Embedded Java in agricultural control systems

Embedded systems systems have often unexplored capabilities, which make them able to perform different tasks; furthermore, these systems have usually communication abilities that guarantee the possibility of remote control, supervision and management. In control application the trend is to use a distributed architecture that interconnects different embedded controllers building a wider embedded system. Each of these controllers are usually capable of performing different control algorithms. The concept of a virtual machine using Java is especially useful for this approach, allowing the use of a control strategy independently of the platform of the microprocessor based controller. This methodology has been successfully used in Internet based applications where the real-time constraints of control are avoided. Furthermore, the use of Java for control applications has also the advantage of integrating general-purpose computers with the Internet, to perform supervision and management tasks. Nowadays the embedded systems for agricultural applications are based on the interconnection and integration of several LAN technologies. To achieve the concept of network computing we use the Java technology allowing the combination of a distributed real-time control system with the supervision and management supported by computers linked to the Internet. This paper describes the design and discusses the feasibility of using Java Virtual Machine on 8-bit embedded microcontrollers and the interconnection of these controllers, arranged as a dedicated network, to the Internet.