Wireless soil profile monitoring apparatus and methods

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.