Motorola Irrigation

Today, more than ever, water and irrigation applications depend on reliable control systems and well timed access to information. When absolute control is crucial, you can rely on Motorola’s IRRInet-ACE control system.

Motorola IRRInet-ACE

The IRRInet-ACE is a modular field unit with a power supply, CPU, and up to eight I/O modules. Installation flexibility is provided with support for 3rd party sensors and PLC units. Multiple communication options are featured as well, including various radio frequencies, broadband data over IP, cellular, and an assortment of wireline options. This level of flexibility makes the IRRInet-ACE suitable and convenient for both new installations and migration into existing IRRInet systems.

Motorola IRRInet-M

A full-featured part of the IRRInet control system, the IRRInet-M supports three modes of operations:

RTU - Performs all irrigation functions, reports to the IRRInet Control Center (ICC).
Stand Alone - Performs all irrigation functions as a stand-alone unit when the system is installed without an ICC.
Remote I/O - Serves as a distributed I/O for another unit that performs all irrigation functions (applicable when multi-site control synchronization is needed).

Motorola Piccolo-XR

The Piccolo-XR RTU is a small and compact unit in an IP-67 sealed waterproof plastic enclosure. The unit can operate up to 4 solenoids or receive up to 8 inputs (in different models or configurations). The Piccolo-XR communicates via a built-in UHF two-way low-power radio with the Piccolo Interface Unit (PIU) interfaced to Irrinet-ACE or Irrinet-M units. Communications are possible within a distance of approximately half a mile. Up to 2 other Piccolo-XR’s can be daisy-chained (hopped) via the radio communication to extend the distance up to 1.5 miles.

I/O options:

1 solenoid output + 1 digital input
2 solenoid outputs + 2 digital inputs
4 solenoid outputs + 4 digital inputs
7 digital inputs + 1 solenoid output
8 digital inputs + 0 solenoid outputs

Irrigation Water Management System

A key component of the Irrigation Water Management system using the Irrinet-ACE and Irrinet-M field controllers is the Irrinet Control Center software. This software is located on a PC in an operations center to monitor and control the key elements of your irrigation and landscape system.

The ICC software is used for automatic monitoring via programs in the software, controlling the entire system at once. One screen shows you everything at a glance: the graphic map, the events log, and the outline of how your system is organized (similar to Windows' explore function) -- grouping field units into areas, and areas into the system. Adjustment of the water factor percentage can be performed for the whole system or for each crop type, area, mainline, or controller individually.

The ICC software allows you to use either standard graphics (with the pipe, valves, and meters on a line diagram graphic) or custom user graphics (import a picture or as-built drawing and place the devices on the screen for a custom look and feel according to your system design).

ICC provides comprehensive Irrigation Programming screens, including simultaneous display of time-to-run, quantity-to-run and irrigation depth (inches or millimeters of water to apply). Managing your water in time, quantity, or depth of irrigation is available--change one parameter and the other two recalculate to show the effects of your changes. You can build the system definitions from scratch at the keyboard of the computer or you can use the Upload Wizard to pull data in from field units that have already been programmed.

Programming offers time-based operation with checking of flow rates, quantity-based operation with checking of flow rates, or just straight time-based operation without flow check. Flow rate monitoring allows you to set each valve program's expected flow rate, with separate high and low deviation parameters set as a percentage of the expected flow rate. Control the irrigation by quantity instead of time for higher accuracy. Receive alarms from the system including high flow, low flow, unopened water, main line burst, and main line leak.

Irrinet Control Center also allows you to set up programs that will respond to changing field conditions (e.g., a float sensor in a reservoir can cause the irrigation set to go into a waiting mode, resuming when the level comes back up). Instead of programming each valve set's start times, days to run, and other parameters, you can group programs with common requirements and they will run in series. If you change the ET Water Factor, the "rubber band" effect will occur, stretching or shrinking the series while maintaining the pump/master valve without overloading the system (no overlap) or start/stop/start of the system (in case the series shortens in time).

A fertilizer program is built-in including pre-fert in each program and post-fert water parameter per main line for clear-flushing at the end of each set.

Motorola has, for the past seventy-five years, been one of the world’s leading providers of electronic components, Radio Frequency (RF) solutions, and communications systems. For over three decades, Motorola has been providing reliable wireless water and irrigation control systems and now has over a hundred thousand installations worldwide, in a wide range of applications. The IRRInet System combines Motorola’s technology leadership with Global Data Specialists' knowledge, technical services, and support.

If you would like a quotation for Motorola irrigation equipment or controllers for your current or future project, please contact us.

For further information about the Irrinet-ACE, Irrinet-M, and Piccolo-XR equipment, please visit our documents page for system planners, data sheets, and specifications.