Appareo released a new product in the company’s line of telematically-enabled electronic control units (ECUs). The Gateway 260 is a lightweight edge computing platform for mobile equipment applications that provides a wide range of communication technologies: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Cellular, GPS, BroadR-Reach, Ethernet, and controller area networking (CAN). The device is built with an IP67-rated enclosure for use outdoors and for mounting on heavy machinery, and the Gateway 260 is built on a distribution of embedded Linux (Yocto) with Docker support that allows developers to quickly deploy applications.

The Appareo Gateway 260 is unique in that it couples the capabilities of a modern LTE connectivity device and a powerful computational platform capable of receiving and processing data from a wide range of vehicle networks and buses. 

Väderstad and Appareo collaborated to design an entirely new machine control architecture for Väderstad planters and seeders, uniquely featuring the capability to control the machine using iPads through a Wi-Fi interface. The Appareo Gateway acts as the server for the user interface, contains all the control logic necessary to operate the machine, and commands other ECUs on the CAN bus to execute machine tasks or get information. The user has the ability to utilize an ISOBUS-compatible Virtual Terminal, an iPad display, or both at the same time. With the inclusion of an iPad as a control interface, the user is able to perform all functions wirelessly to the machine, which has made out-of-cab operations much more convenient. 

From remote diagnostics (securely accessing devices to troubleshoot equipment in real time) to inexpensively deploying firmware updates through differential software updating tools, Appareo Gateways offer a wide spectrum of capabilities. 

One company that integrated Appareo’s 300 Series Gateways for its telematic solutions is AGCO. AGCO utilized an Appareo 300 Series Gateway with Iridium connectivity to expand AgCommand, AGCO’s wireless telemetry solution for remote precision agriculture and machine monitoring. Appareo is one of only a few integrators in the world for the 9603 Iridium chipset — the smallest commercial two-way satellite transceiver. The Appareo Gateway can collect and distribute real-time data, product and performance data, health and asset management data, location data, security and recovery data, in addition to remote diagnostics and the possibility for future predictive maintenance capabilities.