OptoBlog

Need help with your automation project?

Posted by Janice Colmer on Jan 17, 2024 8:39:05 AM

Choose the OptoPartner you need from Opto 22's growing network of system integrators.

The newest members of the OptoPartner program come from all around the world. Take a look at the descriptions below and see if one might be a fit for your next project.

In projects verified by our engineers, these new partners have proven their engineering expertise and in-depth understanding of Opto 22 products, including groov EPIC and RIO.

We asked our new members to provide an overview of their companies, and here's what they had to say.

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Topics: Integrators, IIoT, OptoPartner

Firmware updates for I/O modules

Posted by Ben Orchard on Jan 10, 2024 10:46:00 AM

New features and improved performance are available on groov I/O modules with the click of a button.

A well-known electric car company is somewhat famous for its ability to add features and fix bugs with over-the-air updates to millions of cars. Of course, they are not the only ones with this feature. Many companies have been updating their hardware with firmware updates for decades, but it really captures the imagination when the hardware is something you drive.

Closer to our hearts and minds, Opto 22 has been adding features and squishing bugs on our controllers for more years than most of us can recall (it's our 50th year in 2024!). There are a few SNAP I/O modules that can have their firmware updated via our PAC Manager program—the serial data ones for example—but now with groov EPIC and RIO, ALL our modules can have new features and refined performance added at the click of a button.

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Topics: Firmware, I/O modules, groov EPIC, I/O, groov RIO

groov RIO with CODESYS lessons now on OptoU

Posted by Janice Colmer on Jan 10, 2024 9:29:01 AM

Get free online instruction for using the CODESYS runtime engine on groov RIO in the new training series.

A customer favorite in 2023 was the groov RIO 3.5 firmware release. With this release, you could use the groov RIO edge I/O module as a controller with the CODESYS runtime engine onboard.

This was a game changer for many of our customers. Our Director of Technical Marketing, Dan White, even shared one of the first applications taking advantage of the new RIO 3.5 features in this CODESYS Tech Talk with Costa Farms.  It illustrated how the addition of CODESYS has transformed groov RIO into a full-fledged Edge PLC, opening up a world of possibilities for automation and control.

Now you can get a better understanding of how this new feature can work in your application by following along with some brand-new lessons on OptoU—Opto 22's free online training site. 

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Topics: Training, CODESYS, OptoU, groov RIO

Case Study: Point Energy Partners

Posted by Janice Colmer on Jan 3, 2024 10:09:41 AM

Preventing spills and improving operational efficiency using Opto 22's groov RIO.

Texas-based Point Energy Partners (PEP) specializes in acquiring and developing onshore U.S. oil and gas properties with extensive experience working in major basins across the nation. PEP owns and operates the majority of the gathering and midstream assets for its operations, including its very large water recycling program, which showcases their commitment to sustainable and efficient resource management.

In an industry where every spill carries a hefty price tag, PEP found that the manual and low-tech systems at their water sites were a significant problem. These sites did not have a big budget for upgrades, so most control solutions on the market just wouldn’t fit the bill.

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Topics: Case studies, MQTT, CODESYS, Sparkplug, groov RIO, oil and gas

Top 10 Videos of 2023

Posted by Janice Colmer on Jan 3, 2024 9:59:25 AM

Did you watch all of the 10 most popular videos on the Opto 22 YouTube channel in 2023?

If you're one of the over 27,000 subscribers who follow the OptoVideo channel on YouTube, you have first access to all the new video content we produce. Whether it's a new Node-RED developer video, product overview, or a technical how-to workshop, you get it all.

So what topics proved most useful (and popular) with our viewers last year? Let's review Opto 22's Top 10 Videos of 2023.

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Topics: Videos, Node-RED, groov View, groov EPIC, groov Manage, groov RIO, YouTube

OptoForums Top 5 of 2023

Posted by Ben Orchard on Dec 13, 2023 7:00:00 AM

A year in review of the most popular topics and discussions on the OptoForums.

Let's talk for a moment about our fantastic Opto 22 forum fans. The OptoForums host an amazing community.

It seems that only a very small number of industrial automation manufacturers run their own public forums. Some community-supported efforts have sprung up to backfill the need for a place where like-minded folks can gather, but there is something special about having a place that is, well, for lack of a better term, "factory supported."

Why is that a big deal?

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Topics: Modbus, REST API, CODESYS, OPC UA, OptoForum, OptoMMP

2023 Holiday Schedule

Posted by Janice Colmer on Dec 12, 2023 11:59:06 AM

Sending Season's Greetings and keeping you informed of our year-end holiday schedule.

Did you get in on the holiday fun earlier this month and get your groov EPIC holiday ornament? There's still time to watch Opto 22's holiday video and see how you can score your own mini 3D EPIC.

It's been a treat to hear how everyone is utilizing all the features the groov EPIC system has to offer. 

The Opto 22 team would once again like to wish everyone a happy and safe holiday season, as well as keep you informed of this month's holiday schedule.

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Topics: groov EPIC, holiday hours, holiday schedule

Understanding Your Industrial Electricity Bill

Posted by Arun Sinha on Dec 6, 2023 7:00:00 AM

The first step toward reducing your energy spend is to analyze your utility bill.

In my previous blog post, “Why Consider Energy Monitoring” I proposed that acquiring data was essential to any project targeted at reducing an organization's energy spend. I also touched on how the electric utility bill for industrial users can be complex.

If you are considering monitoring your energy and power, a good first step would be to get a hold of and understand that bill. I thought I would analyze and share my thoughts on Opto 22’s bill, as it is probably very similar to the one for your industrial or commercial facility.

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Topics: Energy management, IIoT, Data acquisition, digital transformation, power monitoring, groov rio emu, energy monitoring

Sparkplug is now an International Standard ISO/IEC 20237:2023

Posted by Dan White on Dec 5, 2023 8:07:59 AM

The Eclipse Foundation recently announced the Sparkplug international standard achievement.

Sparkplug, the MQTT specification that enhances the way your Opto 22 groov systems communicate and operate, has achieved the ISO/IEC 20237:2023 International Standard Status. It’s a significant milestone in the IIoT world, particularly for Opto 22 and our users. As you know, Opto 22 adopted Sparkplug years ago because of its reliability, efficiency, and plug-and-play functionality in modern IIoT architectures. It’s nice to see the rest of the industry accepting and adopting this groundbreaking tech.

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Topics: MQTT, groov EPIC, Sparkplug, groov RIO, Eclipse Foundation

Wishing you an EPIC holiday season

Posted by Janice Colmer on Nov 30, 2023 8:00:00 AM

Watch how Opto 22's Terry Orchard is designing and spreading some EPIC holiday cheer this season.

As we near the end of 2023, the Opto 22 team would like to extend our warmest wishes and gratitude to all our customers, dedicated OptoPartners, and distributors for making it a successful year. We thank you for your continued business and support. 

From the Opto headquarters in Temecula, California, USA, to all our customers and partners worldwide, we wish you a happy and healthy holiday season. But we'd like to give you a token of our appreciation on a slightly smaller EPIC scale. Watch and see what our busy technical content creator, Terry Orchard, has been cooking up for the holidays.

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Topics: groov EPIC

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