Created by Karim Mouidine – Hidroconta

The primary objective of implementing a remote management system within an irrigation perimeter is to enhance collective irrigation management by considering the requirements of localized irrigation. This allows for more efficient and sustainable use of irrigation water, thus mitigating the scarcity of water resources.

Remote management systems can be applied to any water service management process. These systems provide real-time updates on the evolution and status of various system parameters, enabling operators to manage and interrogate different elements such as meters and valves installed in the network.

Hidroconta has developed its own remote management system, DEMETER, capable of remotely controlling the opening and closing of any solenoid valve and reading the meter at any time, regardless of the brand. The meters must be equipped with a pulse emitter.

Post-data analysis allows for the adoption of corrective measures for water consumption analysis based on hydrological calculations and the efficiency and effectiveness of the irrigation network.

Some of the most notable features of the DEMETER remote management system are:

  • GPRS or Radio communication with the data server.
  • Simple architecture, reducing the number of elements involved in communications.
  • Suitable for extreme temperature and humidity conditions.
  • Remote firmware configuration.
  • Easy maintenance.
  • Alarm configuration: The Demeter system can log and report abnormal situations or those requiring immediate attention through menu-notified alarms. The allowed alarms are classified as follows:
  • Terminal: Low battery, battery replacement, communication failure
  • Hydrant: Flow detection with valve closed, no flow detection with valve open, maximum flow, minimum flow, quota exceeded.
  • Analog Input: Exceeding a maximum or minimum value setting, such as network pressure.
  • Digital Input: State change.
  • Irrigation programming from the web platform. The remote terminals “PCB” are fully autonomous, meaning users can record different programs to be stored in the PCB’s internal memory and executed even in the event of communication loss.

The system can detect the opening and closing of hatch doors via intrusion transducers installed in each hatch and notify the alarm via SCADA-Web platform or SMS to operators, helping combat vandalism.

The SCADA-WEB user interface allows operation of the equipment from any internet-connected device and browser (Firefox, Chrome, Safari, etc.), whether a traditional PC or any mobile device (tablet, smartphone, etc.), offering the possibility to customize the application to fully meet user needs.

In a single operating area, a water management company may have multiple remote management systems. If these systems are not interconnected, data generated may not be properly processed, resulting in information loss and misuse of technology.

To achieve proper use, what we refer to as interoperability, the first step is for a system to be capable of transferring and receiving data from another system. Generally, this data transfer is performed through an adapted and customized interface.

The system must be able to process different data sources regardless of manufacturer or technologies, integrating data from other systems and any communication protocol.

Hidroconta has developed its own API (Application Program Interface) to allow data exchange and processing between the Demeter system and other systems.

There are two main communication protocols on which APIs are based:

  • Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP)
  • Representational State Transfer (REST).

The second one has now largely overtaken the former because it is more flexible since REST uses a standardized protocol and methods.

The Demeter system allows integration with other management and control systems through a REST API. That is, through an interface that offers a series of HTTP requests to query information and manage devices integrated into the system, any third-party system can access the system. Additionally, access to the system is restricted based on the type of user.

The application is based on HTTP REST web services using JSON as the data exchange format. Moreover, this API has a mechanism to immediately notify third-party systems of instant changes in device status. 

In cases where water managers have their own management application and do not want to implement the system developed by Hidroconta, an intermediate software has been designed to facilitate their connection to the control and communication network.

Hidroconta joins the technological and digital solutions that are effective and efficient for the proper use of water resources and land care.

We hope you find this article useful and invite you to send us your comments and suggestions for continuous improvement.