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Environmental Control Automation~

AoT's env_coordinator is a 3-layer control system that automatically manages greenhouse environment parameters — VPD, CO₂, temperature, and humidity.


VPD (Vapor Pressure Deficit)~

VPD is the key metric determining plant transpiration and water uptake.

VPD = SVP × (1 - RH/100)
SVP = 0.6108 × exp(17.27T / (T + 237.3))  [kPa]
Range Status Recommended crop stage
< 0.4 kPa Too low — mold risk
0.4–0.8 kPa Optimal Germination / early transplant
0.8–1.2 kPa Optimal Vegetative growth
1.2–1.8 kPa Optimal Flowering / fruiting
> 1.8 kPa Too high — water stress

env_coordinator Control Layers~

L1 — EnvTarget (setpoint)~

Reads VPD / CO₂ targets from a Method curve or fixed values.

  • Method: Time-based target curve by crop stage (seeding to harvest)
  • Fixed value: Use a constant setpoint for simple operation

L2 — SituationReport (evaluation)~

Evaluates current deviation, limiting factors, and trend.

Evaluation item Description
Deviation current value - target
Limiting factor Which of temperature/humidity/CO₂ is preventing VPD from reaching target
Trend Whether the value is moving toward the target

L3 — Coordinator (actuator command)~

Applies PI control + slew rate limiting + anti-windup to command actuators.

e(t) = setpoint - measurement
u(t) = Kp × e(t) + Ki × ∫e dt
slew: |Δu| ≤ slew_rate_per_cycle
output → heater / vent fan / humidifier / CO₂ supply

Function Configuration~

Navigate to Functions → env_coordinator in the AoT UI.

Key settings~

Field Description
Input (temperature) Connect indoor temperature sensor
Input (humidity) Connect indoor humidity sensor
VPD Method VPD target curve by crop stage
CO₂ Method CO₂ target curve
Output (heater) Connect heating actuator
Output (vent fan) Connect ventilation actuator
Output (humidifier) Connect humidifier actuator
Output (CO₂) Connect CO₂ supply actuator

Methods (Setpoint Curves)~

A Method defines how a setpoint changes over time.

Example crop stage schedule (tomato):

Day VPD target CO₂ target
Seeding–Day 7 0.6 kPa 800 ppm
Day 8–21 0.8 kPa 900 ppm
Day 22–42 1.0 kPa 1000 ppm
Day 43+ 1.3 kPa 1000 ppm

Methods prefixed with SEED: are seed presets and are read-only. Duplicate a preset before editing.


Safety Gates~

Multiple safety mechanisms are applied to control actions.

Safety gate Description
High-temp cutoff Forces heating OFF if indoor temp > threshold
CO₂ ceiling Forces CO₂ supply OFF if CO₂ > 1500 ppm
Sensor failure Enters safe mode if sensor value stays stale
Manual Lock AI or user can pause automatic control

AI Integration~

The AI agent uses analyze_control_performance to diagnose control quality.

vpd_rmse         → VPD tracking error (lower is better)
oscillation_index → Control oscillation index (lower is more stable)
assessment       → "good" / "moderate" / "poor"

Based on diagnostics, suggest_setpoint_adjustment proposes a target adjustment. After user approval, set_vpd_target applies it.