This glossary defines key terms, concepts, and abbreviations used across the Afritic Open Farming Standard (AOFS) documentation. All AOFS-compliant deployments should use these terms consistently.

• AOFS – Afritic Open Farming Standard. A framework and set of reference implementations for autonomous, monitored, and modular smart farming systems.
• Actuator – A device that performs a physical action in response to controller commands, e.g., valves, pumps, or gates.

• Battery / Energy Storage – Stores electrical energy from solar panels or other sources for use by AOFS-controlled devices.
• Battery Drain – The amount of energy consumed from storage over time.

• Controller – The system component that makes decisions and executes actions. AOFS defines three layers:
  • Field Controller Layer
  • Farm / Local Controller Layer
  • HQ / Federated Controller Layer
• Crop Irrigation Module – Core AOFS module managing soil moisture, water delivery, and irrigation scheduling.

• Data Logging – Recording sensor measurements, actuator events, and operator input in a timestamped format for later analysis.
• Decentralized Operation – System functionality (control, monitoring, logging) operates independently of continuous network connectivity.

• Energy-Aware Operation – Optional AOFS feature where controllers monitor power availability and consumption to prioritize irrigation or actuation events.
• Event Prioritization – Assignment of urgency or importance to scheduled events to guide energy usage decisions.

• Field Controller Layer – Local controller at the field site that executes irrigation schedules, reads sensors, enforces fail-safes, and logs data.
• Flow Meter – Device measuring the amount of water passing through a pipe or irrigation line.

• Hydraulic System – Pumps, pipes, tanks, valves, and related components used for water distribution in irrigation.

• Local Autonomy – Principle that critical system functions must operate correctly without relying on external connectivity.
• Livestock / Animal Husbandry Module – Optional AOFS module for tracking veterinary care, feeding, breeding, and production metrics.

• Modular Architecture – AOFS design principle allowing additional modules (crop irrigation, poultry, greenhouse/hydroponics, etc.) to integrate via standardized interfaces.
• Monitoring – Measurement and observation of system performance, environmental conditions, and actuator activity.

• Optical / Camera Monitoring Systems – Devices capturing images (photos) of the field for crop growth tracking, pest observation, or documentation purposes. Video streaming is optional and outside core AOFS scope.
• Operator Input / Human Input – Manual logging by farm personnel, including crop growth observations, harvest outcomes, fertilizer application, or other external events.

• PUE – Productive Use of Electricity. AOFS ensures efficient energy utilization for irrigation and farm operations.
• Power-Aware Scheduling – Optional AOFS feature where the system predicts if there is enough energy to execute scheduled events and warns operators if not.

• Safety / Fail-Safe – Mechanisms to prevent over-irrigation, flooding, pump damage, or unsafe electrical conditions.
• Sensors – Devices measuring environmental or system parameters, including soil moisture, soil temperature, water flow, tank levels, weather conditions, or power usage.
• Solar Integration Levels – Optional AOFS configurations for monitoring solar energy generation:
  • Level 1: Minimal monitoring (battery voltage/current)
  • Level 2: Integrated monitoring with advanced analytics

• Tank Float Switches – Sensors indicating FULL or LOW water levels in storage tanks.
• Telemetry – Transmission of system data from Field Controllers to Farm/HQ Controllers for monitoring and analytics.

• Weather Sensors – Devices measuring environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, rainfall, and wind for irrigation scheduling and crop monitoring.
• Water Monitoring Sensors – Flow meters, pressure sensors, and tank level sensors used to ensure safe and efficient water delivery.

• All definitions here are AOFS-specific and should be used consistently across modules and documentation.
• This glossary is extendable, allowing additional terms as new modules or features are added.