Patent ID: 7884620

Claim:
A sensor device comprising: a housing; a sensing circuitry positioned within the housing, the sensing circuitry comprising a high frequency oscillator, a reference capacitor connected in series to the high frequency oscillator, and a first voltage meter located between the high frequency oscillator and the reference capacitor, and the sensing circuitry comprising a low frequency oscillator, a reference resistor connected in series to the low frequency oscillator, and a second voltage meter located between the low frequency oscillator and the reference resistor; a data reduction circuitry positioned within the housing, the data reduction circuitry comprising a microcontroller to measure analog voltages and perform calculations to determine a plurality of electrical properties and correlate the plurality of electrical properties to soil moisture and soil salinity; a sensing structure positioned within the housing and connected to the sensing circuitry wherein the sensing structure comprises a plurality of electrically conducting surfaces for contact with a material; and a wireless communication circuit for wirelessly transmitting a plurality of calculated output values for soil moisture and soil salinity from the sensor.