The latest 3.5 firmware updates for groov EPIC and RIO include new Sparkplug 3 compatible certification.

groov products have always supported the MQTT and Sparkplug communication protocols, so what's important about this latest Sparkplug update?

groov EPIC and RIO are some of the few hardware devices to pass a series of tests for the Sparkplug Compatibility Program, managed by the Eclipse Foundation.

For years, Sparkplug has been the protocol that allows MQTT communication to be used in industrial environments. First created by our technology partner Cirrus Link Solutions for the oil & gas industry, Sparkplug is now used in a variety of industries. Over time it became a challenge to manage in the open source community.

The solution? The reputable Eclipse Foundation stepped in to manage and establish the Sparkplug TCK (Test Compatibility Kit) to standardize a Sparkplug 3 specification. 

The Eclipse Foundation has been the home for open-source implementation of the MQTT IoT protocol since 2011 and introduced the Sparkplug Working Group in 2020 to broaden the adoption of the Sparkplug topic and payload specification for MQTT. The non-profit foundation is currently supported by over 300 members and hosts more than 375 open-source projects, including runtimes, tools, and frameworks for cloud and edge applications, IoT, AI, systems engineering, open processor designs, and much more.

Since Opto 22 is a member of the Eclipse Sparkplug Working Group, we were determined to achieve complete Sparkplug compatibility. Both groov EPIC and RIO products have undergone thorough testing, and we are pleased to announce your groov products are certified Sparkplug compatible with the 3.5 firmware update.

And as Opto engineer Ben Orchard explained in a recent groov RIO 3.5 firmware blog post, this means "You can roll out EPICs and RIOs far and wide and be confident that all the Sparkplug infrastructure you put in place will be interoperable with all other future devices and software—as they achieve the same Sparkplug Compatible listing." 

To verify, you'll find groov products listed on the Sparkplug Compatible Hardware section of the Eclipse Foundation website.

More questions on using MQTT Sparkplug with groov products?

Download our free white paper: Industrial-strength MQTT/Sparkplug B. It explains how to create a secure foundation for IIoT networks that scale up smoothly and operate reliably in support of mission-critical applications.

Or contact our pre-sales engineering team with questions about how this Sparkplug technology can be used in your application.