OnSite fms
What is onsite?
OnSite FMS is Flow Monitoring System that gives you accurate real time flow rates of your in-furrow fertilizer. It uses individual flow meters on each row of your planter to digitally monitor the the amount of liquid being applied to each row of your planter.
This precise information allows you to easily track performance on each row of your planter so you can see issues developing and fix them before they become full blockages. OnSite FMS can be configured for single or dual product application on virtually any size or make of planter.
Our standard systems consist of two parts. The FlowBoards that are mounted on your planter and 7″ touchscreen display in the cab.
FlowBoard Fundamentals
FlowBoards are the workhorse of the system. They sit on the planter itself and house the flowmeters, electronics, plumbing & wiring for most of the system. Each FlowBoard can monitor a single product on up to twelve rows. Most planters will require multiple FlowBoards, depending on the number of rows they have.
Each FlowBoard holds up up to 12 flowmeters, the OnSite FMS Module which reads the flowmeter data, the manifold, and the flowmeter harness that connects the flowmeters to the OnSite FMS Module. All of this comes already assembled in your kit. FlowBoards are designed to be a very simple upgrade from traditional Red Balls systems, allowing you to use most of the same plumbing and mounting points.
If your planter is larger than 12 rows, just add more boards. You can easily connect the systems together with the Module Connection Harness(es) that comes in your kit. FlowBoards connect together in a daisy-chain configuration with the supplied terminal at the end. The system automatically detects the correct number of flowmeters in the system, so there’s no additional programming or setup for larger planters.
If you are applying two products with your planter, you will need a FlowBoard kit for each product. Each FlowBoard is monitored separately, but they all connect together as one system with the Module Connection Harnesses. The software will group the FlowBoards together properly and track each product independently.
Dynamic Display
The display is the brains of the system. The display kit contains the big 7″ touchscreen display, the cradle it sits in, an adjustable mount from RAM Mounts, and the power harness. You will only need one display kit for your entire system, regardless of the number of FlowBoards required by your kit.
The OnSite FMS display takes all the flow data from each flowmeter and displays it in an easy to understand bar graph. Each blue bar shows the actual flow rate of each individual row on the planter, updated several times per second.
The red line that runs across the screen is the target application rate you specify in the software. It is there to give you an easy reference to see which rows are putting down too much product and which ones aren’t putting down enough. If you are monitoring multiple sections, they are grouped together with green lines that show the average flowrate for that section.
Bluetooth or wired?
Most farmers like the convenient setup of Bluetooth, but there is very little performance difference between Bluetooth and Wired systems. It all comes down to personal choice and what is right for your planter.
Wired systems have a cable that runs down from the cab to the hitch. There is a similar harness on the planter that connects at the hitch. Power and data are delivered to the FlowBoards through this harness, so it’s a great choice for smaller planters or if you don’t already have power on the planter.
Bluetooth systems add another module to the first FlowBoard in the system that sends the signals to the cab, eliminating the hitch harnesses. Bluetooth systems have a second power harness to pull electricity from the planter itself. If you do not already have power on your planter, a wired system may be the easier solution.
If you opt for the Bluetooth system and have a large planter, we recommend mounting the Bluetooth module closer to the cab to eliminate problems with signal range or interference from other wireless components. Signal problems are rare, but could happen.
WET BOOM SYSTEMS
FlowBoards or Wet Boom?
If you have a planter with a wet boom, OnSite has a system perfectly designed for you!
OnSite FMS+ Wet Boom Kits eliminate most of the plumbing, but requires a much more complex wire harness. Wet Boom Kits may install a little differently, but they function exactly the same as any other OnSite FMS+ systems.
OnSite FMS+ Wet Boom Kit installation.
Onsite FMS+ Wet Boom Kits are even easier to install than our FlowBoard kits!
- Lay out the harness following the wet boom on your planter. Each leg of the harness will correspond to the breakout for each row.
- Cut the line going out to each row where convenient and install your flowmeters in the splice. Plug each flow meter into the harness.
- Zip tie the harness to the wet boom to secure it to the planter.
- Plug the OnSite FMS+ module to the harness. It will hang freely.
- Plug in the Module Harness to the OnSite FMS+ Module. The Terminator plugs into the male terminator. The female terminator will connect to either the Hitch-to-Module Harness for wired systems or to the Bluetooth Power Cable on Bluetooth systems.
- In the tractor cab, mount the display wherever convenient using the supplied RAM Mount and monitor cradle.
- Run power to the cradle. You may hook directly to the battery or use an open accessory port in the cab. Wired system cables will continue out to the hitch.
- Connect the system together using the method described below for your system.
WIRED SYSTEMS
Run the supplied Display Harness from the cradle out to the hitch. Run the Hitch-to-Module Harness from the male plug on the Module Harness to the hitch. Connect the two harnesses together at the hitch and test the system.
BLUETOOTH SYSTEMS
For Bluetooth systems, mount the Bluetooth module within 50 feet of the cab and run your Bluetooth Harness to the OnSite FMS+ Module. Connect the power cable to the power source on your planter and run it to the Module Cable. The Monitor in the cab should
recognize it and connect automatically.
INSTALLING A SECOND PRODUCT
For dual product systems, you will have two harnesses, two OnSite FMS+ modules, and two sets of flowmeters, each monitoring one product.
Both harnesses will follow the wet boom and install identically, each connected to the flow meters on their respective product. We recommend hooking up the first product completely before installing the second harness and flowmeters to the second product.
When you have both harnesses installed, the two OnSite FMS+ modules will hook together directly via the male and female connectors on the Module Cables. Add a Terminator on the last Module, and run your data back to the cab from the first module using the wired or Bluetooth options described above. Assign each module to its respective product in the software, and off you go!
Find an OnSite Dealer
OnSite has a growing network of dealers that are there to help you out. Click the link below to find the dealer that is nearest to you!