Monitor & Control Basics

Learn the basics of device monitor and control features available in Valley 365

There are a variety of device types that can be monitored and/or controlled from Valley 365^R. Some of these common options include:

• Pivot and Linear Irrigation
• Pumps & Water Delivery Equipment
• Liquid Tanks
• Dry Bin Storage
• Soil Moisture
• Weather Stations

For a complete list of device options available, contact your local dealer. Depending on the device type and your level of access to a device will determine the functionality available to monitor and/or control from the app.

Monitor Your Devices

All the devices connected to your account will return data and information that can be monitored from the app at any time. Monitoring your devices is simple with the following steps.

When you open the app, you'll see all of your connected devices and their status information. All devices are shown by default unless you have otherwise adjusted your settings to display a preferred farm and group of devices. At the top of the screen, you can toggle between list view and map view, representing the same devices in alternative layouts. To quickly find a device, use the search bar and filtering tools.

Anywhere you see  in the app, you can select it to open a legend of statuses to help you understand what's going on with a given device.

Each device will have a graphic representing current status of what is happening in the field. In addition, status details can be found and customized in the grey section of each device. From the list or map view, you can click on each device to see data and monitor your equipment. You can use the buttons in the top menu to access controls, graphs, and readings, or the three dots to view info and configuration tabs.

Control Your Devices

Depending on the device type and your level of access, controls can include:

• Start and Stop
• Direction
• Wet/Dry
• Stop in Slot (SIS)
• Speed
• Cruise Control
• ...and many more!

Some of these controls are more frequently used and accessible with little navigation through the app while other controls may be less common and require access through the device view to use.

Start and Stop

In the app, you have a convenient option to start and stop a device quickly from the device card found on list or map view. 

1. From the main screen, select the three horizontal dots that appear to the right of the device that you want to control.
2. Start a device by selecting the play arrow that appears inside the green rectangle.
3. Stop a device by pressing the stop square that appears inside the red rectangle.
4. Press "Send" to execute the command.

Quick Controls

Each device with control capabilities will have a set of quick controls in the top of device view. You will find the quick controls just below the device graphic and status detail as you scroll the device view page.

1. From the quick controls box, toggle on/off the controls you would like to apply.
2. The commands for each of these controls will load in the command tray. When you are ready to submit, open the command tray, review your selections, and select "Send".

Advanced Monitor & Control

Beyond the basic monitor & control functions, each device may have some advanced options available to use in the device view. Scrolling down the page from below the quick controls, you will find a widget for each of the advanced options available for the device.

An example of one of these commonly used widgets is Stop-in-Slot. Using this control widget you can set an angle for the device to stop when reached.

Stop-in-Slot (SIS)

Find the SIS control widget and select "Enable". Input the angle where you want your center pivot machine to stop. Once you have made your selection, then "Send" the commands in the command tray.

Advanced control widgets will appear in lighter grey boxes towards the top of the device view. Control widgets are prioritized in order of most commonly used, vertically organized. Monitor widgets will appear in darker grey boxes towards the bottom of the device view.

Each device may have multiple monitor widgets become available depending on the type of sensors and configuration of the device. Every device will have a widget for notes where any user can write and see notes that have been logged for this device.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I know I am seeing the latest status information?

A: The app will always represent the most current information of what is happening with the device in the field. Considering the following scenarios, we get back the latest status from the device:

• Whenever you send a command to the device, the device will send back an acknowledgement of command success and at that time, also provide a current status of everything about the device.
• Whenever something has occurred or changed in the field that did not happen from a command (ie. a fault from the panel), then it will also sent this information and a complete status about the device at that time.
• During the time a command is not sent or nothing changes in the field, then devices will receive information from the field in recurring 30 minute intervals and update status across the app.

For any of these scenarios, as soon as the status update is received, the screens within the app will be refreshed with the latest information.

Q: What is the difference between the refresh and request reading functions?

A: Whenever current information is received from the device in the field, the details for each variable is stored in the database. The refresh button  will update the screens with the last information stored in the database. 

The "request reading" button found on each of the devices will go one step further and send a request out to the device in the field, asking for the current information to be sent back to the database and thus reflected on the screens.

Considering the answer to the prior question where we always update the latest information to the screens and receive the most current information from the device whenever there is a change, there is little value or need to use the refresh or request reading functions, but we make them available to user so that you can ensure confidence in the data when troubleshooting any issues.

With any questions, feel free to contact support at 1-888-223-0595. We're here to help!

For additional guidance on monitor & control basics, check out the following video on the Valley Irrigation YouTube channel.