OptoBlog

OptoNews Tip: New tech note details protocol & tool support

Posted by Jean Femia on Feb 1, 2017 3:48:49 PM

So you know .NET—or Modbusor Pythonor HART. Can you use those development tools and protocols (or many others) with Opto 22 products?

You'll find the answer in our new technical note, Communication Tools & Protocols for Opto 22 Products

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Topics: Process control, Internet of Things, Tips, IoT, optonews, PACs, Integrators, IIoT, Industrial Internet of Things, OptoNews 2017-02-01

Top 5 Industrial Applications For Drones

Posted by Matt Newton on Jan 26, 2017 1:25:48 PM

Drones are playing a key role in the Industrial Internet of Things. Not to mention the fact that they’re pretty much all the rage today with just about everyone.

I would hazard a guess that almost everyone you know knows someone who has one. They’re in all the stores at the mall, the military has fleets of them protecting the skies, and I can’t wait to see Amazon’s version dropping my packages off on my front doorstep.

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Topics: Internet of Things, IoT, IIoT, Industrial Internet of Things

KPIs for Industrial Automation and Process Control

Posted by Matt Newton on Jan 24, 2017 8:00:00 AM

Understanding how productive, efficient, and profitable your business operations are takes constant monitoring and analysis.

One of the tools used in manufacturing, automation, and process control to stay on top of these metrics is  key performance indicators, or KPIs.

KPIs can be applied to all levels of a business, from manufacturing to sales, marketing, operations, and customer service.

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Topics: Process control, groov, Tips, IoT, IIoT, Industrial Internet of Things

Security Risks in Industrial Assets: Analyze before You Buy

Posted by Matt Newton on Jan 19, 2017 8:00:00 AM

Attention industrial engineers: If you're not thinking about how secure that new wiz-bang-flashy PLC or PAC is before you purchase it, you're setting yourself up for a world of pain down the road.

Industrial control systems are used across a wide range of industries, from manufacturing and fabrication, to electricity generation and transmission, to oil refining and water treatment—all industries where a network security compromise could mean huge losses of capital for the business.

Recently we’re seeing many of these traditionally proprietary control systems—distributed control systems, PLCs, and SCADA applications—adding new, more open technologies like Ethernet and TCP/IP. And with organizations' increasing interest in the business advantages of obtaining system data, industrial control systems are now being connected to information technology (IT) networks.

That's scary.

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Topics: Internet of Things, Tips, IoT, Networking, Security, IIoT, Industrial Internet of Things

OptoNews: New blog posts on security in automation

Posted by Jean Femia on Jan 18, 2017 3:21:12 PM

You never feel like you know enough about security.

And security issues and recommendations are constantly changing, as the bad guys try to hack in and the good guys try to keep them out. 

Here are a couple of new blog posts on this important subject, both by Opto 22's Matt Newton, who has years of experience in both automation and IT (information technology). 

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Topics: Internet of Things, PLCs, IoT, optonews, PACs, Security, IIoT, Industrial Internet of Things, OptoNews 2017-01-18

Machine Learning: A Brief Overview

Posted by Matt Newton on Jan 17, 2017 8:00:00 AM

If you’ve been listening to all the hype around the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the Internet of Things, Industrie 4.0, or my favorite, the Industrial Internet of Things (pretty sure they’re all roughly the same thing), you’ve no doubt heard the term machine learning thrown around.

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Topics: Internet of Things, IoT, IIoT, Industrial Internet of Things

5 Fundamental Security Features your Industrial Assets Must Have

Posted by Matt Newton on Jan 13, 2017 8:00:00 AM

In a previous blog post I wrote about the Internet of Things getting hacked. As the IIoT ramps up and we continue to connect more devices to networks, we increase our industrial assets' exposure to cyber attacks. And we all need to start thinking about cyber security first, not as an afterthought.

It's everyone's responsibility to plan for cyber security, starting when you first evaluate industrial assets for purchase. 

Here are five checklist items to think about before connecting any industrial device to a network. No, this is not an exhaustive list, but frankly I don't want take up that much of your time. (You're welcome!) This is good starting point, though.

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Topics: Internet of Things, IoT, Security, IIoT, Industrial Internet of Things

Is Ransomware a Threat To Your IIoT Initiatives?

Posted by Matt Newton on Jan 12, 2017 8:00:00 AM

The image below still cracks me up. The captions for each of the devices are hilarious.

But in truth, ransomware is a pretty scary subject, especially when you think of it in the context of industrial technology and applications. And there’ve been quite a few unnerving stories about ransomware hacks in industrial applications lately.

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Topics: Internet of Things, Tips, IoT, IIoT, Industrial Internet of Things

OptoNews: Data from databases, online services in your groov mobile interface

Posted by Jean Femia on Jan 4, 2017 3:41:07 PM


New release adds Data Store device

With the new Data Store device in groov R3.3, you can put data into groov from anywhere—like a database, another device or systemand monitor or change it in your mobile operator interface. 

  • For example, your company’s SQL database could place production or maintenance data into a groov Data Store for managers or technicians to see in their interface. 
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Topics: groov, Internet of Things, Updates, IoT, optonews, API, REST API, REST, mobile, IIoT, Industrial Internet of Things, OptoNews 2017-01-04

OptoNews: New PAC REST API video - exchange data with Access database

Posted by Jean Femia on Dec 14, 2016 3:57:22 PM

In the last OptoNews, we showed you how an Excel® spreadsheet can exchange data with an Opto 22 SNAP PAC using the SNAP PAC controllers' RESTful API (application programming interface).

This time we'll show you how you can use the REST API with a Microsoft® Access® database. 

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Topics: Videos, Internet of Things, IoT, optonews, PACs, Integrators, PAC Control, API, REST API, RESTful server, REST, IIoT, Industrial Internet of Things, OptoNews 2016-12-14

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