How Does John Deere JDLink Work for my Farm?

How Does JDLink™ Improve the Efficiency of my Farm?

As you grow your agricultural operation and continue to increase efficiency, staying connected with all your machines, no matter where they are, is a game-changer. Thanks to JDLink Connect from John Deere, you can monitor and manage your entire fleet in real time without ever having to leave the office.

What is JDLink™?

JDLink is a telematics system that remotely connects owners and managers to their equipment. It enables connection to all makes of your equipment and provides alerts and information including the location of your equipment, how it is being used, performance, and maintenance data. Simply put, JDLink is a digital connection between you and your machines.

When JDLink is connected to your machines, it protects the equipment with geofencing and curfew alerts, by monitoring diagnostic codes to detect minor issues before they become big problems, and by sending information like set up files, prescriptions, and documentation files to operators in the field. If you are in an area where cell signals are weak or unreliable, satellite modems are available to enable an automatic switch to satellite mode when cellular connection is unavailable.

How does JDLink™ work?

JDLink operates on cellular technology just like a cell phone. There is a cellular modem in the system called the modular telematics gateway, or MTG. This cellular modem gives your machine an internet connection and allows it to both transmit and receive data on the online JDLink web platform.  Many types of data can be transferred to and from the machine including machine usage information like fuel and trouble codes, machine location, and other stats. In addition, geospatial field information files for planting, harvest, application, and tillage can be automatically transferred from the machine to the John Deere Operations Center for further analysis and reporting.

What features can John Deere JDLink™ provide for my farm?

JDLink™ Connect is the premium telematics product from John Deere designed to:

• Automate documentation data transfer with Wireless Data Transfer (WDT) 
• Remote Display Access (RDA) allows for managers to see what the operator sees in the GreenStar™ 3 2630 Display or Generation 4 CommandCenter™ controls.
• Monitor machine progress and status using Location History
• Evaluate machine performance and efficiency to make more informed timely decisions
• Coordinate labor and machine logistics
• Stay connected using remote management tools
• Support maintenance schedule and alerts

Machine data collected by JDLink™ includes:

• Location
• Driving Directions
• Hours
• Hours of Operation
• Missed Calls
• Time and feature utilization
• Fuel consumption
• Engine and machine health
• Machine performance

How does John Deere JDLink™ transfer data to the Operations Center?

Eliminate the need for USB drives by easily and seamlessly moving your agronomic data to the John Deere Operations Center with wireless data transfer or mobile data transfer.  

Wireless Data Transfer utilizes JDLink in 2012 and newer John Deere machines to automatically send data to the Operations Center every time you finish a field.  This ensures your data is backed up and protected if something were to happen to your display.  It also allows you to quickly view your data and share it with your advisors to start making decisions with it right away. 

The Operations Center is an online farm management system that enables access to farm information anytime, anywhere. Tools in the Operations Center provide you and your partners with the ability to analyze, edit, and make collaborative decisions from the same set of information to get higher yields and reduce input costs. Increase your efficiently by creating plans and directing in-field work which allow you to farm more acres in less time. Combined with its complimentary suite of mobile apps and the power of live connections to the machine through JDLink™, the Operations Center enables you to manage your operation more efficiently, do a better job on every pass, reduce costs, and improve profitability.

Don’t have a newer JDLink™ equipped machine?  No worries. John Deere Mobile Data Transfer (MDT) creates a seamless portal to and from the Operations Center and enables immediate access to business-critical information. It allows growers and their trusted advisers to wirelessly share data with one another via their preferred cellular provider without having to waste time and resources traveling to exchange a data storage device.  By eliminating the need for transferring data via a USB card, Mobile Data Transfer reduces the risk of data loss and increases efficiency with easier data sharing and decision making.

John Deere MDT utilizes a USB to Wi-Fi device to export files from an in-cab display then sends those files directly to the Operations Center of MyJohnDeere using a smartphone. Additionally, setup and prescription files can be pulled from the My Files section of the Operations Center account while running a machine in the field. It is very easy to use and is set at a bargain price. Contact your local Koenig Equipment Precision Ag Specialist for details.

How can JDLink™ reports help me improve efficiency?

JDLink™ offers several different reports to help you better run your operation. Reports include, but are not limited to, the below options.

1. Machine Utilization Time

Machine Utilization Time in work, idle, and transport status allows you to track the efficiency and productivity of each JDLink machine in your fleet.  The best way to drive your machinery cost down is to get more done in the hours you put on your machine.  JDLink reports do this by counting the number of working hours and by measuring the productivity you were getting out of those hours. To do so, it looks at things like engine load to determine if the full capacity of the machine is actually being utilized.  JDLink allows farmers to see ways they can increase their productivity in each hour. For example, on a combine, you may need to drive faster or purchase a larger header to get the full capacity out of the combine. 

2. Hours of Operation

Hours of Operation reports allow you to see exactly when a machine was working and not working on a calendar style view.  You can see anytime the machine was started and shut off over the course of the season.  The total number of hours the machine ran in a day or month are calculated for your convenience.

3. Location History

Location History provides a map view detailing where a machine has traveled in a given day.  This can be useful to see progress within a field, what direction the operator worked in a field, and what route an operator took to travel from one field to the next. You can also go back and click on the path traveled and view a time stamp of when the machine was at that specific location. Location history updates in real time to allow you to track the location of your machines. You can view historical location history for any JDLink machine back to two years from the current date.

4. Feature Utilization

Feature Utilization reports allow you to see how much a feature on a machine has been utilized.  This report will show you how many hours a specific feature has been turned on and off in a selected time period.  Examples of features you can track usage on include MFWD, AutoTrac, Differential Lock, PTO, Field Cruise, Active Yield, RowSense, Active Terrain Adjustment, AutoMaintain, HarvestSmart, and Section Control.

These key features and many more allow farmers to get the best use out of each of their machines. Through new technology like JDLink, efficiency has increased, and time and money spent has decreased.

Case Study 1: JDLink Solves Unnecessarily High Engine Speeds Remotely

Problem

In the Spring of 2012 a Shelby County customer purchased a new 8R equipped with JDLink.  The Customer received operator training from a certified Koenig expert and after becoming acquainted with the new system the customer hooked up their planter and took to the fields.   Shortly after they began planting they noticed that by pushing the IVT throttle forward slightly the engine would rev even higher and hold steady at 2000rpm.  They double checked their IVT transmission settings in the Command Center and believed everything was set properly, even ensuring that the “Full Auto” mode was turned on.  Perplexed by the issue, they turned to a Koenig AMS expert for assistance.

Solution

 Once on the phone, the Koenig expert was able to log in to JDLink and remotely review the tractor’s engine performance history.  The data produced by JDLink enabled the Koenig expert to see the malfunction.   After processing similar service cases, the Koenig representative discovered new IVT module software that corrected the error.  Since JDLink was being used to diagnose the problem, the Koenig expert was able to use Remote Service Advisor to send the new software to the machine remotely.   After sending the software to the tractor, the Koenig rep assisted the customer in opening the file and installing the new software, all while on the phone.  The new software corrected the problem and the customer was quick to return to normal operation.

Benefit

This problem would have normally warranted a scheduled service call, which may have resulted in the customer waiting until the next day.  With JDLink a Koenig representative is immediately able to view your equipment’s performance statistics, troubleshoot and diagnose malfunctions and in most cases remedy the problem remotely.  Remote Service Advisor “piggy backs” JDLink and enables a Koenig Rep to send new component software remotely to the tractor for installation.  In this case, by using both JDLink and Remote Service Advisor, the customer was able to return to optimal planting operation in a reasonable amount of time, rather than being sidelined for hours. 

Case study 2: JDLink Saves Customer Money on Tractor Purchase

Problem

A Champaign County customer purchased two 8R series tractors (8235R & 8285R) in 2011.  Included with the purchase were JDLink Ultimate subscriptions, which allow remote monitoring of tractor maintenance and performance statistics.  Being a technology advocate, the customer was intent on using JDLink to analyze their new equipment utilization.  After receiving training from a certified Koenig AMS expert, the customer was able to begin monitoring the usage and performance of their new tractors.  JDLink revealed to the customer that the average engine load was only 50-55 percent of the 8285R’s potential engine capabilities.

Solution

What does this new information tell the customer?  Subsequently they realized there were no operations that required 100 percent of the 8285R’s engine horse power; therefore, the JDLink data advised the customer that they had miscalculated the required amount of engine horse power anticipated to meet the needs on their farm.

Benefit

The customer operates on a yearly trade cycle and they are now armed with their JDLink performance data when considering their purchase of new equipment.  They recognized that the 8285R was more horsepower than they required, however they still require a similar frame sized tractor.  Considering these two factors they are better able to evaluate their purchase decision and discovered that the 8260R satisfies the horsepower requirements, while maintaining the necessary frame size.  With the purchase of the 8260R versus the 8285R the customer not only spent less money, but they also received a tractor equipped to meet their needs;  100 percent of the time.

Where can I find a dealer to provide JDLink support?

Do you have questions about JDLink? Do you need experts to provide support? Contact your local Koenig Equipment and speak with a Precision Ag Specialist today.