Small in size but loaded with data and connectivity options.

Hopefully, you caught our two previous related blog posts on the technical details of the groov EPIC Power Module, and the recent announcement of the new groov RIO EMU. 

In this blog post, I’ll focus on the unique features of the RIO EMU as a distributed power and energy monitoring device, plus so much more.

Remote I/O over MQTT helps Rust Automation deploy affordable remote monitoring in a challenging environment.

Did you watch the Fall CODESYS Tech Talk virtual event that we shared with you last October? It demonstrated how the CODESYS runtime engine works and why it's included on Opto 22's groov EPIC.

Jared Bates, from OptoPartner Rust Automation & Controls, joined us for that presentation. He discussed a current water management application that utilizes CODESYS on EPIC, groov RIO remote I/O, and MQTT for secure data communications. 

Now, we've put the story of all that cutting-edge technology into a case study, so you can dig into all the details!

Direct replacement available with SNAP-PAC-R1

Effective March 1st, 2022 the SNAP-PAC-EB1 and SNAP-PAC-EB2 Ethernet Brains will be End-of-Life (EOL). We always continue producing older products as long as possible (see Opto 22's product philosophy), but unfortunately we can no longer source an essential part for these brains.

We'll continue to accept new orders for these products until February 28th, 2022. Opto 22 reserves the right to approve and schedule all purchase orders for these products before confirmation.

Opto 22 takes another Engineers' Choice award in Control Engineering magazine's annual competition.

Thank you for making the groov RIO MM2 the choice of engineers! We were honored to learn that our newly introduced edge I/O product was named a 2022  Engineers' Choice Award winner in the 35th annual Control Engineering awards program.  

The Engineers’ Choice Awards shine a light on 19 categories of control, instrumentation, and automation products, revealing the best of those introduced in 2021 as chosen by the Control Engineering print and digital audience. These votes recognized groov RIO MM2 as the leader in the I/O Networking and Edge Computing category.

Product Announcement: New groov RIO EMU (energy monitoring unit)

Opto 22 has exciting product news to announce this week! Introducing the latest offering in our groov RIO product line: groov RIO EMU (energy monitoring unit), GRV-R7-I1VAPM-3.

Follow this new cybersecurity video series demonstrating key product features that keep your systems safe.

Terry Orchard is back in the OptoDemo studio and delivering some valuable content you don't want to miss! His latest developer video series takes a closer look at using self-signed certificates with your groov EPIC or groov RIO devices.

The goal is to ensure both trusted and encrypted connections—another way groov products deliver cybersecurity right out of the box.

Learn what's possible with MQTT and how you can use it to unlock all the value your OPC systems offer.

Why MQTT?

By now, you've probably heard about MQTT. Since its creation in the late '90s, it's become the most popular protocol for IoT applications, repeatedly touted by organizations like the Eclipse Foundation, big players in cloud services like Microsoft and Amazon Web Services, and influential automation vendors like Inductive Automation. 

New video just added to the Node-RED developer playlist covers a simple API flow using daily weather data as an example.

Node-RED is an extremely powerful tool that we’ve featured many times on this blog and our YouTube channel, and one very common use of Node-RED is to use application programming interfaces or “APIs” to move data between devices and/or services that would otherwise be totally disconnected.

To help you get started using APIs with Node-RED if you’re unfamiliar with these tools, we’ve just made a new video about how to build a simple API flow using an example web service for daily weather data.

Get everyone on the same page with data tools that help you distinguish the signal from the noise. Tor Eriksen of Clarify explains how.

Monitoring energy use is a simple first step to decreasing costs and improving operations.

A manager usually doesn’t approve a major expenditure without a detailed accounting of where the money is spent. So why isn’t energy typically accounted for in the same way?

On the OT (Operational Technology) side of manufacturing, process, and other industrial facilities, energy is often a fixed, overhead cost. The plant manager or machine operator is responsible for performance metrics like throughput and quality, while the energy bill is paid by someone in the accounting department. The implication of this lack of energy visibility is often operational costs that are higher than necessary.