Watch recorded conference sessions for FREE and learn how to connect your systems with Node-RED.

Included in groov EPIC and groov RIO is Node-RED, an open-source software program that allows you to wire together devices, databases, cloud applications, and APIs (application programming interfaces) using simple logic flows.

Node-RED is being used in a wide range of mission-critical applications, from city utilities and semiconductor fabs to manufacturing lines and smart buildings.

Anywhere an engineer needs two systems to talk, Node-RED often shows up. It’s a visual way to move data, trigger actions, and link systems. Due to Node-RED's growing popularity, it's no surprise that last week's Node-RED conference provided some excellent resources and idea exchanges.

Discover the key takeaways from the conference and gain access to the session recordings.

Node-RED Con

Node-RED Con was held on November 4, 2025, as a virtual event run by the Node-RED community. It focused on real systems in daily use, and you can watch every session on YouTube for free.

Hosted by Vlad Romanov, the event stayed focused on practical details. The pace was tight, and the community questions were sharp and engaged.  It felt like people who use Node-RED every day were comparing notes.

My takeaway

All of the talks led me back to the same conclusion: Node-RED is versatile.  It fills in the gaps. It moves data between devices, services, and systems that don’t naturally communicate with each other, such as PLC tags and databases. Serial devices to Ethernet. Building controls to text/email alarms. Lab instruments to dashboards. Or whatever your mix is.

The value is that you can see the logic. You can adjust it without needing a vendor or a rewrite. The person who works with the system every day can maintain it. It’s practical, flexible, and it keeps the complexity visible instead of buried.

If you're using Opto 22 gear—or considering it

If you're already working with groov EPIC or groov RIO, Node-RED runs right on the device. It lets you move data between your control system and the rest of your infrastructure without requiring another box or service.

And if you're looking for something with industrial-grade hardware and real I/O that runs Node-RED, that’s one of the reasons people choose groov devices. You get reliable control and I/O at the edge, and you also get a place where your integration logic lives, simplifying connectivity between automation layers. 

groovin' with Node-RED

Shout out to Grant Chase for showing exactly what this looks like in practice. Morro Bay’s water systems span decades of equipment and controls. Instead of replacing everything, he tied it together in a way his team can understand and maintain.

He used groov EPIC, groov RIO, and even existing SNAP PAC systems where they still made sense. Node-RED is the layer that connects them. The result is a system that’s modern, secure, and still familiar to the operators who run it every day.

Watch the sessions

Full recordings from Node-RED Con are available here.

If you want to try Node-RED with groov hardware, we also have a set of short examples and walkthroughs.