Here in Temecula we celebrate the 4th of July by grilling hot dogs and hamburgers, eating ice cream, and then heading over to the sports park to watch fireworks set to music from our local radio station.

Topics: Videos, optonews, OptoNews 2015-07-01

Accuracy and resolution both appear in specifications for our SNAP analog modules. But what do they mean, exactly? 

Accuracy

Let's start with accuracy, which is pretty easy to understand. Accuracy is how close a measured value is to reality, to the true quantity of what is being measured. 

Topics: Process control, Tips, optonews, OptoNews 2015-07-01

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Layers of security:

I wish there were, but there just isn’t.... There is no one device, hardware, or software that is the single defense for all known and future network attack vectors—including the one critical weakness: humans. You know, some thing or device that you could simply put at your network's front door and have it reject all the bad guys, but allow the friendlies in without question. Secure and easy is still a wish.

The solution then really comes down to layers. Adding layers that each will take a lot of time and a lot of effort to peel back, so much so that most attackers simply give up and move on.

The past few blog posts have talked about some of those layers, so let's now put it all together and see just how we might go about building a very robust mobile-accessible industrial automation network.

Topics: Process control, Discrete control, groov, Internet of Things, PLCs, Remote monitoring, Electronics, Tips, IoT, Machine builder, PACs, OEM, Integrators, Networking

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Tale of two LANs

Would you like to view critical plant status from anywhere on the Internet?

Are you worried that if you connect your automation network to your company’s IT network (which is likely connected to the Internet), the wrong people could access your control system? Or that traffic like YouTube might impact your automation network throughput?

Would you like to get an email or text message alerting you to an out-of-band condition, but since your automation network is not linked to the IT department email server, you can’t set anything like that up?

There are a lot of advantages and only a few disadvantages to segmenting your IT (Information Technology) network from your OT (Operational Technology, in other words your controls) networks. While there are a few different ways to segment networks, in this blog we are going to look at separating them using one of two Opto 22 products: SNAP PAC Controllers and groov.

Topics: Process control, groov, Internet of Things, Electronics, IoT, Machine builder, PACs, Networking

Do you monitor temperatures?

A lot of control engineers do, especially in fields like water treatment, refrigeration, thermoforming, refining, food processing, and energy or building management.

There are a variety of temperature sensors on the market—ICTDs, thermocouples, RTDs, thermistors, infrared sensors. Accuracy, cost, wiring complexity, and environmental conditions are some of the factors that determine which one is best for your application.

Topics: Energy management, Process control, Food & beverage, Water & wastewater, Machine builder, optonews, OEM, Integrators, OptoNews 2015-06-17

Seen from space, light from waste flare gas in the Bakken oil fields of North Dakota is nearly as bright as all the lights from the city of Chicago. 

That's a lot of energy going up in smoke.

That's a waste of resources, says Pioneer Energy President Dr. Robert Zubrin. 

Topics: Case studies, Videos, Process control, Remote monitoring, optonews, PACs, OptoNews 2015-06-17

Our tech tip this week comes from Philip in the OptoForum, who shared his PAC Control subroutine code for determining the time the sun rises and sets at a specific latitude. 

You could use HTTP requests over the Internet to get this data (discussed earlier in the same thread). But with this OptoScript code you don't need an Internet connection.

Topics: Tips, optonews, PACs, OptoNews 2015-06-17

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Two keys for secure communications:

What are SSL/TLS and HTTPS? You may have heard them being used on the Internet, and you have more than likely used them when logging into your bank, but what are they?

Is there anything you need to do to use these secure protocols?

What goes on "behind the curtain" in your web browser when you use them?

In this week's blog we are going to continue the theme of network security by taking a close look at SSL/TLS and HTTPS.

Topics: Discrete control, groov, Internet of Things, Remote monitoring, Electronics, Tips, IoT, Machine builder, Integrators, Networking

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Mobile device use - Russian Roulette or the new normal?

Many of us have a either a smartphone or tablet, and some of us have both. We use them for all sorts of tasks every day. Are we simply pushing our luck? Are we rolling the dice every time we use them? Or can we use them in a secure manner that helps us be more productive and thus have a higher quality of life?

This week's blog is going to look at some pros and cons of the humble mobile device and what steps we can take to even out the odds.

Topics: groov, Internet of Things, Remote monitoring, Electronics, Tips, IoT, Networking