Confused about sinking and sourcing in DC circuits?
Want to find out which digital output module to use in a DC circuit?
Manufacturers label their DC outputs in different ways. This new animated demo defines sinking and sourcing and shows you which type of Opto 22 output module to use, depending on your application.
Topics: Discrete control, optonews, Training, I/O, OptoNews 2015-10-07
When you turn on an output, do you set a flag and then check it to see the output's status before turning the output on again?
Or do you just turn it on without checking?
Is setting a flag a good way to speed up the program and avoid tying up the network with unnecessary communications to I/O?
Or does it just add a lot of extra variables and decision blocks that make debugging and maintenance harder?
Topics: Discrete control, Tips, optonews, PACs, I/O, PAC Project, OptoNews 2015-09-23
The automation PC is located in the control room, and the dump valve is on the other side of the tank farm wired to a remote I/O cabinet, all connected over an Ethernet network.
The IT guys are working on the network, and they say it may take a few days to track down the intermittent cable. But hey, in the meantime, they say that it mostly works…
That answer might be sufficient for watching YouTube, but it is just not going to cut it for controlling that valve.
What do you do?
Topics: Discrete control, PLCs, Remote monitoring, Tips, IoT, PACs, OEM, I/O
Lately we've received some questions about one of the key concerns in control: controlling something at a specific point in time.
This tip pulls together some resources for control based on time, day, and date.
Topics: Process control, Discrete control, Tips, optonews, PACs, PAC Project, OptoNews 2015-08-26
We rely on our smartphones so much now. It's hard to remember when I couldn't instantly:
So seriously, why would I want that convenience to stop with my personal life?
What I'd like is to also see status and data from equipment and systems I'm responsible for, and especially to be notified if something's out of line.
Topics: Energy management, Process control, Discrete control, groov, Internet of Things, Remote monitoring, optonews, OptoNews 2015-07-15
Star Struck:
From a young age I have been looking up at night. Not sure exactly when I fell in love with astronomy, but I can recall looking up at the stars every chance I got as a kid.
I have ebbed and flowed with the amount of time and equipment I have had to spend on the hobby. In Australia I had a fully enclosed fiberglass domed observatory, which I chose to not ship over when my family moved to The States, but the desire to look up has not gone away.
Only the constellations at the horizon can be seen in both hemispheres, and even those look upside down compared to what I used to see. So I wanted to get something up and running fast here that would allow me some time to get my bearings in the sky and to share my new stars with my mates back in Australia via my personal website.
In this week's blog, I would like to share what astronomy tools I currently have set up, thanks to some Opto 22 hardware and groov.
Topics: Videos, Process control, Discrete control, groov, Internet of Things, Remote monitoring, Electronics, Tips, IoT, PACs
What's on your MicroLogix™ PLC that you'd like to monitor or control from a mobile device?
Machine status? Temperatures and pressures? Valves and pumps?
Whatever it is, you can see it and do it now with a groov mobile operator interface.
In our latest groov Workshop video you'll watch Opto 22's Director of Training, Mary St. John, build and use a simple interface for a MicroLogix PLC that's communicating as a Modbus/TCP slave. You'll learn how to:
Topics: Videos, Process control, Discrete control, groov, PLCs, Remote monitoring, optonews, Integrators, OptoNews 2015-07-01
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
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
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