OptoBlog

Janice Colmer

Janice has worked at Opto 22 for nearly 20 years and is part of the marketing team that strives to share new and relevant content with the automation industry. She enjoys books, camping, country music, and spending time with family and friends.
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Recent Posts

Help is here for OEM machine designers

Posted by Janice Colmer on Jul 9, 2025 7:12:22 AM

Check out this new website resource to learn how groov products help you build better machines.

As an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), what sets you apart in your industry? How can you provide more value to your customers?

Opto 22 groov products are designed with OEM machine builders in mind. That's why you'll want to check out this new website resource dedicated to OEMs. It shows how you can:

  • Stand out with your customers
  • Reduce initial costs
  • Reduce ongoing costs

Learn how to build better machines and get the technical support you're counting on.

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Topics: Machine builder, OEM, groov EPIC, groov RIO

Custom curricula for your university or college

Posted by Janice Colmer on Jul 9, 2025 7:10:51 AM

Partner with Opto 22's educational engagement team to build courses and labs around your learning objectives.

Did you know Opto 22 offers special opportunities for education institutions?

Our Partnering in Education program makes it easy for technical colleges, engineering programs, and universities to reach out to Opto 22 for assistance.

See how you can get equipment, training, and help with technical curriculum to help today's students become tomorrow's automation engineers and technicians.

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Topics: Training, groov EPIC, Factory Training, groov RIO, Education Partnerships

Battery backup for your groov EPIC

Posted by Janice Colmer on Jul 2, 2025 7:16:41 AM

Replacement batteries for your groov EPIC PR1 and PR2 controllers are now available on the Opto 22 website.

Why are backup batteries important for your control systems? When it comes to groov EPIC, the battery maintains the time and date, and the RAM that holds persistent data (for example, persistent variables) from the PAC Control engine.

It's important to maintain that system information. Thanks to groov EPIC firmware 4.0, you have an easy way to know when your battery needs to be replaced.

Read on for details on new product replacement battery packs for your groov EPIC system, and a quick how-to video to walk you through the process.

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Topics: groov EPIC, groov Manage

From "old school" to completely scalable solutions

Posted by Janice Colmer on Jul 2, 2025 7:13:15 AM

Ridge Vineyards explains how to go from manual system checks to new automated control systems that integrate seamlessly with existing equipment.

Are maintenance issues disrupting your day-to-day operations? Are manual "old school" systems causing unplanned shutdowns?

It's a common scenario in many industries, but Opto 22's new case study involves an agricultural application that needed an automated, scalable, reliable solution.

Learn how Ridge Vineyards gave its operators real-time control and remote monitoring of its wastewater processes.

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Topics: Case studies, groov View, groov EPIC

Level Up with Opto 22 at ICC 2025

Posted by Janice Colmer on Jun 25, 2025 9:38:30 AM

Learn new solutions for your industrial automation projects from an expert community at the annual Ignition Community Conference.

Are you ready to "level up" your game when it comes to your industrial control systems? Looking for ways to overcome the obstacles of manual processes and competing control systems? Still trying to get live data from outdated or legacy systems?

Inductive Automation's one-of-a-kind Ignition Community Conference (ICC) is back and bigger than ever. Find the solutions you need from a rapidly growing and worldwide community of Ignition software experts and their ecosystem of technology partners.

See what ICC 2025 has in store.

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Topics: Events & conferences, Ignition Edge, groov EPIC, Ignition, Ignition Community Conference, groov RIO

How to properly assemble your groov EPIC

Posted by Janice Colmer on Jun 25, 2025 9:32:12 AM

Watch this video for helpful tips on assembling and disassembling your groov EPIC systems to avoid component damage.

Whether you are about to use your first groov EPIC controller or have already activated several units, this how-to video has several important tips.

Follow along with video host Ben Orchard as he walks you through how to assemble and disassemble your groov EPIC to avoid accidental damage.

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Topics: Videos, groov EPIC

Unifying over 100 machines with live data in a Unified Namespace (UNS)

Posted by Janice Colmer on Jun 10, 2025 3:01:43 PM

New case study demonstrates how you can overcome outdated reporting systems and the challenge of getting live data from legacy equipment.

Are manual processes and human errors limiting your visibility and insights into your production performance? Are you dealing with a variety of machines with different control hardware for each?

Moriroku® Technology North America (MTNA) was facing all those challenges and decided it was time for a digital transformation initiative to enhance resilience, efficiency, and competitiveness.

See what they learned along the way, and how their "start small" philosophy resulted in huge gains.

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Topics: Case studies, Ignition, groov RIO, digital transformation, smart manufacturing

See what you can do with a groov EPIC Learning Center

Posted by Janice Colmer on Jun 10, 2025 2:57:56 PM

Watch the Automation Ladies' recent podcast for a live demo of a GRV-EPIC-LC2 and see what sets EPIC apart from other controllers on the market.

How would you describe groov EPIC? You might have heard the terms edge controller, PLC, or industrial PC all used when discussing Edge Programmable Industrial Controllers. But which is most accurate?

Those are just some of the questions the Automation Ladies podcast recently posed to Opto 22's Director of Technical Marketing, Dan White. They had a fun discussion on new industrial automation tech and why a groov EPIC Learning Center is the perfect way to test what it can do for your projects.

Tune in to the podcast recording to get your questions answered. 

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Topics: Events & conferences, IIoT, groov EPIC, groov EPIC Learning Center, SCADA

New Ignition module for groov EPIC

Posted by Janice Colmer on May 30, 2025 7:58:31 AM

Hear from Pat Smith—guest blogger from OptoPartner Avadine—as he unveils an Ignition module designed to help you remotely configure and integrate groov products with Inductive Automation's Ignition platform.

Why is this new module a big deal, and what does it mean for you?

This advanced Ignition module gives you the ability to remotely configure and integrate with Opto 22 groov products directly from Ignition—from Port Redirect configuration and VPN control to the full suite of groov Manage APIs.

What's more? Avadine is offering this module for free on the Ignition Exchange!

Read on as Pat Smith from Avadine explains what led them to create this module and the problems it solves for you.

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Topics: groov EPIC, Ignition, OptoPartner

Win a groov EPIC Learning Center

Posted by Janice Colmer on May 21, 2025 5:48:13 AM

Tune in to the Automation Ladies podcast for a live demo of a GRV-EPIC-LC2 and learn how you can win it at this year's OT SCADA CON event.

Opto 22 is returning as a sponsor of the second annual OT SCADA CON event taking place in Houston, Texas this summer. Here's your chance to dive into the world of operational technology and supervisory control and data acquisition systems with industry experts and fellow enthusiasts.

What's another reason you should be there? Attendees can enter to win a groov EPIC Learning Center at the event.

Get the details on an upcoming podcast that will feature a live demo of the  GRV-EPIC-LC2.

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Topics: Events & conferences, IIoT, groov EPIC, groov EPIC Learning Center, SCADA

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