HIGH-SPEED ISOBUS

The new technology is 4,000 times faster than the current ISOBUS.

- Alex Gray

The future of precision farming was on display when high-speed ISOBUS (HSI) was publicly demonstrated for the first time.

The Agricultural Industry Electronics Foundation (AEF) team demonstrated the new HSI at its annual United States Plugfest, working with digital cameras and monitors, as well as with an implement and an existing tractor display.

ISOBUS of the Future

The HSI is capable of moving one gigabit of data per second. Compared to current ISOBUS technology that moves 0.25 megabits of data per second, about 4,000 times greater bandwidth.

For the average operator, HSI technology is still a while away from even entering the conversation. Current CAN bus and ISOBUS technology will work with many pieces of equipment for many years to come; most implements won't need the HSI just yet.

"For a high-end implement, with the need for much higher precision command and control, it [still] does not need 4,000 times a speed," says David Smart, project team lead at AEF and former senior staff engineer with John Deere. "But we also want to design a system that's good for the next couple of decades, not run for the next five years."

HSI is not here to make your fleet obsolete, says Smart. It may be five to 10 years before HSI technology becomes the new standard on implements from equipment manufacturers.

"[HSI] compatibility to the existing ISOBUS is an incredibly essential piece, and it's one of our first major steps when we open up the door to this new highway," says Smart.