In a previous post we introduced JavaScript and discussed its widespread adoption as a result of its interoperability between web applications, particularly browsers.

In this post we’re going to tackle some ideas related to why JavaScript is poised to literally take over the Industrial Internet of Things as the software language of choice for IIoT developers.

We’ll also discuss why, if you’re an industrial automation engineer starting to think about the IIoT, it might be a good idea to brush up on your JavaScript skills.

Topics: Internet of Things, IoT, PACs, RESTful server, IIoT, Industrial Internet of Things

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is coming at us fast. Big players like Dell, IBM, and Amazon are entering industrial markets and creating disruption among the typical market vendors. And with these new players comes a variety of technologies that are being applied in new and interesting ways to build the IIoT.

Over the next several blog posts, we’ll be discussing the top 5 software technologies and languages that systems integrators and automation engineers should begin learning about to be ready to build Industrial Internet of Things applications. Sign up for the blog to get access to followup blog posts as they’re released.

Topics: IoT, API, REST API, IIoT

In one of our previous blog posts we talked about AC motors, the workhorse of modern industrial automation. We learned how they use magnets, electromagnets, and magnetic fields to generate huge amounts of torque to run our industrial processes.

To understand how modern motor control works, let’s take a closer look at how a 3-phase AC induction motor works.

Topics: Process control, Discrete control, Electronics, PACs

Hannover Messe, the world's leading industrial conference with over 6500 international exhibitors, will be held 24-28 April 2017 in Hannover, Germany. 

Join us there for a look at the present and the future of automation:

• Industry trends
• New technologies

Topics: Energy management, Process control, Remote monitoring, optonews, Events & conferences, Data acquisition, OptoNews 2017-03-29

If you're using Node-RED and the nodes for SNAP PACs and groov—or if you're thinking about it but haven't started—check out our new Node-RED examples on developer.opto22.com. 

Node-RED is the open-source tool for digitally wiring together hardware devices, cloud services, databases, and more in simple logical flows.

Topics: groov, Internet of Things, IoT, optonews, PACs, IIoT, Industrial Internet of Things, Node-RED, OptoNews 2017-03-29

Have you tried AT&T's Internet of Things (IoT) platform, M2X? 

If you're looking at IoT platforms, you'll want to see this new technical note. It shows you how to get real-world data, in this example a temperature in degrees F, to an AT&T M2X device in the cloud.

Topics: Internet of Things, IoT, optonews, PACs, IIoT, Industrial Internet of Things, Node-RED, Data acquisition, OptoNews 2017-03-29

One Ethernet network troubleshooting tool our Product Support Group recommends is Wireshark. It's been a helpful choice for many years, and it's free.

Our recent blog post explains where to get Wireshark and how to use it. You can pay a lot for network analysis tools—and in some cases you may need them—but many times, the free ones do the job. 

Topics: Tips, optonews, Networking, OptoNews 2017-03-29

This is the first post in a series of upcoming posts on Industrial Automation 101 topics.

These posts are geared towards people new to the industry who are looking for basic information on how some of the gear in the industrial automation field works, when to use it, and maybe even how to troubleshoot it here and there.

Topics: Process control, Discrete control, Electronics

In a previous blog post we covered what ransomware is and how it’s being used to target industrial users like water and wastewater SCADA systems.

Ransomware is basically when a hacker obtains control of your data, or even your control network and automation systems, and won’t relinquish control back to you until a ransom is paid.

It's a major potential threat against IIoT applications.

Topics: PACs, Security, IIoT

When most people think about cyber security, they probably conjure up thoughts of someone locked away in a dark room, wearing the same grey hoodie for months. Staring at a screen for days at a time looking for just the right network packet to tell them where and how to attack. But that's not always how hacking is done.

Topics: Process control, PACs, Networking, Security