Replacement batteries for your groov EPIC PR1 and PR2 controllers are now available on the Opto 22 website.

Why are backup batteries important for your control systems? When it comes to groov EPIC, the battery maintains the time and date, and the RAM that holds persistent data (for example, persistent variables) from the PAC Control engine.

It's important to maintain that system information. Thanks to groov EPIC firmware 4.0, you have an easy way to know when your battery needs to be replaced.

Read on for details on new product replacement battery packs for your groov EPIC system, and a quick how-to video to walk you through the process.

Did you watch all of the 10 most popular videos on the Opto 22 YouTube channel in 2023?

If you're one of the over 27,000 subscribers who follow the OptoVideo channel on YouTube, you have first access to all the new video content we produce. Whether it's a new Node-RED developer video, product overview, or a technical how-to workshop, you get it all.

So what topics proved most useful (and popular) with our viewers last year? Let's review Opto 22's Top 10 Videos of 2023.

Learn more about the Opto Memory Map Protocol—a powerful method of interacting with Opto 22 controllers

OptoMMP works with everything from SNAP PAC brains to the latest groov products. Let's go over some of the basics about what OptoMMP is and how it works.

In my last blog post I showed how easy it can be to work with OptoMMP using tools built right into groov Manage. To add to that resource, this follow up provides an overview about what OptoMMP is, how it works, and why you might want to make use of it.

This tech tip post covers some groov Manage tools that make the Opto Memory Map Protocol easier to use.

The Opto Memory Map Protocol (OptoMMP) is a powerful method of interacting with Opto controllers, everything from a PAC brain to the latest groov RIO—however, it's often overlooked and underused. This blog post covers some tools built right in to groov Manage that make OptoMMP more approachable, easier to implement, and straightforward to debug.

The maintenance button on the groov Manage screen helps keep your groov device in tip-top shape.

You update your cell phone for new features and security patches, so why not your automation system as well? This blog post and video closes out our 12-part groov Manage series on the top-level groov Manage home screen options.

See what's behind the groov Manage: Maintenance button.

What's under the Info & Help button? Part 11 of the 12-part groov Manage series delves into the details.

When it comes to menu options, are you allowed to have favorites?

There is just so much cool stuff behind the "Info & Help" button for all things automation—I'm just going to start at the top and bullet point my way down the nine buttons. I could easily blog about each of the nine because of the power of each.

But you'll get a condensed summary in groov Manage: Info & Help.

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.