Programming Guide

Getting Programmed
SitePro Central Control System
4
5. Planning Programs
Before you set up the control system, it is important to plan out your irrigation programs in advance.
Define your basic program names exactly as you plan to irrigate.
Typing program names.
SitePro is case sensitive. Therefore, if you name a program Greens and then type in GREENS
later, SitePro will not be able to locate it in the database. You might want to get in the habit of
using all capital letters. Also, when naming programs, SitePro will not allow hyphens or spaces
in the name. You can use the underline key instead. For example: GREENS_F9.
Hint: Abbreviations make for faster programming later on.
Organize your programs on a piece of paper. Sequence them in order of importance.
SitePro runs programs within satellites. A program will run one station at a time within a satellite. The
stations within a program will run in numerical order. To run stations within a satellite concurrently,
stations need to be assigned to different programs. Ideally, there should be eight to 12 stations on a
single program within a satellite. For example, if you have 20 stations in a satellite, each with a run time
of 20 minutes, and all the stations are assigned to the same program, that satellite would run for 400
minutes (20 stations x 20 minutes). You may want to define three different programs for that satellite in
order to force a shorter watering time. This also spreads out the flow in each fairway.
For example...
Fairway A (Fwy_A) could water stations 1 through 7 on a satellite;
Fairway B (Fwy_B) could water stations 8 through 14;
Fairway C (Fwy_C) could water stations 15 through 20.
6. Setting up the Control System
Once you have organized your irrigation programs, you are ready to set up your control system.
It is strongly suggested that you take one satellite completely through Steps 6, 7, 8 and 9, then
stop and review how the stations will operate within your programs. This will give you a better
understanding of the capabilities of the SitePro software. It may change how you want to set up
your system.
Set up one group, one satellite, and a hydraulic link to all the stations on one satellite...
Save the data, after setting up all stations on the satellite.
Assign the stations to programs.
Assign the stations to a Hydro-Link.
Run a projected flow to verify that all station data is entered correctly. Stations with data errors will not
run and SitePro will identify these for you.
Review the Scheduled Activity report to see exactly when stations will run.
Save your data again. You have assigned stations to programs and fixed any errors since your last save.
Opening a previously saved version will wipe out any current changes you have made.
Set up the next satellite following the above steps. Conduct a save after each satellite is complete.
Stations will not operate without a Hydro-Link assignment. To view unassigned stations, run an
Unassigned Stations report. (Go to Reports > Unassigned Stations or click on the Unassigned
Stations button on the Reports tool bar.)