Sensors and valves

Each sensor and each valve is declared in advance by the Sqiya team, in a specific zone of the farm. On site, you install the planned equipment, in the planned place.

Only one pilot per device

Each device has only one pilot:

• Edge Box: the device is controlled only by the farm's box. The box also runs its schedules and rules, even without the Internet.
• Cloud: the device is controlled directly by the Sqiya Cloud, over the Internet.

The Sqiya team tells you the pilot of each device. A LoRa device is always piloted by the Edge Box.

LoRa devices

LoRa devices communicate by radio with the Edge Box. They are attached to the farm's Edge Box.

1. Get the list of LoRa devices from the Sqiya team: zone, type (sensor or valve), model and DevEUI of each one.
2. Check that the DevEUI printed on the device matches the one in the list. A device whose DevEUI is not declared is ignored by the Edge Box: its data never gets through.
3. Install the device in its zone.
4. Power it on.
5. The Edge Box registers it with the keys received from the Cloud. You have no key to enter.

TIP

The secret LoRa keys (AppKey) are not given to you: the Edge Box receives them directly from the Sqiya Cloud, encrypted.

The models planned for the first version are the Dragino LSE01 soil sensor (soil moisture, temperature, conductivity) and the Dragino LT-22222-L module (valve control). Always confirm the model with the Sqiya team.

To be completed by the Sqiya team

Not documented to date: wiring a solenoid valve to the control module, power supply of the modules (mains or solar), depth and position of the soil probes, expected radio range, LoRa frequency band allowed on the site, pairing procedure visible on the device.

MQTT devices

MQTT devices connect over the Internet to Sqiya's MQTT server.

1. For each device, the Sqiya team gives you its MQTT credentials: server address, port, user name, password and topic.
2. Enter these credentials in the device configuration.
3. Install the device in its zone and power it on.
4. Check that the device is connected to the Internet.

WARNING

MQTT credentials are provided only once. Keep them in a safe place during the installation, then do not leave them lying around (paper, messaging). If you lose them, the Sqiya team generates new ones: the old password stops working at once, and the device must be configured again.

To be completed by the Sqiya team

The format of the messages an MQTT device must send, and the list of compatible MQTT devices, are not documented for installers yet.

Good practices

• Respect the planned zone. A sensor installed in the wrong zone distorts the irrigation decisions of two zones.
• One valve, one zone. Check that the installed valve really feeds the zone it is declared in.
• Install the flow and pressure sensors. They are what allow the box to cut the water in case of lack of water, a leak or abnormal pressure.
• Check the power supply. A device that does not respond to the box for 30 minutes triggers the Equipment offline alert for the farmer, with the advice to check its battery or cable.
• Keep the credentials to yourself. Serial number, activation code, MQTT credentials: only share them with the people concerned.
• Test zone by zone, as soon as a zone is equipped. See Check the installation.

The box's safety features

Once the devices are installed, the Edge Box applies its safety features locally, before any other action. The farmer is informed in the app.

Alert in the app	What the box does
No water	valve open but no flow: it closes the valve
Possible leak	flow too high, or water flowing while the valve is closed: it closes the valve
Water pressure too low / Water pressure too high	it closes the valve
Rain — watering cancelled	it cancels the day's watering
Watering too long	valve open for more than 4 hours: it closes the valve
Equipment offline	it no longer sends opening orders to this device

TIP

If a safety alert goes off during your tests, it is often a useful clue: pump stopped, manual valve closed upstream, sensor badly connected.