The design and implementation of animal auto identification systems for application within the agricultural sector

Electronic systems in the agriculture industry are undergoing constant innovation. Within the dairy sector a large emphasis has been put on the development of automated milking parlours. These parlours are highly technological integrated mechatronic systems which have automated the processes of animal drafting, milk extraction and Cleaning-In-Place (CIP). This has led to efficient, high yielding farms with low operational costs. A vital component of these systems is the animal automatic identification (Auto-ID) system. Animal Auto-ID tags can be applied to the animal both internally and externally and allow for the contactless, electronic identification of animals as they enter, and through-out the milking parlour. This in turn allows the automation of the processes of cattle drafting, yield monitoring, animal weighting and feeding. With the increase in the number of electronic systems in place both on and off farm, the milking parlour has become a far more hostile electromagnetic environment. This can have severe effects on the operation on an animal Auto-ID system, resulting in missed Auto-ID ‘reads’, which greatly affect the operation of the automated milking parlour, resulting in lower farm efficiency. In farms with integrated herd management systems and automated animal health monitoring systems, such problems can greatly affect both herd health and overall farm yield. This research project was supported by Dairymaster® who are a world leader in dairy equipment manufacture. Dairymaster® identified a number of issues with their current Auto- ID system which they wanted to investigate. The main objective of this project examines the operation of current animal Auto-ID systems in the dairy sector and, through the use of a number of novel system designs, proves how current performance issues can be addressed. The final design increases the reliability of the Auto-ID system operation by decreasing the susceptibility of the system to electromagnetic interference (EMI). This was achieved by the development of a number of low-cost solutions to address the current systems performance and the redesigning of elements within the system such as; the Auto-ID reader, Antenna tuning system, the development of an EMI analysis tool and a digitally controlled power supply. This thesis also presents the development of a novel Digital Signal Processing (DSP) based Animal Auto-ID reader, including DSP algorithms, for the filtering and demodulation of an animal Auto-ID signals in the presence of strong EMI. A novel scheme for on-farm animal identification numbering is also outlined, which will aid the operation of animal Auto- ID systems in areas of high EMI. Five case studies are presented which describe the advancements made in the area of animal Auto-ID systems, as a result of the work carried out. Each case study has been written in a style which allows each to be taken in isolation or as part of the greater body of work. The work has been of major benefit to the collaborating company and as a direct result will allow them to sell their Auto-ID system into markets that are prone to EMI and were of major concern.