Comparative Analysis of TTAK.KO-06.0288-Part3 and Development of an Open-source Communication Library for Greenhouse Control System

Purpose: A modern greenhouse consists of various Information and Communications Technology (ICT) components e.g., sensor nodes, actuator nodes, gateways, controllers, and operating softwarethat communicate with each other. The interoperability between these components is an essential characteristic for any greenhouse control system. A greenhouse control system could not work unless the components communicate via common interfaces. The TTAK.KO-06.0288 is an interface standard consisting of four parts. Notably, TTAK.KO-06.0288-Part3, which describes the interface between a greenhouse operating system (GOS) and a greenhouse control gateway (GCG), is the core standard of TTAK.KO-06.0288. The objectives of this study were to analyze the TTAK.KO-06.0288-Part3 standard, to suggest alternative solutions for identified issues, and to develop a library as a proof of the alternative solutions. Methods: The "data field" was analyzed using a comparative analysis method, since it is a data transmission unit of TTAK.KO-06.0288-Part3. It was compared with other parts of TTAK.KO-06.0288 in terms of definition, format, size, and possible values. Although TTAK.KO-06.0288-Part1 and TTAK.KO-06.0288-Part2 do not use a "data field," they have a similar data structure. That structure was compared with the "data field" of TTAK.KO-06.0288-Part3. Results: Twenty-one issues were identified across four categories: inter-standard issues, intra-standard issues, operational issues, and misprint issues. Since some of the issues can raise interoperability problems, 16 alternative solutions were suggested. In order to prove the alternative solutions, an open-source communication library called libtp3 was developed. The library passed 14 unit tests and was adapted to two research. Conclusions: Although TTAK.KO-06.0288-Part3 is an interface standard for communication between a GOS and a GCG, it might not communicate between different implementations because of the identified issues in the standard. These issues could be solved by the alternative solutions, which could be used to revise TTAK.KO-06.0288. In addition, a relevant organization should develop a program for compatibility testing and should pursue test products for smart greenhouses.