Find out what's behind the Node-RED button on the groov Manage home screen.

In this week's edition of our 12-part groov Manage journey, we take a look at Node-RED. This low-code/no-code programming tool is a popular feature of groov EPIC and groov RIO.

Our engineers love all aspects of technology, so it's no surprise to learn that many of them were tinkering with Node-RED at home before bringing their excitement to work.  After some roundtable discussions on just how much Javascript coding was required (hint: as little or as much as you want), we decided to embed Node-RED into our product range and future hardware devices.

Watch groov Manage: Node-RED to see why Node-RED is so popular with groov EPIC and RIO customers.

Take a look at using built-in Ignition software with groov EPIC in week 9 of the groov Manage series.

Here's a quick look at how you can run Ignition or Ignition Edge on the groov platform, using the groov Manage menu option.

Opto 22 has partnered with Inductive Automation for over 6 years now, and groov EPIC was the first hardware platform to onboard the Ignition Edge program. This natural partnership has been a real success story for both sets of customers the world over.

See what's behind the Ignition button on the groov Manage menu.

An easy-to-use tool for building a flexible HMI, included with your groov EPIC.

I don’t think I am going too far out on a limb by saying that the web browser is one of the most commonly installed and used software applications on any device. You might read this intro in your email app, but you will soon switch to a browser to read this blog. (I hope!)

So why stop at just viewing your SCADA HMI screens in a browser—why not build them there as well?

Enter the groov View menu option, the focus of this part 8 of our 12-part blog series on the groov Manage menu.

Move data where you need it with the Data Services menu, the latest in our 12-part video series on groov Manage.

Opto 22 was an early adopter of MQTT—implementing it right out of the gate when groov EPIC was released just over 5 years ago. And did you know that back in the day, Opto 22 was not only one of the founding members of OPC, but also that version 1.0 of the OPC specification was ratified around the granite table in the Opto 22 headquarters' conference room? 

With this history in mind, you'll see why we're excited to talk about the Data Service options you'll find in groov Manage. This is where you choose the methods and protocols to move your data where you need it. Follow along with groov Manage: Data Services.

New factory saves initial and recurring costs, improves products with groov EPIC and Ignition.

Moving to Industry 4.0 takes time and determination, especially for an established company in a heavy industry. Castings Foundry POK in Guadalajara, Mexico, a Nucor subsidiary, uses equipment from manufacturers all over the world, which may include PLCs from a variety of automation suppliers. But data from all this equipment needed to be shared with corporate SCADA and ERP systems.  

In this new Opto 22 case study, see how POK's new factory solved this problem, saving an estimated 60% in initial costs, making operators' jobs easier with comprehensive HMIs, and improving product quality. 

Get Sparkplug 3.0 compliance, updated Node-RED, and new options for your groov EPIC controller.

The engineers at Opto 22 have been busy working around chip shortages and supply chain delays, yet even with those additional efforts, we're announcing the release of a new groov EPIC firmware update, version 3.5.

If I had to sum things up, I’d say a lot of really nice quality-of-life improvements and solid bug fixes were the key takeaways here.

Let's take a high-level look at some of the new features in this release.

With the latest groov 3.5 firmware update comes another new version of Node-RED, its 3.0 milestone release.

Get ready to see what's new in Node-RED when you update to groov EPIC 3.5. This new version includes all the additions of the 3.0.2 software, the most recently available at the time of writing, and node v14.20.0 and npm 6.14.17 package updates as well. Let's take a look.

Week 6 of the groov Manage video series brings you a detailed look at the control engines included with groov EPIC.

You might think we have a sleeper menu feature for this week's blog: only two buttons behind the Controller groov Manage menu option. Boring, right? Far from it! This is amazing! 

The fact that you can even choose between two control engine options is worth a pause. Learn what's possible in this week's groov Manage: Controller video.

Another full class of students learned about groov EPIC in the July 2023 Premium Factory Training class.

Another full class means word is getting out, and classroom PLC training is in demand. Are you considering a system upgrade or just curious how groov EPIC compares to other systems you've used?  Do you need help configuring and programming hardware and software for your industrial automation or IIoT application? 

Then consider spending a week with us at Opto 22 headquarters learning all the programming options and features of groov EPIC, the Edge Programmable Industrial Controller.

July's group of students represented a variety of industries and provided some great feedback on their training experience. Take a look at what they said.

Live I/O configuration and status from a web browser? Watch the next episode of the groov Manage video series and see how it's possible.

Our groov devices are much more than just industrially hardened, cybersecure devices—they also have abundant I/O options. In the case of the groov RIO, the 10 channels provide over 200,000 I/O combinations! This flexibility is also easy to drop into the groov EPIC chassis with the MM module. So, how can you configure, wire, and commission all this?

To get a glimpse, take a look at this week's groov Manage teaser video: I/O Status.