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Smart DryerNet – Intelligent Grain Drying & Agricultural Automation

Smart DryerNet — Intelligent Grain Drying & Agricultural Automation

Built by a Farmer. Designed for Real Agricultural Needs.

My name is Āris, and I am a farmer and independent developer from Latvia, European Union.

I am developing Smart DryerNet (SDN), an intelligent agricultural monitoring and automation platform designed for grain drying facilities, storage silos, grain elevators, conveyors, and other agricultural equipment.

I am building this project entirely on my own — without an engineering team, investors, or a large development budget.

My motivation comes from practical agricultural experience. I understand how grain drying facilities operate, the challenges farmers face during harvest, and how important reliable equipment monitoring can be.

During harvest, a stopped grain elevator, an overflowing silo, or an unexpected dryer problem can result in expensive downtime and crop losses.

I believe modern monitoring and automation technology should be more accessible to smaller and medium-sized farms.

Smart DryerNet is my attempt to make that possible.

1. SDN Developer — Designing Agricultural Facilities

SDN Developer is a desktop engineering application that I am creating for designing and configuring agricultural processing facilities.

It allows users to build graphical equipment layouts using components such as:

Grain drying machines

Grain storage silos and bunkers

Bucket elevators

Chain conveyors and belt conveyors

Grain cleaning machines

Transport pipes and diverters

Fans, burners, and other industrial equipment

The system includes editable connections and equipment placement tools.

My long-term goal is to allow complete agricultural facility layouts to be designed visually and then exported into the Smart DryerNet monitoring platform.

SDN Developer already has working development versions, and I am continuously improving the graphical editor, equipment library, and connection system.

2. SDN Connect — Real-Time Monitoring and Automation

SDN Connect is the operational part of Smart DryerNet.

It is being developed around a Raspberry Pi 5 with a 10.1-inch touchscreen and ESP32-based sensor nodes.

Its purpose is to give farmers a clear overview of their entire grain handling process.

The development system includes features such as:

Graphical grain dryer and silo visualization

Grain silo and bunker level monitoring

Grain dryer temperature monitoring

Elevator RPM monitoring

Grain flow measurement and statistics

Sensor calibration

Equipment status and warning notifications

Historical monitoring data

Remote access through phones and computers

Operator and administrator access levels

My design philosophy is simple: agricultural operators should be able to understand equipment status immediately without navigating complicated industrial software.

Working development versions of SDN Connect already exist, and I am testing and improving sensor communication, software functions, and touchscreen usability.

3. Custom ESP32 Sensor Hub PCB Development

One of the most important hardware development areas of Smart DryerNet is the creation of dedicated ESP32-based printed circuit boards.

Instead of connecting every sensor through separate modules and loose wiring, I want to develop professional, modular Sensor Hub boards that simplify installation and maintenance.

My current Sensor Hub PCB design goals include:

Removable ESP32 controller

24V DC industrial power input

Onboard 5V and 3.3V power regulation

RS485 and Modbus communication support

Industrial 4–20mA sensor inputs

Analog and digital sensor interfaces

Temperature sensor connections

Grain elevator RPM sensor inputs

Ultrasonic level sensor interfaces

Status indicators and accessible connection terminals

The boards are being designed in KiCad.

These are development-stage PCB designs, and the next important milestone is professional manufacturing, assembly, and electrical validation.

4. Multi-Silo Monitoring Development

I am also working on a dedicated sensor controller concept for monitoring multiple grain storage silos.

The long-term goal is to connect up to 20 silo level sensors to a single monitoring node, depending on sensor interfaces, communication limitations, and practical testing results.

This could make Smart DryerNet especially useful for agricultural facilities with large numbers of storage silos.

The concept is currently undergoing design evaluation, particularly regarding communication, electrical protection, and reliable sensor acquisition.

5. Why I Am Seeking PCBWay Sponsorship

I am currently financing the entire project using my personal resources.

I have already invested in Raspberry Pi computers, touchscreens, ESP32 controllers, sensors, electronic components, and prototyping equipment.

One of my greatest challenges is the cost of manufacturing and testing custom PCB designs.

For the next development stage, I would greatly appreciate support with a small prototype batch of approximately five Sensor Hub PCBs, ideally with component assembly where possible.

PCBWay support would allow me to:

Manufacture professional-quality PCB prototypes

Validate power supply and sensor input circuits

Test RS485 and industrial communication interfaces

Evaluate component placement and connector accessibility

Improve hardware reliability

Identify and correct design problems

Develop improved PCB revisions based on practical results

My immediate objective is research, prototyping, and technical validation.

I also understand the importance of industrial electrical safety and the additional requirements involved in installing electronic equipment in agricultural environments containing dust, vibration, and moisture.

6. My Long-Term Vision

My goal is to create a modular agricultural automation platform that can eventually be adapted to different farms and grain processing facilities.

I want Smart DryerNet to combine professional software, accessible hardware, and practical agricultural experience.

Although the project is currently being developed independently, I believe it has the potential to grow into a useful commercial technology solution.

I am not looking for financial investment.

I am looking for practical manufacturing and hardware support that will help me continue developing, experimenting, and improving my prototypes.

7. Why This Project Matters to Me

I am not a large electronics company.

I am a farmer who became deeply interested in electronics, programming, and automation because I wanted to solve real problems.

I am learning new skills, designing circuit boards, writing software, testing sensors, and improving the system step by step.

Some experiments work immediately. Others require many attempts, redesigns, and late nights of development.

But every successful prototype brings Smart DryerNet closer to my vision.