GeoPress Start-Up
- Release the E-stop button, a red light next to the main power connection will turn on.
- The LED light on the front of the GeoPress will begin blinking once modules are online. This should take about 1 minute.
- On the app, go to the Maps page and press on the UTV icon in the upper right corner.
- Press Connect to open a list of available GeoPress units. Select your GeoPress from the list.
- Once connected, press Reset GeoPress on the popup that appears. If you do not see a pop up, and the LED light on the front of the GeoPress is still flashing, press Reset on the GeoPress page. Once you see a solid green light, the GeoPress is ready to use.
- If a GeoTube is already in the Fill position (underneath the plunger), the carousel will move to check the GeoTube tag, then return to the Fill position
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If a GeoTube has not been loaded yet, a new GeoTube will be dropped in the carousel
and moved to the Fill position
- GeoPress is now connected and ready for soil. For further instructions on starting a field and operating the GeoPress, reference GeoPress Operation
GeoPress Operation
- Load GeoTubeTM containers into the magazine by sliding them through the chute on top of the GeoPressTM unit
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Ensure the cap is pointed to the left when loading GeoTubes
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Ensure the cap is pointed to the left when loading GeoTubes
- Once the GeoPress and app are connected, open a field to begin sampling. You can do this by tapping on a field on the map, or by searching for a field in the dropdown menu at the top of the page.
- If you need to create a new field, reference Creating New Fields
- If you already have a field created and need to add sampling zones or target points, reference Editing Fields
- Ensure that you have the correct Job active
- On the right side of the screen, press the Navigation icon. This will need to be enabled to allow real-time field navigation. When initially selected, the map will zoom to your location. If you would like to see more of the field while driving, you can manually zoom out and the map will still follow you as you drive.
- Once you have a sample collected, open the mixer door and dump the sample into the door
- Ensure the status light is green before closing the mixer door
- Close the mixer door to activate the mixer
- If the mixer does not turn on once the door is closed, reference Grinder Will Not Run
- The mixer process should only take a few seconds. Once the entire sample makes it through the mixer, pull out the transfer mug to stop mixing
- If you would like to run the sample back through the mixer to size down the cores even more, this can be done by opening the mixer door, dumping the cores from the transfer mug back into the bucket, replace the transfer mug below the mixer, then closing the mixer door again.
- Once the sample is blended and mixed as desired, dump the blend into the funnel and replace the mug back underneath the blender
- Look inside the funnel to make sure that the sample has fed down into the fill tube. If it appears the soil has bridged in the bottom of the funnel, lightly tap on the side of the funnel to shake the sample into the fill tube
- To start the stuffing process, lift the funnel up (you should see the LED light flash blue), and then release to let the funnel fall back down. The LED light will turn yellow, indicating that the stuffing process has started
- Do not lift the funnel again while the GeoTube is being stuffed. This is stop the plunger
- On the map, you should see a blue triangle marking the collection point.
- If sampling with zones or grids, the zone that you are in will be highlighted in blue as well
- If sampling with a points-only map, you will only see a blue collection point
- Once the stuffing process has started, you can begin driving to the next sample location.
GeoPress Page Overview
The GeoPress Control Pages have many options for basic control, diagnostics, and troubleshooting. The following details most of the options shown on the GeoPress Pages.
Main GeoPress Controls
- Connect/Disconnect: Enable or Disable Bluetooth connection. Selecting "Connect" will open a list of available GeoPress units. Selecting "Disconnect" will sever Bluetooth connection.
- Reset: Re-Initializes GeoPress unit. The reset action will differ depending on the state of the GeoPress. Below are some common actions:
State | Action |
Initial start-up, GeoTube already in fill position | GeoTube will move to check the tag, then back to fill position |
Initial start-up, no GeoTube in the carousel | A GeoTube will be loaded and prepped for filling |
GeoTube loaded, waiting for start | GeoTube will be capped and discarded and new GeoTube will get loaded |
GeoPress setting has been changed | GeoTube will move to check the tag, then back to fill position |
- Run: Initiates sample packaging and geo-referencing. Same as lifting funnel
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To Fault: Moves GeoTube to the left of the fill tube and extends the capper down. This allows you to remove the tube and cap by hand if necessary
- For further instructions of how to use and recover from moving To Fault, reference Instructions for To Fault
- Active Field: Active field is shown in the orange outlined box and can be changed by selecting this.
GeoPress State and Basic Info
- Main State: Displays the current state of the GeoPress
- Loader State: Displays states specific to the GeoTube magazine and tipper
- LED brightness: Move the slider to adjust the brightness of the main LED status light on the front of the GeoPress.
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GeoPress Info Table: The table on the right shows the firmware versions of the GeoPress modules
- For instructions on how to update GeoPress software, reference Updating GeoPress Software
Additional Options
Press the "..." menu in the upper-right of the GeoPress menu to access additional pages.
There are two options: Diagnostics and Advanced Controls. Check the box and select ok to add the additional info to the main GeoPress control page. You can open both pages at the same time if you want.
"Diagnostics" will add a column of diagnostic metrics and states.
"Advanced Controls" will add a page of manual controls for advanced troubleshooting and operation.
GeoPress Diagnostics
Input Voltage: Measured where power inputs on the GeoPress module
Debug: Running list of events and actions on the GeoPress. This section could be used to determine the current status of the GeoPress, or the series of events that lead up to an issue.
The Carousel Section shows the current states and positions of different locations within the GeoPress. See the following diagram for further explanation of the position locations and degrees. **Note that these positions may differ between GeoPress units and the degrees shown in these pictures may not be the same as your GeoPress.**
The Sensors (named) section shows the state of each sensor. A green "T" means true - indicating the named status is recognized. A red "F" means false - meaning that state is not seen.
Sensor names and meanings if "True" | |
Tag at NFC | A RFID tag is seen over the NFC reader a the Home position |
Tipper Tube | A GeoTube is seen in the tipper |
Mixer enabled | The mixer will ready, and will run if the mixer door is opened and closed |
Funnel down | The funnel is in the down position |
Carousel tube | A GeoTube is seen in the carousel arms |
Mixer closed | The mixer door is closed |
Mug present | The mug is all the way in the forward position |
The Sensors (analog) section shows the raw sensor readings. This can be useful to see if the sensor readings are on the edge of the True/False thresholds.
Advanced settings can be enabled or disabled. To change them, tap on the orange text and select Yes or No from the menu. Yes means enabled, and No means disabled. After changing a setting, you will have to press Reset before continuing normal operation.
Soil warning enabled | Checks to ensure enough soil is in the GeoTube. Reference [insert link] for troubleshooting steps for insufficient soil warnings |
Always enable mixer | When disabled, the mixer will not run unless a GeoTube in the Fill position. This helps prevent users from dumping a sample into the funnel without a GeoTube underneath. Enabling this feature will ignore this condition. |
Plunger stuffing current | Changes the current threshold the plunger looks for when determining if there is enough soil. Do not change without first consulting product support. |
Advanced Controls
The advanced controls can be used to manually move the GeoPress components. This can used as a diagnostic tool, or to move a component to free a jam. The advanced controls will only work if the back door to the GeoPress is closed.
Program BT | |
Rehome | Slowly moves carousel clockwise until it rests against the mixer, and recalibrates the carousel position sensor. Could be used if all carousel positions are slightly off |
Carousel CW 5 degrees | Moves the carousel clockwise 5 degrees |
Carousel CCW 5 degrees | Moves the carousel counter clockwise 5 degrees |
Pressing Extend on the actuator controls will push the plunger outward, and pressing Retract will pull the plunger back in
Pressing Retrieve for the tipper will lay the tipper horizontally as if it's receiving a GeoTube from the magazine, and Dump will move it into the vertical position as if it's dumping a GeoTube into the carousel
Extend | Push the capper down as far as it can go |
Retract | Pull the capper up as high as it can go |
Load | Moves to the position where a GeoTube cap can slide into the capper |
Align | Moves to the position where the uncapped GeoTube aligns against the capper stops (slightly higher than the Load position) |