Wilger
Installation and Operation Manual
Wilger Electronic Flow Monitoring System
Page | 29
6.
Troubleshooting & Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
“I’m setting up a new system and don’t know how many product nodes I need.”
Two factors determine how many nodes you need for a system:
1.
The location of liquid manifolds/plumbing. If each section’s liquid manifolds are
spread out from each other, less efficient use of nodes may occur.
2.
In ideal setups, you would:
a.
Determine the required number of outlets (including multiple products)
b.
Divide by 16.
c.
If the remainder is greater than 4, use a 16-channel node for the remaining
outlets (some lines will be unused)
d.
If the remainder is less than 4, use a 4-channel node.
NOTE: Using 16-channel nodes is more cost effective per channel than using multiple 4-
channel nodes.
Example 1:
A 24-row corn planter would use two 16-channel nodes (one fully utilized and one with half
the inputs utilized).
Example 2:
A 72 row air drill with dual applicators for starter and liquid fertilizer would have a total of 144
outlets. This would require nine 16-channel nodes, as nodes can be shared between products.
“I have my nodes hooked up to my ECU. What is next?”
Once the product nodes are connected to the ECU, make sure you have the correct
product node terminator connected to the last product node in the chain. This is
important so that the electronics recognize how many nodes are actually connected
in the chain.
NOTE: If an ECU splitter cable is used (to connect the ECU to product node chains in two
different directions), ensure that the splitter is only used between the ECU and the nodes,
NOT from a node to other nodes. This can cause problems in how the system communicates,
and recognizes product nodes.
“What do I do with my unused product node connections?”
Use a cap to seal off all unused product node connections (located on the product
node harnesses). Even though the connections are weather-tight, corrosive
fertilizers can degrade connections and cause issues. Replace, and do not use, any
connections that seem to be affected by corrosion.
