We've just released PAC Project software 9.4008, an important update that eliminates a security vulnerability recently identified in OptoOPCServer (specifically in OPC Test Client, a separate application previously included with OptoOPCServer.)

Topics: Updates, optonews, OptoNews 2015-05-21

You already know that the OptoForum is a great place to get your questions asked and answered. 

It's also a great place to learn about using tables, subroutines, and pointers in PAC Control; built-in protocols like SNMP in SNAP PAC controllers; and more. 

The new forum called 101 Mini-Lessons gets you started learning about a variety of subjects:

Topics: Tips, optonews, PACs, OptoNews 2015-05-21

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Nothing like a cold shower to get you moving:

Most of us never give any thought to our hot water service pilot flame. But when it goes out...cold shower first thing in the morning, anyone?

Bleh.

The first time it happened, I simply re-lit the pilot and showered with cold water. After the third cold shower, I knew it was time to be a little more proactive!

Topics: Energy management, groov, Internet of Things, Remote monitoring, Water & wastewater, Electronics, Tips, IoT, Machine builder

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Get a mop, I spilt some electricity:

The past few blogs we have talked about visualizing water usage in groov and how it not only helped me save water, but also highlighted the fact that I was not seeing all the water use I thought I was.

Electricity is a bit different from most other things. Spill water on the floor and it's pretty obvious; spill electricity and often no one is the wiser.

Was I seeing all the power use in my house? Are there any so-called phantom loads (sometimes called vampire loads) sucking or sipping power that I did not know about?

Topics: Energy management, groov, Internet of Things, Remote monitoring, Electronics, IoT

If you've already got your groov, make sure it's activated and back up your project.

If you don't have groov yet, you'll definitely want it now.

Get ready for some great new features in groov 3.0, available soon. Here's a preview of just a few:

Topics: groov, Updates, optonews, OptoNews 2015-04-29

High on the list of things you'd rather not do: clean up liquid waste from an overflowing storage tank.

Avoiding this kind of mess is especially good when your business includes storing and disposing of liquid waste from industry and manufacturing.

That's the business Plummer's Environmental Services is in.

Along with a variety of other services—including hydro excavating, manhole rehabilitation, and emergency spill response—the Michigan-based company collects liquid waste from Midwest industrial and municipal customers, stores it, and treats it.

Topics: Case studies, Water & wastewater, optonews, OptoNews 2015-04-29, Integrators

Here's a tech tip for the more adventurous among you, who'd like to learn a faster, shorter way to code repetitious actions on similarly named variables or I/O.

A recent post on the OptoForum asked for an OptoScript equivalent to Eval(), a function used in a variety of programming languages, typically to act on expressions or operators passed in a string.

We won't get into the question of whether Eval() is "evil" or not (apparently it has a reputation for trouble in more than one language). Instead, we'll move right into how you can do good things by using a similar approach in your PAC Control strategy—and clean up a lot of spaghetti code in the process. 

Topics: Tips, optonews, OptoNews 2015-04-29

You'll have three chances in the U.S. to explore industry trends and new products in the next few weeks.

One of those trends is mobile. Come see how you can monitor or control your automation systems and equipment with a simple groov mobile operator interface you build yourself—with no programming.

We'd be glad to see YOU at one of these three events: CSIA Executive Conference, Del Mar Electronics & Design Show, or The Automation Conference.

Topics: Process control, Discrete control, Electronics, optonews, Events & conferences, OptoNews 2015-04-29, Integrators

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Monitoring the water mains:

As mentioned in my blog last week, it was not until I monitored my water usage that I found out I was not monitoring ALL of my water usage.

My whole house water meter was just that, the whole house. It did not show any of the garden/lawn water use.

Let's talk about how we might get that data and what it could mean for conserving water in all aspects of our lives.

Topics: Energy management, groov, Internet of Things, Remote monitoring, Water & wastewater, Electronics, IoT

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The biggest user of water in our house is not human:

A web browser is installed on most of the key devices we use every day. PCs, smart phones, tablets, even our TVs now have a modern web browser installed. I can even surf the web from my Android smart watch (a Moto360).

It makes sense then, does it not, to view everyday data on an interface that we use every day?

How much water flows through our house was the subject of last week's blog... It both surprised me and pleased me to find out that the biggest user of water in our house was not a human.

Topics: Food & beverage, Remote monitoring, Water & wastewater