NEW ORLEANS (Mar 10, 2022) – Marking a milestone in ag-tech history, High Speed ISOBUS (HSI) was demonstrated for the first time by the Agricultural Industry Electronics Foundation (AEF) at its North American 2022 Plugfest during the Commodity Classic trade show in New Orleans. With greater bandwidth and faster connection speed, roughly 4,000 times faster than the original technology, HSI will open new opportunities for innovation and serve the industry far into the future, as even more performance and automation is demanded.

"We are proud to see this major moment in the history of precision agriculture come to life by demonstrating HSI for the first time in the world," said Norbert Schlingmann, general manager of AEF. "HSI will deliver greater precision for the future, and that precision will help reduce the amounts of fertilizer and chemicals, improve agronomy, and allow companies to offer products that support sustainability."

The team demonstrated the new HSI network with digital cameras and monitors, as well as an implement and an existing tractor display.

Originally unveiled 20 years ago, ISOBUS refers to the ISO 11783 standard "nervous system“ of agricultural equipment that seamlessly connects tractors to implements and aftermarket options such as displays and joysticks, etc. With ISOBUS, machines work together as a system better than each component can work on its own. The current ISOBUS delivers enough performance for today's applications while allowing precision ag software engineers to design HSI for the future.

"ISOBUS is still serving the industry very well and will continue to do so for years to come, but the industry has recognized that ISOBUS is holding back the development of far more demanding systems that aim for higher performance and accuracy of control," said Andrew Olliver, vice chairman of AEF.  

Examples of future technologies using HSI will include higher performance command and control at the row level on a large planter or for the individual nozzles on a sprayer; higher performance of User Interface to see the exact state of every row in real-time, whereas today the operator may see screen updates that are somewhat lagging; remote process viewing with more advanced digital cameras replacing the analog of yesteryear, easily integrated into an HSI system; enabling higher levels of automation; improving diagnostics and faster software updates; connectivity to other in-field machines using AEF Wireless Infield Communications, and more.

AEF's annual Plugfest is co-located this year at the Commodity Classic in New Orleans, providing an opportunity for ag equipment software engineers from all over the world to test the compatibility of their ISOBUS products, putting aside competition and working together for the good of the agricultural industry. At the end of the event, attendees will have new data and a deep understanding of how to improve their products.