EGU23-389
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-389
EGU General Assembly 2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Analysis of the Feasibility of a low-cost DAQ for EM-38Detection and Mapping

Fatma Hamouda1, Lorenzo Bonzi1, Giuseppe Provenzano3, Àngela Puig-Sirera1, Andrea Sbrana1, Damiano Remorini1,2, and Giovanni Rallo1,2
Fatma Hamouda et al.
  • 1Univeristy of Pisa, Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (DAFE), Agro-Hydrological Sensing and Modelling Lab. (AgrHySMo, www.agrhysmo.agr.unipi.it), Via del Borghetto, 80 56124 Pisa, Italy. Phone: +393385289561. *f.hamouda@studenti.unipi.it;
  • 2CIRSEC, Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca per lo Studio degli Effetti del Cambiamento Climatico dell’Università di Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy angela.puig@unipi.it
  • 3Universita degli Studi di Palermo, Dipartimento Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Forestali, Viale delle Scienze 12 Blg. 4, 90128 Palermo, Italy

Abstract. The EM-38 is a Handheld Electrical Magnetic Induction (EMI) device, non-invasive and commonly used for monitoring salinity, mapping bulk soil properties, and evaluating soil nutrient status. The measured data is an electrical conductivity, [mS/m], which was referred to a representative soil volume of 1.0-1.5 m depth and 2.0 m width.

The Data AcQuisition (DAQ) system for EM-38 (Geonics Inc.) conductivity meter, used for recording the spatial variability of the soil bulk electrical conductivity (EC), is expensive, according to the proprietary software, and do not provide detailed, modifiable circuit schematics.

To address these issues, we developed an easy-to-use, modifiable, and inexpensive data acquisition (DAQ) system for EC data recording and spatializing. In particular, this work investigates the feasibility of using a low-cost open-source DAQ system to be installed on an EM-38 conductivity meter (Geonics Inc.). This DAQ system is based on Raspberry Pi and allows collecting speed and position of the EM-38 device by carrying it on a specific designed sled system.

The EM-38 data (± 200mV) were acquired by A/D converter 24 bit and GPS data ($GPGGA, $GPRMC [NMEA 0183]) were obtained by serial input RS232. The Data logger (Raspberry Pi 4) stored the acquired data and transferred it to the server using an internet connection (Router 4G). The control Firmware has been written in Python language. To ensure the accuracy and reliability of the collected data, the system has been evaluated and tested in well-known open-filed (CIRAAA-a reserch center of the University of Pisa), where the spatial variability of the main soil physical properties (i.e. soil texture, organic matter, electrical conductivity) are known.

The performance has been evaluated by comparing the data string with the one generated by a professional DAQ system. The latter includes a CR1000 data logger (Campbell Scientific) to control and store the EC data and integrats a GPS receiver (GPS16X-HVS, Garmin Inc.) which provides the position, velocity, and timing information.

First results allowed to approve the possibility to extract the analogical signal from the device, which is strongly responsive to the variation of the physical properties of the soil environment. Moreover, the device is able to estimate accurately the spatial patterns of the investigated soil physical properties.

 

Keywords: Precision farming, Zoning, EMI sensors, soil bulk electrical conductivity, open source DAQ

How to cite: Hamouda, F., Bonzi, L., Provenzano, G., Puig-Sirera, À., Sbrana, A., Remorini, D., and Rallo, G.: Analysis of the Feasibility of a low-cost DAQ for EM-38Detection and Mapping, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 24–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-389, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-389, 2023.