Fusion Truck is used in feed trucks or tractors with feed wagons. There can be as many truck computers as you desire.
Radios similar to those used at chuteside are excellent for truck use, but not as necessary. The truck only needs to be connected to the network during the syncing process. Ideally this will occur after every load and it only takes a few seconds. In this case it is sufficient to establish a wireless connection point near the mill, for example, where the truck can sync at known connection points.
If a system such as this is not feasible, it should be possible to use off-the-shelf wireless products, perhaps driving close to the office for a connection and syncing less often.
We recommend that a long length of ethernet cable be prepared so that if the wireless network is not working some day, it will be possible to connect the truck computer to the office switch through a door or window so that syncing can be accomplished at least morning and night until the issue is resolved.
For the latest feed truck computer requirements, please see our System Requirements page.
The first time you launch Fusion Truck the Full Sync window will be presented. Fusion will try to automatically find the server which should work if the server is on the same subnet (assuming Fusion Server is running and has been set up to listen for trucks trying to sync). Make sure the server IP address and port are correct, changing them if necessary. Then enter your Fusion user name and password and click the Update Lists button. When this process is complete you will need to select the appropriate truck and location and then click the Begin Sync button. When this completes successfully you will be able to log in and finish setting up the rest of the software.
Once logged in, you will see the main menu window with several large buttons on it. You can use the Options button to open the Preferences window where you can adjust the server IP address and port when necessary. There are also several options related to automatic syncing.
Where possible, we recommend selecting the option to automatically perform a full sync after each load and when the load is delivered. However, if the network coverage in your yard does not allow for this, you will have to choose other options that fit your situation.
There is more information about syncing in the Truck Syncing section of this guide.
Please see the Upgrading Fusion section of the Resource Guide for instruction on how to upgrade Fusion Truck.
Fusion can work with any type of remote display as long as it presents itself as a serial device. If your computer doesn’t have a serial port, it is possible to find serial to USB converters and serial to Bluetooth converters.
If you use such a converter, there will be some software or drivers that need to be installed and configured so that the remote display ends up looking like a serial device. Please note that every remote display and every converter work differently and we are not able to help with the configuration of this equipment. If you are having trouble with this aspect, please refer the documentation that came with the remote display and/or the converter or call the manufacturer for additional help.
However, once the device is properly installed and configured as a serial port, getting Fusion to work with it should be fairly easy.
Having said that, we find that the most popular remote display among existing customers is the Aurora 20. Because it is so popular we have included basic installation information for this model. If you have a different model the installation may be similar, but please check the documentation that came with it.
The diagram below shows how the DB9 cable needs to be wired to the terminals inside the Aurora 20 as well as the position of each DIP switch, also inside the Aurora.
In Fusion Truck, click the Options button in the main menu window and choose Physical Computer Management. Find the Remote Display check box and turn it on. If the setup window doesn’t automatically open, click the Setup button below the check box.
In the window that opens you will tell Fusion how to communicate with the remote display. First, select the port to communicate on. If the remote display is plugged directly into a serial port on the computer, the port will probably be labeled. If you are using a USB or Bluetooth converter, it will be the port you set up in the software provided by the remote display or converter company.
Most of the other settings usually work with their default values. The remote display documentation will specify the values that will work.
The prepend and termination string may be the trickiest to setup. When a serial device is receiving data like a weight, it will receive each character one after the other. At the end of the weight it expects one or more special characters that let the device know Fusion has sent all of the weight’s characters and it can display the weight and prepare for a new weight. These special characters are referred to as the termination string. If special characters are sent before a new weight, they are referred to as the prepend string.
Because they are special characters they can’t normally be typed in directly with a keyboard. Instead, you must enter their ASCII representation where each special character is represented by a number between 1 and 255. If there is more than one special character, they must be separated by commas.
The most common termination strings are 13 and 13,10. This information should be in the remote display’s documentation. Fusion also contains a tool called the Serial Port Debugger that can be used to figure this out. See the Serial Port Debugger section of this guide for more information.
For reference, the Aurora 20 should not have a prepend string and the termination string should be 13.
You can also use the padding option. If the remote display does not automatically add spaces before the weight to keep it right-justified, you can turn this option on and specify how many characters the remote display can show. For example, the Aurora 20 can show six characters. So if the weight to display is 100, Fusion will automatically add three spaces to the left so the actual string it sends to the Aurora is “ 100”.
A note about finding the correct port: if the Scale Indicator window is already showing a weight, each time you change the port you can click the Apply button instead of the OK button. This will tell Fusion to immediately apply the new settings so you can see if the remote display is working yet. If not, just cycle through the available ports, clicking Update and checking the remote display each time until you find the port that works. Then click OK to save the change and dismiss the window.
The bulk of feeding revolves around adding ingredient to the truck and dropping feed off to pens, each time hitting the Record Weight button. Many feedlots use a loader to dump some of the ingredients in when making a load and find it handy to use a remote control to tell Fusion when to record the weight and move to the next ingredient.
The remote control is very simple. Theoretically, any remote control that can be used for Powerpoint or Keynote presentations can be used here, as long as the buttons getting pressed can be registered as key presses (most do). The other consideration is that remotes that use radio frequency (RF) to communicate with the computer will work better than infrared ones since you don’t need line of sight to record the weight. Just make sure the range is far enough to record from the tractor.
| Some customers prefer to have another screen in the loader that wirelessly mirrors the computer in the truck, enabling full control from within the loader. This is a convenient option when feasible. |
Usually the remote control will come in two pieces. One will be a USB dongle which is inserted into a USB port in the computer. If reception isn’t good enough, you can use a USB extension cable to position the dongle in a better place such as above the driver’s side visor.
The other piece will be the remote control itself. Please follow the documentation that came with the remote control for specific setup instructions.
Once the remote control is setup, you will need to program it within Fusion. To do this, use the Options button in the main menu window and choose Physical Computer Management. This will open a window where you can check the Remote Control Device check box. Then click the associated Setup button to get the programming window.
Select one of the four possible actions in the list. While it is highlighted, press the button you want associated with this action on the remote control. If it is successful, the Keypress column will change from <not assigned> to some character or phrase. Repeat this for each action you want to program. You can also deprogram an action by selecting it and using the Clear Keypress button.
You don’t need to program all the actions if you don’t want to. Many customers only program the Record Weight action.
Note that most remote controls have some buttons that do not result in a key press. These buttons cannot be used with Fusion.
If it appears that pressing a button doesn’t not do anything in Fusion, open up a text editing application on the computer. If the remote control itself is working, pressing buttons should result in characters being entered in the text editor, or the cursor moving around. Again, this is because the remote control is simply acting as a keyboard with certain keys being pressed.
If this works in the text editor, but not in Fusion, try reprogramming the actions. If it does not work in the text editor, you will need to figure out what is wrong with the remote control itself. Common issues are the battery going dead and the device not being paired anymore.
You will use a scale indicator to communicate the scale weight to Fusion. We refer you to the Scale System Information section for information on deciding which system to use and how to set it up.
If you are using a supported micro machine, Fusion will automatically control the batching and delivery of the micros in a load, all without the driver needing to leave the truck or use other software. Communication with the micro machine is done through the network, so your network configuration must be such that the truck will be in a spot to access the internet during the mixing process.
In the office you need to make sure you have defined a water ingredient in Fusion. Fusion automatically calculates how much water was added from the micro machine and adds that to the load. You also need to formulate your rations so they include each micro in the formulation. Finally, you need to make sure the names of the micro ingredients are exactly the same in both Fusion and the micro machine system.
When you ask Fusion to start mixing a new load, it will ask the micro machine for a list of ingredients it currently has in its bins. Fusion then compares this list to the list of ingredients in the load. If it finds any matches (by name—this is why micro ingredient names must be exactly the same in both systems) it asks the micro machine to start mixing a batch with those ingredients and with the target amounts.
While this is happening, a status bar at the top of the Mix Load window will appear explaining what is happening. You can continue to add other ingredients to the load while this is happening. Once the micro machine is done mixing, the status bar will indicate this. When you are ready to add the micros to the load, you will touch the status bar and choose the option to dump the load. Fusion will communicate with the micro machine and ask it to dump the load. Fusion also notices how much weight was added to the truck during the dump, subtracts the actual amounts of the micros, and assumes the rest of the weight is water and adds that to the list of ingredients to the load.
There are two basic kinds of errors that can happen. First, Fusion may lose its connection to the micro machine. In that case you just need to move the truck to a better spot. Fusion will keep trying to make the connection until it succeeds. Second, something may happen on the micro machine end. For example, a bin may run empty. Just fix the issue on the micro machine side and then Fusion will continue.
In the Physical Computer Management window, check the Micro Machine checkbox and click the associated Setup button. You will need to choose which brand of micro machine you have and then enter the relevant settings for that brand. You can get this information from the company who made the micro machine. Additional details can be found in the official Fusion Documentation in the Micro Machine Setup page.
Fusion can work with any kind of GPS device as long it meets these requirements:
The position data Fusion has to work with can only be as accurate as the information the GPS device gives it. Older units may only be accurate to within 10-15 meters. Newer units, such as the GlobalSat Bu-353S4 (~$50) we have tested with, are accurate to within 1-2 meters and this has sometimes been accurate enough for Fusion’s purposes. If that isn't true for your yard, it is also possible to use more expensive units that are accurate to within a few centimeters.
We recommend placing the GPS device on top of the truck cab, on the same side as the discharge chute, and in a position that gives it the most wide open view of the sky in all directions as possible. If there are multiple truck at a location, try to position the device so it is a similar distance and angle from the discharge chute between trucks.
As mentioned above, Fusion can work with any type of GPS unit as long as it presents itself as a serial device. If your computer doesn’t have a serial port, it is possible to find serial to USB converters and serial to Bluetooth converters.
If you use such a converter, there will be some software or drivers that need to be installed and configured so that the GPS unit ends up looking like a serial device. Please note that every GPS unit and every converter work differently and we are not able to help with the configuration of this equipment. If you are having trouble with this aspect, please refer the documentation that came with the GPS unit and/or the converter or call the manufacturer for additional help.
However, once the unit is properly installed and configured as a serial port, getting Fusion to work with it should be fairly easy.
In Fusion Truck, click the Options button in the main menu window and choose Physical Computer Management. Find the GPS Device check box and turn it on. Then click the Setup button below the check box.
In the window that opens you will tell Fusion how to communicate with the GPS device. First, select the port the device will communicate on. If your device is plugged directly into a serial port on the computer, the port will probably be labeled. If you are using a USB or Bluetooth converter, it will be the port you set up in the software provided by the GPS device or converter company.
Most of the other settings usually work with their default values. The GPS device documentation will specify the values that will work. Sometimes these values can even be programmed into the device itself. Just make sure that the values in Fusion match the values on the device.
The termination string may be the trickiest to set up. When a serial device is sending data like location information, it will send each character one after the other. At the end of the string it will send one or more special characters that let Fusion know the device has sent all of the characters for that string and it can prepare for a new string to be sent. These special characters are referred to as the termination string.
Because they are special characters they can’t normally be typed in directly with a keyboard. Instead, you must enter their ASCII representation where each special character is represented by a number between 1 and 255. If there is more than one special character, they must be separated by commas.
The most common termination strings are 13 and 13,10. This information should be in the device documentation. Fusion also contains a tool called the Serial Port Debugger that can be used to figure this out. Please refer to the Serial Port Debugger section of this guide for more information.
If a GPS device has been configured, Fusion Truck will try to connect to it when Fusion Truck launches. You can view the connection status in the top right hand corner of the Fusion Truck Main Menu window. If you have just configured a GPS device, or if it has lost the connection, you can ask Fusion to attempt to connect to the device by using Fusion Truck Main Menu → Options → Connect To GPS Device.
Fusion can be set up to track how each feed load was mixed. By default it simply tracks how many seconds elapsed during the mixing. For more precision, Fusion also integrates with the Cattle Tech Rev Counter so that actual revolutions are tracked. For that case, set Fusion up as follows:
In Fusion Truck, click the Options button in the main menu window and choose Physical Computer Management. Find the Mix Timer check box and turn it on. Then click the Setup button below the check box.
In the window that opens, choose Cattle Tech Rev Counter for the type and then enter the port the device is connected to. Click the OK button to save. These settings will not take affect until the next time the Mix Timer window is opened.
