Cassava Starch Measurement in the Field - Evolution of a Low Cost Test Instrument with Wireless Connectivity
- Resource Type
- Conference
- Authors
- Issa, Ali; Poole, Clive; Darwazeh, Izzat
- Source
- 2023 IEEE AFRICON AFRICON, 2023 IEEE. :1-3 Sep, 2023
- Subject
- Aerospace
Bioengineering
Communication, Networking and Broadcast Technologies
Components, Circuits, Devices and Systems
Computing and Processing
Engineered Materials, Dielectrics and Plasmas
Engineering Profession
Fields, Waves and Electromagnetics
General Topics for Engineers
Geoscience
Nuclear Engineering
Photonics and Electrooptics
Power, Energy and Industry Applications
Robotics and Control Systems
Signal Processing and Analysis
Transportation
Wireless communication
Costs
Philosophical considerations
Microprocessors
User interfaces
Reflectometry
Loss measurement
Food Technology
Food Sustainability
Reflectometer
IoT
PSoC
- Language
- ISSN
- 2153-0033
The evolution in design philosophy for a portable test instrument for estimating the starch content of cassava roots is described. The instrument uses a radio frequency reflectometry technique to measure return loss using a coaxial probe. An on-board microprocessor then determines the starch content of the cassava sample based on a pre-stored calibration table. The design evolution started with a minimum viable hardware platform that was used for proof of concept and to gather preliminary field data. The next generation added wireless connectivity for cloud data collection and analysis, user interface improvements and rechargeable battery capability. Design focus then shifted to cost reduction, robustness and suitability for mass production so that the instrument can be put into the hands of farmers.