AECOM, Ecosa, ENGraphted, and Opto 22 team up for a new solution to a complex environmental problem.

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) in lakes, rivers, and oceans are an increasingly severe problem worldwide. HABs can produce toxins that harm humans, kill fish, smother aquatic life, and destroy tourist economies. 

If you were headed to Florida as a tourist in 2016 or 2018, you would have witnessed this devastation. Due to massive algae blooms, Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency and closed beaches on both coasts. The invasive, toxic blue-green algae choked many freshwater lakes, rivers, and residential waterways as well.

Faced with the ugly, slimy, stinky water, not just tourists but residents and business owners who did not have the ability to leave the area were stuck. The toxic slime threatened human health and devastated tourism-related businesses, as dead fish and aquatic life piled up along the shorelines.

Available solutions for HABs weren't ideal, so Dan Levy of AECOM put together a team to develop a new process for removing the algae. Read about the process, how they developed efficient algae harvesters, and what the harvested biomass is used for in this new case study.

Learn more about automation products and IIoT technologies through the Interactive Demo section on the website.

Many people benefit from hands-on learning, which is why we've always maintained a section of interactive resources on the Opto 22 website. If you haven't tried it yourself, take a few minutes to point, click, and discover some new product features and functions.

These website demos cover advanced edge computing and IIoT concepts using groov EPIC and RIO products, building custom HMIs with groov View, and even basic automation 101 concepts like PID turning.

Here are some website demos you can explore.

New images and animations are added to our SVG image library and GIFs resource page.

Are you building HMI screens to use with your groov EPIC (GRV-EPIC-PR1 or GRV-EPIC-PR2)? Be sure to visit our website resource pages to help customize your HMI. We've expanded the SVG Image Library as well as the Animated GIFs section of the site.

These images and animations work especially well if you're using browser-based groov View. Included with your EPIC, groov View lets you easily build an operator interface to see and interact with exactly the devices and data you need. Choose from a variety of images suited for all kinds of industrial applications. 

Visit our free groov View demo site to see how this user interface works in a variety of applications.

If you've used groov EPIC controllers, then you might be familiar with the groov View HMI software built into these edge products. 

From pumps and processes to production data to the weather, your world is full of things you need to control, view, or monitor. With browser-based groov View, you can easily build a web-based, responsive operator interface to see and interact with exactly what you need.

Did you know you can access Opto 22's groov demo site to see groov View being used in a variety of applications? It's a great way to take a deeper dive into how this custom HMI tool works.

Review some important bug fixes included in the latest groov EPIC firmware update 3.4.3.

Everyone here at Opto 22 knows that updating any controller's firmware is not a trivial task, and when in a production environment, it’s not something that can be done at the drop of a hat.

That said, sometimes we fix some bugs that require a minor point firmware update and the latest 3.4.3 release is just such a case. If you are using groov View or the new Data Services feature, then you should look closely at this release as you determine where updating your controller(s) should be prioritized in your jam-packed schedule.

groov EPIC OPC UA Server makes it easy to access your data; lessons on OptoU show you how

Do you need access to your PAC Control strategy variables and I/O, or data from the memory map area on your groov EPIC? Do you want to connect to OPC UA client applications such as SCADA, MES, or enterprise software?

groov EPIC is now serving up this data securely and reliably with its built-in groov EPIC OPC UA Server. Publish the data where you need it.

In this post, we’ll go over exactly what data is accessible from the server, the basics of configuring the server, and some examples of how you can use it. And when you’re ready to work with the OPC UA server, you can find step-by-step instructions in the groov EPIC OPC UA courses on OptoU.

New technical note shows you how to update security settings for your email applications.

You can use many Opto 22 products to send email notifications to keep engineers and technicians aware of important conditions in your system. For example:

• You can send email through a PAC Control strategy running on a groov EPIC or SNAP PAC controller.
• Your groov View HMI can send event notifications via email.
• Your Node-RED flow on groov RIO or groov EPIC can send email.

But you must make changes now to keep receiving emails!

Remote I/O over MQTT helps Rust Automation deploy affordable remote monitoring in a challenging environment.

Did you watch the Fall CODESYS Tech Talk virtual event that we shared with you last October? It demonstrated how the CODESYS runtime engine works and why it's included on Opto 22's groov EPIC.

Jared Bates, from OptoPartner Rust Automation & Controls, joined us for that presentation. He discussed a current water management application that utilizes CODESYS on EPIC, groov RIO remote I/O, and MQTT for secure data communications. 

Now, we've put the story of all that cutting-edge technology into a case study, so you can dig into all the details!

Which products are affected, and how to update your affected systems

Opto 22 engineers have addressed the Log4Shell/Log4j vulnerability recently reported in news media this week. Firmware and software updates for affected products are now available. Opto 22 urges you to apply these updates immediately, regardless of whether you're using groov View.

The Log4j vulnerability affects all products running groov View software, including: 

• GRV-EPIC-PR1, GRV-EPIC-PR2
• GROOV-AR1, GROOV-AR1-BASE, GROOV-AR1-SNAP
• GROOV-AT1, GROOV-AT1-SNAP
• GROOV-SVR-WIN, GROOV-SVR-WIN-BASE, GROOV-SVR-WIN-SNAP

Please see this Opto KB Article (KB90085) for more details.

Please note that the following Opto 22 products are NOT affected:

• groov RIO (GRV-R7-MM1001-10 and GRV-R7-MM2001-10)
• SNAP I/O brains, SNAP PAC controllers, and the PAC Project software suite
• Legacy products including mistic, Optomux, FactoryFloor, and others 

Opto 22's updated technical note helps current SNAP PAC users decide if, when, and how to migrate to the newer groov EPIC system.

Opto 22 customers have been relying on the SNAP PAC system for their controls and automation applications for almost 15 years. But now you keep hearing about the new technology of the groov EPIC system.

How is it different?

Should you make the switch?

What would be the benefits of upgrading, and what issues would arise from making the change?