Terminology & Glossary
Standardizing definitions for the Cattle Tracking Ecosystem.
Hardware Components
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Bolus (Ruminal) | A wireless sensor swallowed by high-value animals (e.g., bulls) to monitor internal temperature and pH from inside the reticulum. |
| Leader Node | A high-power gateway device (typically a solar collar) that aggregates data from Member Devices and uplinks it to the cloud via Satellite or LTE. |
| Member Device | A low-power, cost-effective sensor (Ear Tag, Bolus, or Ankle Band) that monitors animal activity and communicates with Leader Nodes via the local mesh. |
Technical Architecture
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Hybrid Mesh | A network topology where every animal acts as a signal repeater, enabling long-range communication without fixed towers. |
| LoRa / LoRaWAN | Long Range wireless technology designed for low-power, long-distance IoT communication in remote areas. |
| NATS.io | A high-performance messaging system (the "Neural System") used to ensure "Dial-Tone" reliability and zero data loss. |
| RSSI | Received Signal Strength Indicator. A measurement of the power level being received by a radio; used by FluxCow to detect proximity and isolation. |
| Software Module | Logic modules built with WebAssembly (Wasm) that allow for complex algorithms (like lameness detection) directly on the edge hub. |
Business & Regulatory
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Abigeato | Regional term (Mercosur) for cattle theft. The platform includes specialized detection modules to alert on these events offline. |
| Digital MRV | Measurement, Reporting, and Verification. The process of using digital sensors to provide audit-grade proof for carbon and sustainability claims. |
| EUDR | EU Deforestation Regulation (2023/1115). Mandates that products like beef must be proven "deforestation-free" to enter the European market. |
| HaaS | Hardware as a Service. A business model allowing ranchers to deploy the system for a monthly fee instead of a large upfront investment. |
| SNIG | Sistema Nacional de Identificación Ganadera. The official national livestock identification system in Uruguay. |
| Infrastructure-Zero Platform | The unified cloud-native environment for herd management and analytics. |