigate to Devices > Import
  3. Upload CSV file
  4. Map columns to fields
  5. Validate and import

Device Configuration

Basic Settings

For each device, configure:

  1. Identity
  2. Unique device ID
  3. Display name
  4. Description

  5. Location tags

  6. Connection

  7. Communication protocol
  8. Network settings
  9. Polling interval

  10. Timeout settings

  11. Operational Parameters

  12. Measurement units
  13. Calibration offsets
  14. Operating ranges
  15. Default states

Advanced Configuration

Data Processing 

{
  averaging_window: 5, // minutes
  outlier_detection: true,
  smoothing_algorithm: "exponential",
  decimation_factor: 10
}

Alert Thresholds 

{
  critical_high: 95,
  warning_high: 85,
  normal_range: [65, 75],
  warning_low: 55,
  critical_low: 45,
  hysteresis: 2
}

Real-Time Monitoring

Dashboard Views

Device List View - Status indicators (online/offline) - Current readings - Last update time - Quick actions

Grid View - Visual layout matching physical arrangement - Color-coded status - Trend sparklines - Batch operations

Map View - Physical device locations - Heat maps for sensor data - Navigation to device details - Spatial analytics

Device Details Page

Access detailed information: 1. Click on any device 2. View comprehensive data: - Current readings - Historical charts - Event log - Configuration - Maintenance records

Data Visualization

Real-Time Charts - Line graphs for continuous data - Gauge displays for current values - Heat maps for spatial data - Status timelines

Historical Analysis - Adjustable time ranges - Data export options - Comparison tools - Trend analysis

Device Control

Manual Control

Individual Device Control 1. Navigate to device 2. Click Control tab 3. Adjust settings: 

// Example: Light control
{
  power: "on",
  intensity: 75, // percentage
  spectrum: {
    red: 660,
    blue: 450,
    white: 5000
  }
}
4. Confirm action 5. Monitor response

Batch Control 1. Select multiple devices 2. Choose Batch Actions 3. Select operation: - Turn all on/off - Set to specific value - Apply profile - Reset to defaults

Scheduled Control

Creating Schedules 1. Navigate to Automation > Schedules 2. Click New Schedule 3. Configure: 

{
  name: "Lighting Schedule",
  devices: ["LIGHT-001", "LIGHT-002"],
  schedule: {
    type: "daily",
    events: [
      { time: "06:00", action: "turn_on", intensity: 100 },
      { time: "18:00", action: "dim", intensity: 50 },
      { time: "22:00", action: "turn_off" }
    ]
  }
}

Schedule Types - Daily: Repeat every day - Weekly: Specific days - Photoperiod: Based on growth stage - Astronomical: Sunrise/sunset based - Custom: Complex patterns

Automation Rules

Rule-Based Control 

{
  name: "Temperature Control",
  trigger: {
    type: "sensor_reading",
    device: "TEMP-001",
    condition: "greater_than",
    value: 80
  },
  conditions: [
    { type: "time_range", start: "10:00", end: "18:00" },
    { type: "device_state", device: "FAN-001", state: "off" }
  ],
  actions: [
    { device: "FAN-001", command: "turn_on", speed: 75 },
    { device: "VENT-001", command: "open", position: 50 }
  ],
  notifications: [
    { type: "push", message: "High temperature - cooling activated" }
  ]
}

Automation Types - Threshold-based: React to sensor readings - Time-based: Scheduled actions - Event-driven: Respond to system events - Cascade: Chain multiple actions - Adaptive: ML-based optimization

Device Groups

Creating Groups

  1. Navigate to Devices > Groups
  2. Click Create Group
  3. Define group: 
    {
  name: "Zone A Lighting",
  description: "All lights in Zone A",
  devices: ["LIGHT-A01", "LIGHT-A02", "LIGHT-A03"],
  sync_control: true, // Control all as one
  aggregate_data: true // Combine readings
}

Group Operations

  • Synchronized Control: Control all devices together
  • Aggregated Monitoring: View combined metrics
  • Group Scheduling: Apply schedules to entire group
  • Bulk Maintenance: Track maintenance for group

Integration Features

Home Assistant Integration

Connecting Devices 1. Enable Home Assistant integration 2. Map platform devices to HA entities 3. Configure two-way sync 4. Set up HA automations

Benefits - Extended device compatibility - Advanced automation engine - Voice control via assistants - Custom dashboards

MQTT Bridge

Setup MQTT Connection 

{
  broker: "mqtt://broker.farm.local:1883",
  username: "farm_system",
  password: "secure_password",
  topics: {
    sensor_data: "farm/+/sensors/+/state",
    control: "farm/+/control/+/set",
    status: "farm/+/status"
  }
}

API Access

REST API Endpoints 

# Get device data
GET /api/v1/devices/{device_id}/data

# Control device
POST /api/v1/devices/{device_id}/control
{
  "command": "set_value",
  "value": 75
}

# Get device history
GET /api/v1/devices/{device_id}/history?start=2024-01-01&end=2024-01-31

Maintenance & Calibration

Maintenance Scheduling

  1. Access device settings
  2. Navigate to Maintenance tab
  3. Set maintenance intervals: 
    {
  cleaning: { interval: "weekly", last: "2024-01-15" },
  calibration: { interval: "monthly", last: "2024-01-01" },
  replacement: { interval: "yearly", last: "2023-06-01" }
}

Calibration Procedures

Sensor Calibration 1. Navigate to device settings 2. Click Calibrate 3. Follow calibration wizard: - Prepare calibration solution/reference - Enter reference value - System calculates offset - Apply calibration - Verify accuracy

Calibration Records - Automatic logging of all calibrations - Drift tracking over time - Calibration reminders - Certificate generation

Troubleshooting Devices

Common Issues

Device Offline 1. Check power supply 2. Verify network connectivity 3. Review device logs 4. Test with ping/connection test 5. Check firewall rules

Incorrect Readings 1. Verify calibration 2. Check sensor placement 3. Review environmental factors 4. Inspect for damage 5. Compare with reference device

Control Not Working 1. Verify device permissions 2. Check control limits 3. Review automation conflicts 4. Test manual override 5. Inspect physical connections

Diagnostic Tools

Device Health Check 

# Run diagnostic
farm device diagnose DEVICE-001

# Output
✓ Network connectivity: OK
✓ Last communication: 30 seconds ago
✓ Data validity: Within range
⚠ Calibration: Due in 5 days
✓ Firmware: Up to date

Communication Testing - Ping test - Protocol verification - Payload inspection - Latency measurement - Packet loss detection

Performance Optimization

Data Management

Optimization Strategies 1. Adjust polling intervals based on criticality 2. Implement data decimation for storage 3. Use edge computing for preprocessing 4. Enable caching for static data 5. Archive old data periodically

Bandwidth Management 

{
  critical_devices: { interval: 10 }, // seconds
  monitoring_devices: { interval: 60 },
  status_devices: { interval: 300 },
  batch_updates: true,
  compression: "gzip"
}

System Performance

Best Practices - Group devices by network segment - Use local MQTT broker for high-frequency data - Implement device-level caching - Optimize database indices - Regular maintenance and cleanup

Security Considerations

Device Security

Authentication - Unique credentials per device - Certificate-based authentication - API key rotation - Secure credential storage

Network Security - VLAN segmentation - Firewall rules - Encrypted communications - VPN for remote access

Access Control - Role-based permissions - Device-specific access - Audit logging - Change tracking

Advanced Features

Edge Computing

Deploy edge computing nodes: 1. Install edge agent on local server 2. Configure device connections 3. Set up local processing rules 4. Enable cloud sync

Benefits: - Reduced latency - Offline operation - Local automation - Bandwidth optimization

Machine Learning

Predictive Maintenance - Failure prediction - Maintenance optimization - Anomaly detection - Performance degradation tracking

Adaptive Control - Learning optimal settings - Environmental adaptation - Energy optimization - Yield maximization

Next Steps

  1. Set up your first devices
  2. Create device groups for easier management
  3. Configure automation rules
  4. Set up maintenance schedules
  5. Integrate with Home Assistant for advanced features

For API documentation, see Device API Reference | For troubleshooting, see Device Troubleshooting