Wireless soil profile monitoring apparatus and methods

1. A method for measuring characteristics of a material by an apparatus, comprising:

performing a set of measurement sequences, wherein each measurement sequence comprises:

generating, for a plurality of cycles, a control signal;

applying, for the plurality of cycles, the control signal to a switch bank that is coupled to a capacitor; and

aggregating, by an integrator for the plurality of cycles, a current of the capacitor, wherein the current is collected when the capacitor is coupled in series with a probe;

measuring, for the set of measurement sequences, an output of the integrator to produce a set of measurements, wherein the set of measurements comprises a first measurement taken with the control signal having a first duty cycle and a second measurement taken with a second duty cycle that is different from the first duty cycle;

determining a saturation based on the first measurement, the second measurement, and a ratio of the first duty cycle and the second duty cycle; and

transmitting data indicating the saturation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the material is soil.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the data comprises communicating, by wireless transmission, the data indicating the saturation to a server or database.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of cycles produces an alternating 20 volt signal across terminals of the probe.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the control signal has a 25% duty cycle for a first measurement sequence, and wherein the control signal has a 50% duty cycle for a second measurement sequence.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the probe functions as antenna for transmission of moisture data.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the probe is tuned to operate as a wide band antenna suitable for transmission in a wide variety of moisture conditions.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data indicating the saturation is used to tune an antenna.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using the probe as an antenna.

10. A method for measuring characteristics of a material by an apparatus, comprising:

performing a set of measurement sequences, wherein each measurement sequence comprises:

aggregating, by an integrator for a plurality of cycles of a control signal, a current in series with a probe;

measuring, for the set of measurement sequences, an output of the integrator to produce a set of measurements, wherein the set of measurements comprises a first measurement taken with the control signal having a first duty cycle and a second measurement taken with a second duty cycle that is different from the first duty cycle;

determining a saturation based on the first measurement, the second measurement, and a ratio of the first duty cycle and the second duty cycle; and

transmitting data indicating the saturation.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the material is soil.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein transmitting the data comprises communicating, by wireless transmission, the data indicating the saturation to a server or database.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of cycles produces an alternating 20 volt signal across terminals of the probe.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the control signal has a 25% duty cycle for a first measurement sequence, and wherein the control signal has a 50% duty cycle for a second measurement sequence.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the probe functions as antenna for transmission of moisture data.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the probe is tuned to operate as a wide band antenna suitable for transmission in a wide variety of moisture conditions.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the data indicating the saturation is used to tune an antenna.

18. The method of claim 10 , further comprising using the probe as an antenna.