Better Late than Never – Year in Review/The Future

Indeed I am a little tardy in my year-in-review blog entry. But, without further ado, here is my one-and-a-half-month-late DISTek Year-in-Review, coupled with a look toward the future to finish the DISTek: Past, Present (parts 1 & 2), and Future series of blog posts.

Where in the World is DISTek Integration?

DISTek is on the move again after what may seem like a quiet few months since AGRITECHNICA. Of course we have been busy internally, and we did visit the Indiana-Illinois Farm and Outdoor Power Equipment Show and the Iowa Power Farming Show back in December. But our heavier show-season is getting ready to kick off in earnest starting with…

ISOBUS Plugfest – Fall 2017 Wrap-up

As I write this, we are less than two weeks removed from the most recent ISOBUS Plugfest, held at the Maritim Hotel in Stuttgart the week of 16 October 2017. As in past years, the Plugfest itself was held Tuesday-Thursday while several other AEF meetings were scheduled Monday-Friday. The Plugfest this year was either the biggest ever, or at least quite close……

DISTek to Attend Fall 2017 ISOBUS Plugfest

The ISOBUS Plugfest is nearly upon us once again. Each spring in Lincoln, NE, and each fall in Europe, the AEF (Ag Electronics Foundation) coordinates a Plugfest during which ag electronics from different manufacturers are tested for interoperability. This fall, Plugfest is October 17-19 and engineers from around the world will be meeting in Stuttgart, Germany. I counted quickly so my numbers may be off, but I think there will be 74 Ag implement systems (“Clients”) and 42 Ag displays (“Servers”).

Spring 2017 ISOBUS Plugfest Recap

Once again, the AEF put on another successful ISOBUS Plugfest last month. Approximately 130 individuals associated with electronics for Ag equipment spent the week of May 8th at the Embassy Suites in Lincoln, NE. The key attraction is the Plugfest itself, during which nearly 1000 combinations of implement ECUs and displays were tested.

Spring 2017 ISOBUS Plugfest Preview

Once again, another ISOBUS Plugfest is upon us. On May 9th, dozens of Ag electronics engineers from around the globe will descend upon the Embassy Suites in Lincoln, NE, for three days of testing. ISOBUS exists to provide a standardized method of communicating between Ag vehicles and Ag implements, and Plugfest exists to do a quick spot-check on different types of equipment in one location. I strongly recommend attending a Plugfest for anyone involved in engineering networked electronics for heavy equipment, especially if that equipment supports third-party additions.

Road Trip to Louisville: Agricultural Equipment Technology Conference

DISTek will be taking over Louisville, Kentucky next week. We have plans to host a supplier technology display at the Agricultural Equipment Technology Conference (AETC) hosted by ASABE (American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers). The AETC is a three day event held at the Seelbach Hilton that kicks off on Monday, February 13th and concludes on Wednesday, February 15th. The AETC provides a forum for engineering professionals working for, or with, equipment manufacturers and those developing new standards the opportunity to come together to celebrate and grow engineering skills.

Fall 2016 ISOBUS Plugfest Review

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Another successful AEF ISOBUS Plugfest is in the bag. You can check out some of my prior blog posts if you want more detail on what a Plugfest entails, but in short, it is a meetup of Ag electronics manufacturers to test their own equipment with other manufacturers’ equipment. This was a record-breaking Plugfest in terms of participation and it made for some challenges in getting enough time for all participants to test with other manufacturer’s products.

In Case You Missed It: Spring ISOBUS PlugFest 2016

Spring Plugfest

As usual, the Spring ISOBUS PlugFest was held this past May 10-12 in sunny Lincoln, Nebraska. Sadly, Benjamin Jefferson had to miss this time at the last minute, but his bad luck turned out in your humble author’s favor, as I (a newer member of the VIRTEC team) got to experience PlugFest first-hand!

Join us at AMC 2016

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The 2016 AMC Engineering Conference will be held April 19th – 21st at the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center in Waterloo, Iowa. This conference provides a forum for agricultural and off-highway engineers to come together to celebrate and grow engineering skills in the Midwest. DISTek’s involvement in this conference continues to grow every year.