OptoBlog

350 years, 19,008 positions & a smarter way to manage radioactive waste

Posted by Janice Colmer on Jul 1, 2026 5:28:37 AM

New case study shows you how a SCADA integrator turned a patchworked, incomplete design specification into a streamlined monitoring solution.

How do you monitor radioactive waste activity and storage that will move continuously for decades—while collecting thousands of critical position measurements every second? 

This was the challenge facing SCADA system integrator TUVI & Co. Ltd., a Bulgarian engineering firm.

They needed to track 19,008 cell positions across 66 permanent storage cells, plus 122 in a temporary storage building. Every move has be be recorded, and every position confirmed. 

Opto 22's new case study explains how TUVI achieved it.

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Topics: Case studies, groov EPIC, Ignition, SCADA

Get your OptoU online training certificate

Posted by Norma Rodriguez on Jul 1, 2026 5:23:19 AM

Complete the free groov EPIC online courses, get your certificate, and post it to LinkedIn.

Are you looking to complete more educational training for PLCs or add another certification to your professional profile or resume?

Gain additional programming skills and learn more about how to use groov EPIC edge controllers for your applications. groov EPIC training is FREE at OptoU (training.opto22.com). Once you’ve completed all of the courses, you can get your groov EPIC Online Training Certificate of Completion. If you'd like, you can easily post your certificate to your LinkedIn profile.

Work at your own pace as you go through the online exercises and quizzes. Most of the lessons are based on the hands-on material in the groov EPIC training course taught at Opto 22 headquarters. 

Follow these simple steps to earn your certificate.

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Topics: Training, groov EPIC, certificate, OptoU, groov RIO

Your Legacy PLCs Were Never Built for This

Posted by Janice Colmer on Jun 24, 2026 7:17:26 AM

Learn how network segmentation protects the devices that can't protect themselves.

Are you a manufacturer who is trying to modernize operations without replacing the PLCs and control systems that are still working? Your machines are still running, but you face the challenge of connecting their OT data to IT networks. 

These legacy systems weren't made to hold up to today's cybersecurity threats when they are exposed to the internet or business networks.

So what's the answer? Read a new technical article that offers practical solutions—and see why network segmentation is vital to unlocking OT data in a secure way.

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Topics: groov EPIC, cybersecurity, groov RIO, network segmentation

Working closely with Australian partners to better serve you

Posted by Janice Colmer on Jun 24, 2026 7:14:07 AM

A new webinar series highlights the strong partnership between Inductive Automation Australia, Binford Tech, and Opto 22 to offer complete solution packages to customers in the region.

Australian engineers are increasingly asked to connect more systems, modernize aging infrastructure, improve cybersecurity, and deliver real IIoT results. Can you do it without ripping out existing systems that work?

This new two-part webinar series shows how you can.

Join Opto 22, Inductive Automation’s only hardware Premier Technology Partner, Inductive Automation Australia, and Australia-based distributor Binford Tech for a practical presentation on how modern industrial hardware can simplify secure edge deployment with Ignition.

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Topics: Case studies, MQTT, Ignition Edge, groov EPIC, Ignition, edge computing, groov RIO, webinar

Sparking data discussions at the edge with MQTT, Sparkplug B, and OPC UA

Posted by Janice Colmer on Jun 17, 2026 8:28:45 AM

Listen to a recent episode of Inductive Automation's Ignited podcast to see how the open-source MQTT protocol has completely changed industrial data architectures.

Are you looking to build systems that move data—reliably and securely—across an enterprise? Have proprietary approaches slowed you down or locked you in?

Episode 4 of Inductive Automation's new Ignited podcast is a must listen! The co-inventor of MQTT, Arlen Nipper, and Opto 22 VP Benson Hougland are the featured guests on this podcast, reviewing industrial automation technology and taking you into the future.

Inductive Automation's Travis Cox and Thomas Burke host this discussion about why MQTT and Sparkplug B are now the key to scalable industrial data, and why edge computing changes everything.

Listen in on these insightful conversations:

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Topics: MQTT, Ignition Edge, Sparkplug, Ignition, podcast, OPC UA

Need to boost your skills and credentials?

Posted by Norma Rodriguez on Jun 17, 2026 8:23:36 AM

Earn 24 PDH credits after attending groov EPIC Premium Factory Training.

If you want to learn more about your groov EPIC system, consider attending the in-person groov EPIC Premium Factory Training in Temecula, California, and earn 24 Professional Development Hours (PDH).

After successfully completing the course, you’ll receive a Certificate of Completion and the course agenda for your records.

Read on for class details and why these 24 PDHs matter.

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Topics: groov EPIC, groov EPIC Learning Center, Factory Training

Stay up to date with SNAP PAC firmware R10.7a

Posted by Janice Colmer on Jun 10, 2026 6:18:39 AM

The latest firmware release is now available for your SNAP PAC System.

If you are using any of the following SNAP PAC System controllers or brains, you'll want to take a look at the new R10.7a update: 

SNAP PAC R-series
SNAP PAC S-series
SoftPAC
G4EB2 brains

See the latest enhancements and important fixes included in this release.

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Topics: Firmware, PAC Manager, snap pac

Powering AI-ready data centers with MQTT and Unified Namespace

Posted by Janice Colmer on Jun 10, 2026 6:13:39 AM

Listen to the discussion on a recent episode of the EnergyTech podcast for insights on how data centers are becoming AI factories.

What has changed in the data center industry in just the past year? Attendees of Inductive Automation's Data Center Discovery Day found out firsthand.

At the event, OpSite Energy's Mike Flores sat down with Opto 22 VP Benson Hougland for a deeper discussion on why and how data center demand is changing—and how MQTT and UNS (Unified Namespace) are becoming the keys to contextualizing data for better (and immediate) decision making.

Tune in to episode 79 of the EnergyTech podcast for the complete discussion.

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Topics: Energy management, cybersecurity, Ignition, podcast, OT data, energy monitoring, data center

New White Paper: Building Industrial Data Systems You Actually Own

Posted by Janice Colmer on Jun 3, 2026 6:45:57 AM

Learn the benefits of open source, open standards, and open architecture in industrial automation.

Industrial companies are under pressure to modernize operations, connect legacy systems, and deliver real-time data.
But too many IIoT and digital transformation projects become expensive, overly complex, and difficult to maintain.

What if you could build an industrial data infrastructure that is open, scalable, secure, and fully under your control?

Explore what's possible in this new white paper: Building Industrial Data Systems You Actually Own. 

Learn how modern edge-based architectures are helping manufacturers, system integrators, OEMs, and industrial engineers simplify connectivity from the plant floor to the cloud.

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Topics: OEM, white paper, industrial automation, digital transformation, open source

Bringing a legacy SCADA system to the edge

Posted by Janice Colmer on Jun 3, 2026 6:41:24 AM

Watch the next episode in the Who's groovin video series and see how to build secure, resilient, and scalable SCADA systems.

Would you trust a SCADA system that takes five minutes just to confirm that a pump turned on? At the Genesee County Drain Commissioner’s Division of Water and Waste Services in Michigan, they didn’t have much choice.

In this edition of the Who’s groovin video series, see how Genesee County replaced slow radio polling with edge-based MQTT Sparkplug communications—giving their operators a real-time view of what’s happening at all of their 180 sites.

Watch the video: 

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Topics: Case studies, Videos, Water & wastewater, MQTT, groov EPIC, SCADA, Who's groovin

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