SmartDepth Calibration

Range Finding and Depth Calibration

1. Part the planter over a concrete pad with the planter unfolded
2. To start the calibration navigate to Setup > Systems > Depth > Calibration

   

3. To begin the calibration, ensure the planter is in the raised position, the Pre-test Checklist has been met and then press “Continue" on the calibration page.

4. During Step 2 the actuators will travel to the deepest setting (bottom of the depth handle range) in order to find the maximum setting. Once the deepest setting has been found/calibrated the actuator will then travel to the shallowest setting (top of the depth handle range) to find the minimum setting.

   

5. On Step 3, enter the thickness of the board that will be used for row by row calibrations. Use a 2”x6” or 2x4” board to create a block of known thickness, i.e. 1.5” thick boards. The default setting is 1.5” assuming you are using a standard 2x4 piece of lumber. If you are using a block that is not 1.5”, you can type in the thickness of the block in the box shown. Ensure the planter is lowered before pressing the Continue button.

   

6. Press “Continue” to advance to Step 4. The SmartDepth actuators will move to the deepest setting to prepare for the row by row calibration. Ensure that each row says 'Moving to Max Depth' before continuing.

   

   

7. With the planter lowered, push a 3 ft long section of 2x4 lumber under each gauge wheel of the row you want to calibrate. Since the actuator is in the deepest position, the blocks can be slid under each gauge wheel gauge wheels roll off during calibration. Verify that the gauge wheels are resting directly on the boards and the opening disks are fully resting on the concrete and not the board.

   

8. With the boards in place, start the calibration by pushing the top button on the depth control module. The actuator will move toward the shallow end of the depth settings until the gauge wheels begin to carry a load on the boards. At this point we know that the gauge wheels have reached the 1.5” depth of the block they sit on. The actuator will move past this point and begin to lift the row unit. In some instances it may even lift the row units until the actuator reaches the shallowest setting. This is determined by the row unit weight. In both instances, this is normal operation. Once the modules moves back to the deepest setting you can remove the boards.

   

   

9. Remove the two boards under that row unit and move them to the next adjacent row unit and repeat the process until all rows have been calibrated.

10. After all of the rows or desired rows have been calibrated and the State Column says Complete press “Continue”. The Calibration Results page will display the calibration state of all the rows.