OptoPartner Enginuity shares how their engineers ensure reliability and minimize downtime with custom scalable redundancy.

When your operations rely on consistent performance and uptime, you can't afford to be caught off guard by control system failures.

But nothing lasts forever—failures will occur. A robust redundancy system ensures your processes continue running without costly downtime. 

This blog post, written by Daniel Baugh of Enginuity Inc., an IIoT-certified OptoPartner, explores how you can implement effective redundancy solutions using groov products from Opto 22.

Read about the features, enhancements, and various fixes you'll get in the groov EPIC 3.6 firmware release.

You'll see some really amazing updates this year. Meanwhile, while it's exciting to be working on new hardware and software, we also know that regular updates that address some "pebble in the shoe" discomfort are just as important. Our 3.6.0 firmware release adds a few new features and takes out a few pebbles for some nice quality-of-life improvements.

Let’s do a quick unpacking of this new EPIC firmware release.

For pilot projects, proofs of concept, and exploring, get the new groov EPIC LC2 with more features and capabilities than the original.

A complete package of fully functioning EPIC hardware and software, the groov EPIC Learning Center is designed as an integral part of our free OptoU Online Training at training.opto22.com.

And it's now available to order!

See what's included in the new GRV-EPIC-LC2, and be ready to take on your industrial automation and IIoT applications.

Get free online instruction for using the CODESYS runtime engine on groov RIO in the new training series.

A customer favorite in 2023 was the groov RIO 3.5 firmware release. With this release, you could use the groov RIO edge I/O module as a controller with the CODESYS runtime engine onboard.

This was a game changer for many of our customers. Our Director of Technical Marketing, Dan White, even shared one of the first applications taking advantage of the new RIO 3.5 features in this CODESYS Tech Talk with Costa Farms.  It illustrated how the addition of CODESYS has transformed groov RIO into a full-fledged Edge PLC, opening up a world of possibilities for automation and control.

Now you can get a better understanding of how this new feature can work in your application by following along with some brand-new lessons on OptoU—Opto 22's free online training site. 

Preventing spills and improving operational efficiency using Opto 22's groov RIO.

Texas-based Point Energy Partners (PEP) specializes in acquiring and developing onshore U.S. oil and gas properties with extensive experience working in major basins across the nation. PEP owns and operates the majority of the gathering and midstream assets for its operations, including its very large water recycling program, which showcases their commitment to sustainable and efficient resource management.

In an industry where every spill carries a hefty price tag, PEP found that the manual and low-tech systems at their water sites were a significant problem. These sites did not have a big budget for upgrades, so most control solutions on the market just wouldn’t fit the bill.

A year in review of the most popular topics and discussions on the OptoForums.

Let's talk for a moment about our fantastic Opto 22 forum fans. The OptoForums host an amazing community.

It seems that only a very small number of industrial automation manufacturers run their own public forums. Some community-supported efforts have sprung up to backfill the need for a place where like-minded folks can gather, but there is something special about having a place that is, well, for lack of a better term, "factory supported."

Why is that a big deal?

Learn and experiment with your own updated groov EPIC Learning Center 2

The new groov EPIC Learning Center 2 is in production now—and it includes even more features and capabilities than the original! See what's included in the new GRV-EPIC-LC2, and be ready to take on your industrial automation and IIoT applications.

A complete package of fully functioning EPIC hardware and software, the groov EPIC Learning Center is designed as an integral part of our free OptoU Online Training at training.opto22.com.

So what's new this time around?

Join us for the SPS event in Nuremberg.

Here's another opportunity to see live groov EPIC and groov RIO product demos in Europe!

Opto 22 returns to Nuremberg this year for the annual SPS (Smart Production Solutions) event, taking place
November 14-16, 2023.

The SPS - Smart Production Solutions exhibition covers the entire spectrum of smart and digital automation, and its focus is on practical solutions for your specific business area.

Opto 22's Fall 2023 CODESYS Tech Talk featured an innovative solution from Costa Farms using groov RIO and the CODESYS runtime engine.

Opto faithful! Did you catch CODESYS Tech Talk Fall 2023, a unique event dedicated exclusively to CODESYS users in North America? This five-day virtual extravaganza was jam-packed with discussions on the latest innovations in control systems engineering from a number of CODESYS partners. 

The Tech Talk provided a golden opportunity for engineers like myself to dive deep into new and emerging technologies to share with CODESYS users. We highlighted a recent use case from longtime Opto 22 customer Costa Farms—a leading global horticulture company, renowned for its diverse range of high-quality plants and innovative gardening solutions.

Here at Opto 22, we keep our ear to the ground on all things automation. When we heard the industry’s demand for a versatile I/O package, we responded—thus, groov RIO was born. Since then, we’ve upped the ante with tools for onboard control (enter: Node-Red and Python) and more communication methodologies (hey there, MQTT, OPC UA, and Ignition).

And with our latest advancement, we’ve really done it: added a sophisticated real-time engine.