PogoStick and Research Pogo App Operator s Guide Research POGO App Overview Getting Started with the Research POGO App When you first start the Research POGO App, you will be asked to log into your Precision Cloud account. When you finish logging in, you will get the Welcome to POGO screen. The Welcome page will direct you to press the New Run tab at the bottom of the page, or you can press the Settings tab as well, to get started. Either way, the app will take you to the Connection page to get connected to the PogoStick via Bluetooth connection. 955604_00 6/16 1
This page will show all PogoSticks that are turned on and within range (within 100 ft.). If more than one PogoStick is turned on and within range, it will not be obvious which PogoStick is which, so the best practice is to make sure the Pogo you are trying to connect to is the only one turned on within a couple hundred feet. To turn on the PogoStick there is a switch on the Pogo Module on the underside of the RAM mount. Press the circle to the left of the POGO device you are connecting to and the POGO app will attempt to connect to the PogoStick. This process will take a moment, but once it is connected successfully you will get a pop-up message to confirm. Press OK. The final step in getting started with the Research POGO App and the PogoStick is to do an initial calibration. After connecting the PogoStick, the app will bring you to the Calibration screen stating the importance of calibrating your PogoStick. At the top of the screen you will see three different Cal factors: A, B, and C, with a default calibration pre-loaded. The PogoStick will function and be somewhat accurate with the default calibration, but we strongly recommend that you recalibrate the PogoStick for the most accurate results (see Calibrating the PogoStick section for details). All screens in the app show the name of the app, current tape measure position, internet and Bluetooth connection status, and the name associated with the logged in cloud account. At the bottom of the page you will always see the 4 functional tabs, Runs, New Run, Settings, and Log Off. 955604_00 6/16 2
Navigating and Using the Research POGO App The four tabs at the bottom of the screen can be accessed at any time while connected to a PogoStick. Runs The Runs page lists all PogoStick runs that have been completed for your Cloud account. The list of runs is not sortable and is organized by date. The Farm, Field, Row Spacing, and Row # columns are populated by what information is entered when each run is started. Totals Seeds is the actual number of plants that were recorded. Sync Status refers to whether or not the run has been synced to your online Cloud account. From this page you can delete a run by swiping it to the left and pressing the red Delete button that appears to the right. If you don t want to delete, just swipe the row back to the right and the Delete button will be hidden again. You can also select any run on this page to go back and view the run summary or change any of the information pertaining to the field you were in when that run was completed including planter information and individual plant notes. New Run The New Run tab at the bottom of the screen will take you to the page to enter information for data collection. If you are not connected to a PogoStick, you will be directed to the Connection page and a pop-up will notify you that you are not connected. The New Run tab has the following sections: Name/Location: Enter the Farm Name, Field Name, Row #, City, and State. Farm Name, Field Name, and Row # are all required information. City and State are not required. Field/Environment: Enter Soil Texture, Soil Slope, Previous Crop, Cover Crop Type, Fall Tillage, Spring Tillage 1, Spring Tillage 2, and Cover Crop Status at Planting. None of this information is required to start a new run, but if using the PogoStick to collect plot data or any other type of research this information is helpful in capturing the whole story. Planter Info: Enter all Planter-related information. Row Spacing is required to calculate population. All other information is optional, but is highly recommended if doing plot work or any other type of research. Notes: Enter notes about the run that are not otherwise captured in previous sections. 955604_00 6/16 3
Run Log: The Run Log page is where you will log plant data. You can also access the Run Log page at any time by going to the Runs tab, selecting a previous run from the list, and the pressing the Run Log tab at the top of the page. On the left is the section where plant data will actually be recorded during the run. With each plant recorded, a new entry will appear as a new row in this section. The section to the right is where your soft buttons are located as well as a drop down to switch the button groupings depending on the development stage of the crop. On the left side of the page, Research POGO is recording Plant # (observation #), Spacing (between plants), Total (total distance measured), Emergence (good, LE1, LE2, etc), Classification (misplaced classification), and any notes added by the user (to add a note, simply tap the observation and a pop-up will appear for text/numeric input). You can delete any record by swiping the row to the left and pressing the red Delete button. You can also add a plant note by selecting a plant number from the list and typing in a note. Plant observations will appear in descending order as you collect data so that your most recent observation is always at the top of the list. On the right side of the page you will find your soft buttons. These are the buttons you will use to classify each plant during the run. The default button group is: Good, LE1, LE2, No Germ. You can change the button groups, using the Button Group drop down box just above the soft buttons. The button groups go all the up through V6 and will always contain the No Germ option. The physical Quick-button on the top of the PogoStick will always correspond to the first soft button. The Complete Run button is also at the top right of the screen and is used to save the run once finished. Pressing Complete Run will automatically take you to the Run Summary page and will attempt to sync the run to the cloud. *Be aware that if you press Complete Run you will not be able to add additional plants to the run. You will only have the ability to delete a plant and add/edit notes for each plant. 955604_00 6/16 4
Summary: The Summary page can be accessed at any time by going to the Runs tab, selecting a previous run from the list, and then pressing the Summary tab at the top of the page. The Summary page will also load automatically after completing a new run. This page is made up of three main parts: Metrics on the top left of the screen, Emergence Summary chart on the top right of the screen, and individual plant information on the bottom of the screen. Your metrics area at the top left is further broken down into four parts: Run Info, Population, Singulation, and Spacing. Run info is pulled from whatever information you entered when starting a new run. The following information is displayed: Run Date, Farm Name, Field Name, Row #, Row Spacing, and # of Plants Sampled (number of plants sampled is based on the actual number of plants logged during the run). Population information includes Planted Population and Nominal Population. Singulation information includes # Multiples, # Skips, Singulation %, and Misplaced Total. Spacing information includes SRI, # Good Spacing, Good Spacing %, Standard Deviation, and Nominal Spacing. The Emergence Summary chart on the right is a pie chart depicting the percentage of each emergence classification for the entire run. For example, if you logged 50 plants that were Good and 50 plants that were LE1 you would see a pie chart that was split evenly into two colors. If you press one of the colored areas of the pie chart, an information box would appear showing you the percentage of that classification. At the bottom of the page each of the plants you logged will be displayed in graphical format along with the emergence classification and spacing between each plant. It will also include a label stating whether it was Good Spacing, Misplaced 1, or Misplaced 2. You can scroll through the plants for your entire run by swiping left and right at the bottom of the screen. 955604_00 6/16 5
Settings Pressing the Settings tab will bring you to settings page. Within the settings page there is two subpages: Connection and Calibration. The connection page shows the connection status of the PogoStick as well as the POGO Device name, UUID and Signal strength. You cannot change anything on the connection page or disconnect from the PogoStick. To disconnect, switch off the PogoStick module under the RAM mount. The calibration page shows the current Cal factors (A, B, C) as well as the current tape measure position. From this page you can load a default calibration, recalibrate the PogoStick, or start a new run. If you try to recalibrate while disconnected from the PogoStick, the app will prompt you to connect and take you back to the connection page. See the Calibration section for more details. Log Off The Log Off tab allows the user to log out of the current account and log back in with a different Precision Cloud account. You will be prompted to verify that you really do want to log off, press OK to finish logging off or press Cancel to go back to the page you were previously on. You can also log off by pressing the icon with your name at the top right of the screen. *Be aware that if you have run data that has for some reason not been synced up to the Precision Cloud (for example, no internet connection) you will lose that data if you log off before it syncs. The app will prompt you if this is the case. Sync all data before logging into a different account. 955604_00 6/16 6
PogoStick Operation Calibrating the PogoStick Accurate plant to plant measurements are crucial for determining post-planting spacing and singulation values in the field. At the heart of the PogoStick is a tape measure with a pulse encoder. The encoder pulses roughly 2500 times per revolution. The encoder is very sensitive to changes in the diameter of the tape, making calibration an important part of the process. The PogoStick should be calibrated at least once per day of use. In addition, you should spot check the calibration before each new field visited. (*Note* Even if total measured distance deviates from the actual tape distance, relative plant to plant spacing will still be accurate). Check the calibration any time the PogoStick is dropped or after riding around in a service truck, etc. by comparing the tape position on the app with the actual distance showing on the tape measure itself. To calibrate the PogoStick follow the steps below: 1. Make sure your ipad and the PogoStick module are connected via Bluetooth 2. If connecting and calibrating for the first time, you will be prompted to connect and then taken to the calibration page. If recalibrating, you can press the Settings tab at the bottom of the Pogo App screen and then press Calibration at the top of the screen 3. You will start by setting your 0 point. Press the green Set/Next button to set the 0 encoder point. 4. Following the on-screen instructions, pull the tape out to the 10.0 ft. mark and press Set/Next 5. Repeat step 4 in 10 ft. increments until the app gives you the prompt that it is saving the calibration to the PogoStick. It will automatically finish the calibration and save it to the PogoStick module. The calibration requires you to go to 90 feet before the calibration can be finished and saved. 6. Once the calibration has been saved, your cal factors A, B, and C will change and will remain saved to the PogoStick module until you recalibrate. Because they are saved to the module and are specific to the PogoStick. These cal factors will be used even if a different ipad is connected to the PogoStick. *Be aware that it is easiest to run the calibration with the ipad out of the RAM mount, and with the PogoStick on a flat and level surface such as a table, work bench, or tailgate. This allows you to pull the tape and see the ipad screen at the same time* 955604_00 6/16 7
Starting a New Run You can start a new run from either the calibration screen or by pressing the New Run tab at the bottom of the screen. When you start a new run you will be taken to the Name/Location tab of the new run screen. Begin inputting information for the run. You are required to enter Farm Name, Field Name, and Row # on this page. Row spacing (in the Planter Info tab) is also required. All other information is optional but valuable in explaining results. If you miss a piece of required information you will be prompted and then taken to the correct page to enter the missing information. Once you are done entering information, select the Run Log tab at the top of the screen to start collecting plant data! *Be aware that any of the information fields can be edited at any time during or after the run by selecting the correct tab and simply entering the information* Measuring Plants Before you begin measuring plants, it may be necessary to adjust the height of the PogoStick for comfort and ease of use. To adjust, loosen the adjustment handle, position the pole at the desired length, and re-tighten the adjustment handle. Make sure the orientation of the Tape Measure assembly is the same. To begin measuring plants, press the Run Log tab at the top of the New Run section. Select your Button Group at the right hand side of the page to select the grouping of soft buttons. The default group is: Good, LE1, LE2, and No Germ. Remember that the physical button (Quick Button) on the top of the PogoStick, corresponds to the top soft button listed. Choose a row and stake your tape measure at the beginning where you would like to start your run. On the front of the Tape Measure assembly there is a thin metal rod, this is your pointer device to be used for lining up with each plant; make sure the pointer is extended in the down position. Then simply begin moving left to right, lining up the pointer with each plant and either pressing the physical button or one of the soft buttons to record each plant. If no distance is detected between plants, you will get a prompt stating that It appears you didn t move forward and the app will ignore that input. If at any time you would like to delete a plant observation, you can simply slide the row to the left and press the red Delete button. If you want to add a note, simply select the observation and you will get a text entry pop-up. To complete the run, press Complete Run at the top right of the page and it will save the run. If you have internet access in the field, the app will also attempt to sync the run to the Precision Cloud at the same time. All observations will show a classification of Pending on the Run Log 955604_00 6/16 8
page until you press Complete Run. Once completed, you will be taken to the View Run Summary page where your report will be displayed. If you want to do another run on the same field, just press New Run at the bottom of the page and say yes when it asks you if you want to do a run for the same field. This will pre-populate some of the information, saving you time and the potential for making a clerical error. We recommend you do at least 3 runs per field and that each run is at least 60 feet in length. Try to spread the runs out to create a representative sample. It is probably best if you avoid the headlands unless you are trying to test something specific to that location. We recommend being consistent in how you line up the pointer with each plant. Whether you line the pointer up with the middle of each plant or just either side of each plant, consistency will produce the most accurate results. *Do not extend the tape beyond 90 as this could damage the recoil spring inside the tape measure* Accessing Run Data Your run data is synced to your cloud account and can be accessed by logging into https://cloud.precisionplanting.com. Under the Support tab you will see a new item called Research POGO. Clicking this will take you to a page that is laid out similarly to the Customer Central page on the Precision Cloud. You will see all the runs you have done in the table, and each run can be selected to display the same summary screen that is available on the Research POGO App. At the top of this screen you will also see an Export Data option, which will export a PDF of the metrics as well as an excel file of the summary as well as the raw data for each plant. 955604_00 6/16 9
Plant Metric Definitions Planted Population: The actual population planted. Nominal Population: What the population should have been based on the nominal spacing (see nominal spacing below). Singulation %: (100 %-skip %-double %). Misplaced Total: Total seeds that are categorized MP1 and MP2 MP1: Less than 4 to previous seed MP2: Less than 2.5 to previous seed Good Spacing %: Percentage of seeds not MP1 or MP2 Nominal Spacing: Average spacing with worst plants thrown out (Singulation errors thrown out). In other words, it is the average spacing of the properly singulated plants. SRI (Seed Release Index): Standard deviation divided by nominal spacing (multiplied by 100 to get a whole number). SRI is greatly affected by the physical location of the sensor. At meter, middle of tube, bottom of tube, or in field will get progressively worse. What is 10% SRI at the meter could be 15% in the middle of the tube, 20% at the bottom of the tube, and 25% in the field). A good SRI in field would be 25% or less. Standard Deviation: Statistical calculation of error includes all three error types (spacing, skips, and doubles). 955604_00 6/16 10
Troubleshooting PogoStick and Research Pogo App Ø Pogo Module will not power on o Ensure battery is sufficiently charged (ideally at least two lights should be lit on battery) o Ensure battery cable is firmly connected to the Pogo Module and that USB connection is firmly connected to the battery Ø Research Pogo App will not connect to the PogoStick o Ensure ipad s Bluetooth is turned on o Check that the Pogo Module is on (all three indicator lights should be on) If not on, ensure the battery has sufficient charge o Ensure no other ipad is currently connected to the PogoStick and running the Research Pogo App o Your ipad must be an ipad generation 4 or newer (must have lightning connector) o Your ipad must be on at least ios 9.2 Ø Research Pogo App continually tells me that no distance was measured between points o Make sure that you are still connected to the PogoStick via Bluetooth If not, turn Bluetooth off and back on, then try to reconnect Ensure battery has sufficient charge, a dead or dying battery will cause Pogo Module to power off and you will lose connection o Ensure that the gray wire from the Encoder Assembly is plugged into the Pogo Module, unplugging and plugging back in may be necessary to confirm a good connection o Check that the Encoder Assembly is mechanically in working order by removing the 4 screws on the Encoder Cover and removing the cover. When you pull the tape you should see the center shaft of the encoder turning slowly If it is not turning or is intermittently pausing during tape pull, you can remove the two screws securing the encoder to the tape measure assembly and reseat the encoder The height of the encoder shaft may need to be changed relative to the encoder. If so, loosen the 2 setscrews and adjust the shaft (adjustments should be very minimal, usually less than 1/8 ) Ø Encoder position indicator on app does not change when tape is pulled out o Ensure that the gray wire from the Encoder Assembly is plugged into the Pogo Module, unplugging and plugging back in may be necessary to confirm a good connection o Check that the Encoder Assembly is mechanically in working order by removing the 4 screws on the Encoder Cover and removing the cover. When you pull the tape you should see the center shaft of the encoder turning slowly If it is not turning or is intermittently pausing during tape pull, you can remove the two screws securing the encoder to the tape measure assembly and reseat the encoder The height of the encoder shaft may need to be changed relative to the encoder. If so, loosen the 2 setscrews and adjust the shaft (adjustments should be very minimal, usually less than 1/8 ) 955604_00 6/16 11
Ø Reported tape position on app is not 0 when tape is fully retracted o There is a plastic spacer on the physical tape to keep it from retracting too far inside of the tape measure housing. This spacer is about 1 wide and the metal end of the tape where you stake it down is another 1 so the tape position will commonly read around 2. PogoSticks have also been observed to read anywhere from 3 up to 8 when fully retracted. It may be necessary to recalibrate a few different times, to get it closer to 2-4 when retracted. New PogoSticks may require a breaking in period due to tight tolerances of the tape measure housing Ø Reported tape position on app does not match what the tape shows when tape is pulled out o Recalibrate the PogoStick o R&D has also noticed what they term as slop in the tape measure. If the tape measure was not properly tightened when manufactured it can affect the accuracy of the encoder readings. To tighten the tape measure, follow the steps below Ø The tape measure will not fully retract or extend o It is not recommended to fully extend the tape, you should stop around 90 to extend the life of the recoil spring o The tape measure will often not behave correctly if it becomes wet. In this scenario, pull out the tape as far as possible and dry it off with a towel or other dry cloth o It may be necessary to tighten or loosen the tape measure Remove tape measure assembly from the housing Hold down tightly on the tape measure and unscrew the 6 small bolts on the front of the tape measure. If you release the tape measure, the coil inside will come loose and unwind/spin freely. If that happens the top of the tape measure will need to be spun a large number of times before the tape measure is usable again If the tape measure was not fully retracting or retracting very slowly, the tape measure needs to be tightened by rotating the top clockwise Only use small adjustments to dial in the correct tension If the tape measure was not fully extending or extending easily, the tape measure needs to be loosened by rotating the top counterclockwise Only use small adjustments to dial in the correct tension Ø A piece of hardware broke o You have one extra tape measure assembly with your PogoStick, but any other hardware that happens to break can be ordered from InSource. Review the Hardware and Service Parts page on your QuickStart/Overview guide that shipped with the PogoStick for a parts list and contact number for InSource 955604_00 6/16 12
Ø The electronics got wet o Take a paper towel or cloth and remove as much water as possible from the connectors o Unplug the battery cable from the Pogo Module o Ground yourself and remove the Pogo Module cover by loosening the 4 screws o While still grounded, try to remove as much water as possible from the inside of the circuit board housing and on the circuit board by patting it with a cloth (never wipe across the circuit board to ensure that no components are physically damaged o Allow the module to air dry for several hours before attempting to reconnect power If possible, remove the circuit board from the housing by removing the 4 small screws in the corners of the board; remove the circuit board carefully and place in a warm and dry location Ø Push-Button switch does not register/plot a data point o Use an Allen wrench to remove the cover of the push-button housing and ensure that the push-button is properly seated (there are tabs that will click into place when it is seated properly) o Check for breakage or pinches in the wire from the push-button to the module o Check that the pins on the connector are intact and that it is plugged firmly into the module 955604_00 6/16 13