OptoBlog

Add your training experience to LinkedIn

Posted by Norma Rodriguez on Aug 28, 2024 12:06:45 PM

See how easy it is to post your groov EPIC Premium Factory Training certificate online.

If you’re thinking of coming to groov EPIC Premium Factory Training, or have already been to the training class, now you have the option to add a Certificate of Completion to your LinkedIn profile.

Follow these simple steps.

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Topics: Training, groov EPIC, Factory Training

More OptoPartners to help with your projects

Posted by Janice Colmer on Aug 26, 2024 11:35:53 AM

Meet two new companies in the Opto 22 system integrator network—offering you more IIoT application skills and experience with groov products.

Do you need help integrating, installing, or updating your Opto 22 system? Or implementing an Internet of Things project? An OptoPartner can help. 

OptoPartners have proven their engineering expertise and in-depth understanding of Opto 22 hardware (including groov EPIC and groov RIO) and software before they join the OptoPartner program. Our engineers verify their projects and knowledge.

Get to know the newest members in the program: Double D Automation in California and Wunderlich-Malec, based in Minnesota. One might be a fit for your next project.

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Topics: IIoT, groov EPIC, OptoPartner, groov RIO

Modern Edge Devices Bring Harmony to Disjointed Protocols

Posted by Dan White on Aug 19, 2024 12:44:04 PM

Without disturbing existing systems, edge devices make it easy to convert data from a custom fieldbus into open protocols for digital transformation.

If TCP/IP won the “protocol wars” in the ‘90s, then WHY are you still fighting protocol battles on the plant floor today? Because industrial networks were around long before the internet. As far back as the 1960s, machines communicated via serial networks like RS-232, RS-485, and CAN Bus—with specialized proprietary fieldbus protocols like Modbus, Profibus, and DeviceNet.

Even with TCP/IP on Ethernet, specialized protocols remained. Modbus now has a TCP/IP version, Profibus gave way to ProfiNET, DeviceNet to EtherNet/IP, and even some new ones joined the protocol party.

After the industry demanded interoperability, OPC was born—now OPC UA—a big step toward a unified architecture on OT networks. Meanwhile on the IT side, using HTTP and HTTPS was common. It’s how web browsers—and most of the internet—work today.

MQTT Sparkplug came later. A recently named International Standard, it’s built on efficient, secure, and scalable publish/subscribe communications—a great fit for digital transformation projects and the IIoT.

I want to digitally transform, but my existing machines don’t support all these protocols.
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Topics: MQTT, edge computing, digital transformation, OPC UA

ISA automation event of the year comes to Charleston

Posted by Janice Colmer on Aug 19, 2024 10:44:59 AM

Join Opto 22 for a technical conference, exhibition, training, networking, awards recognition, and celebration.

Have you checked the Opto 22 events schedule lately? It's filling up with more opportunities to see live demos of groov EPIC and RIO—hopefully coming to a city near you! You can now find us in Charleston, South Carolina September 30 -  October 3, 2024, for the  International Society of Automation annual conference.

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Topics: Events & conferences, groov EPIC, Ignition, groov RIO

The learning continues with post-ICC workshops

Posted by Janice Colmer on Aug 13, 2024 1:41:45 PM

Register to attend one or more of the virtual workshops being offered after the Ignition Community Conference for a focused Ignition application experience.

Will you be one of the lucky attendees at the 2024 Ignition Community Conference? Only a few tickets are left. If you haven't registered yet, do it now! Join the Ignition community in Folsom, CA, September 17-19th.

If you can't attend in person, a live stream pass is also available. Either way, you'll have access to industry thought leaders, see innovative Ignition use cases, and learn from Ignition experts. Both passes include exhibitor presentations as well as seeing the featured session speakers.

But the learning doesn't stop there. ICC host Inductive Automation is also offering two weeks of virtual workshops after the conference. Each workshop is limited to 20 attendees, so early registration is encouraged. Don't miss Opto 22's post-ICC workshop: Collect, Model, and Democratize OT Data with Ignition Edge.

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Topics: Ignition Edge, Ignition, ICC, Ignition Community Conference, Ignition Cloud Edition, virtual workshop

Meet your new OptoDistributor in Australia

Posted by Janice Colmer on Aug 12, 2024 12:20:15 PM

Binford Tech delivers state-of-the-art engineering innovations for your digital transformation projects.

Good news for those of you in Australia: Binford Tech is now your official Opto 22 distributor! Whether you need a replacement part, information and training on the groov EPIC and groov RIO product lines, or help migrating legacy industrial systems to Industry 4.0 standards, Binford Tech is ready to help you.

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Topics: IIoT, Industrial Internet of Things, groov EPIC, industrial automation, groov RIO, digital transformation, OptoChannel

Think beyond the traditional PLC

Posted by Janice Colmer on Aug 6, 2024 12:06:03 PM

The latest episode of The Automation Podcast walks you through a product demo that shows you what's possible with today's edge controllers.

If your applications are starting to require more than just the traditional PLC, here's an opportunity to get an "under the hood" look at the groov EPIC (Edge Programmable Industrial Controller) and groov RIO edge I/O. 

Opto 22's Director of Technical Marketing, Dan White, was recently asked to be a guest on The Automation Podcast. This podcast is one of the many resources hosted by Shawn Tierney on the Automation Blog website, along with his weekly Automation news show on LinkedIn.

Shawn knows his audience well and asks the questions that you want answered about new technologies and how they are used in the industrial automation space. Dan is eager to teach and help you make informed decisions about how to solve your automation problems.

In just under an hour, you'll get a better understanding of how groov EPIC and RIO give you new tools for your projects. Watch and learn.

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Topics: groov EPIC, industrial automation, podcast, groov RIO

New video: Find your ideal industrial automation manufacturer

Posted by Janice Colmer on Aug 5, 2024 1:53:29 PM

Looking for an innovative source to help with your application challenges?

What's on your list of requirements when selecting a supplier? How about 50 years of reliable products made in the U.S.A., multiple technologies for your digital transformation, and free product support and training?

That's the Opto 22 difference, and our engineering and sales teams are ready to help you with your projects.

Discover what makes Opto 22 different in this new, one-minute video.

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Topics: Videos, SSRs, groov EPIC, snap pac, groov RIO, Opto 22 product support

Reserve your seat for groov EPIC training

Posted by Janice Colmer on Jul 31, 2024 12:38:26 PM

Don't miss your chance for hands-on edge controller instruction & tips for choosing the best programming options for your control applications.

In-person training sessions at Opto 22 headquarters help you expand your skill set and find easier ways to meet your application challenges. We only have a few classes left this year and seats are filling up fast! 

Learn system components and configuration, networking capabilities, diagnostics, troubleshooting, and communication methods that you can apply to your own industrial automation application. You might just build a complete solution before you leave! And now is the time to reserve your spot.

Hear what this month's students had to say about their groov EPIC training experience. Then register to join us for the next class!

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Topics: Training, groov EPIC, Factory Training

OT SCADA CON—An Engaging and Efficient Format

Posted by Dan White on Jul 29, 2024 12:03:43 PM

Why a first-of-its-kind event is changing the world of SCADA.

Attending the inaugural OT SCADA CON in Houston can only be described as “a breath of fresh air.” I attend a lot of automation industry events, and this one was a hit—thanks in large part to its excellent format.

Informative sessions were kept to 30 minutes—a block of time long enough to highlight each speaker’s real-world experience and expertise, but short enough to keep the audience engaged, attentive, and in some cases, QUITE entertained.

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Topics: Events & conferences, IIoT, SCADA, OT data

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