Compost - BioMESH™ WindRow Control

The BioMESH™ PME (Partial Manual Entry) WindRow Control, is a software program designed to allow you to track the building and managing of the WindRows (Static or Turned) of a compost facility using patented transceiver/repeater REALMESH™ radio telemetry coupled with some of ITI’s sophisticated, patent pending, I/O Mapping techniques borrowed from our Industrial and Water and WasteWater management system, to transmit and track information while supporting simultaneous manual data entry.

What sets us apart is the use of patented REALMESH™ radios for signal handling.

“MESH” is an acronym for “Multipoint Enhanced Signal Handling”. Essentially our patented REALMESH™ radios are those which support both transceiver functions and repeater functions in the same module. With REALMESH™, each radio “helps” each other radio get the signal through by using each radio’s repeater function. Additionally, REALMESH™, radios on adjacent WindRows can help each other get the signals through without confusion on the part of the BioMESH™ software program, as the information packets contain the Probe origin information as well as a history of “hops”, or which radios helped in the movement of the packets.

This “helping each other” capability is impossible with non-MESH radios.

The BioMESH™ WindRow Control Program uses conventional file handling protocol techniques. BioMESH™ groups WindRows by name into one of two “folders”. The first is “Current”, which stores the names of currently used WindRows once they are created. The second is “Historic”, which stores WindRow names and all associated data after the WindRow is destroyed. We use the terms “created” and “destroyed” to indicate the life cycle of a given WindRow. The terms “beginning” and “end” may also be used. In either case the WindRow is given a “life” time to exist during which time it is identified by a unique, user-given name, and all data is associated with it either in the Current or Historic folders. Data is immediately and automatically stored when entered while the WindRow is Current. Once moved to Historic, the data cannot be changed, nor may anything be added. This preserves the integrity of the system.

BioMESH™ can accept REALMESH™ radio transmitted temperature information (supporting up to three separate temperature sensors per probe) while allowing for manual entry of Oxygen or Moisture content. BioMESH also allows for manual entry of temperature information in the case of random sampling. In each case every entry is identified by the system as to it’s source; “manual entry” or from a REALMESH™ radio equipped probe, and is time/date stamped automatically. Once data is entered in the BioMESH™ program from any source, it CANNOT be changed in the program. This preserves the integrity of the data. If changes are desired for any reason, using the industry standard .CSV output capability will allow the data to be output to a spreadsheet where the user can do whatever is deemed necessary to produce the desired report formats and information.

BioMESH™ PME will support up to 1000 WindRows on a single network and up to 100 radios on a single WindRow. It allows schedules for “Sleep” and “Poll” so you can predict and control when events will happen. Schedules are changeable at will. While a radio is “Sleeping”, it is conserving battery life, however it cannot be polled or answer queries until it awakens. The REALMESH™ radio and interface board support analog to digital conversion on the fly, so the temperature is readable when you see it.

The patented REALMESH™ radio module is plugged into a BioMESH™ board which has 3 analog inputs and 2 digital IO ports. Since the radio is a transceiver, it supports bi-directional communication. Therefore, you can use the board to control fans and other devices using the “digital out” functions, as well as take temperatures in via the “analog in” capability.

You can view data on screen and/or output it to CSV format for ad hoc exporting to other programs like databases or spreadsheets. BioMESH™ PME also supports MODBUS, and we can support other interfaces if necessary.

Probes can be “assigned” at will to any given WindRow, or function within a process. When “un-assigned”, they are automatically made available in general inventory for use again by any current or newly created WindRow. When a WindRow is sent to the “Historic” file, after it is completed, all its previously “assigned” probes are automatically made “un-assigned” with no further work on the user’s part. They are immediately visible as “available” and are sorted in numerical order for ease of use and re-assigning to new WindRows. This way, not only does BioMESH™ know which probes are active in which WindRow, but also which probes are instantly available for assignment to new WindRows.

Bringing A Patented Wireless MESH Radio Technology to the Compost World