MACQU: An Open SCADA System for Intelligent Management and Control of Greenhouses

Greenhouses are complex systems with many variants and many different user requirements. Modern technologies are cost effective and very powerful to meeting these requirements. Optimization tools are making analytical and expert methods practically applicable. The system described features generalized functions for process control, configurable to meet greenhouse control demands. Intelligence is shared among low-level control loops in the controller and high level decisions made at the central process computer. An open Knowledge Based System, in the form of tasks and subtasks, provides an elegant way of rapid program development. This paper presents the general features of the system, how it can be set-up to achieve specific goals and presents results of tests conducted for low, medium and high level control and supervision.