If you use high-density 32-point SNAP digital I/O modules, you'll be interested in our latest breakout board: the SNAP-UDC-HDB.

The small footprint of this new board makes it ideal for use in cramped areas. Just 3.32 x 3.95 x 2.27 inches high (8.43 x 10.03 x 5.77 cm), the SNAP-UDC-UDB fits in tight places but still gives you room to wire all 32 points to field devices.

Topics: Discrete control, Machine builder, optonews, New products, Integrators, I/O, OptoNews 2016-01-20

In automation, proportional integral derivative (PID) control loops are common, useful, and tricky to get right. 

Each loop is different and each requires individual tuning for maximum effectiveness.

Now here's a new tool to help you tune your PID control loops: our online PID Control Loop Tuner.

Topics: Energy management, Process control, optonews, Integrators, Building management, OptoNews 2016-01-06

How do you get a variety of building systems and machinery to communicate with a central system controller, when they use different protocols? 

Swedish system integrator Processcomponent AB had to solve this problem when they installed an energy monitoring system in a large apartment building in Gothenburg. 

Topics: Energy management, Case studies, Remote monitoring, optonews, Integrators, Building management, Modbus, OptoNews 2015-11-18, M-Bus

Whether your Modbus equipment uses Serial RTU, Serial ASCII, or Modbus/TCP protocol, our latest Modbus Integration Kit has you covered. 

The kit makes it easier to integrate your Modbus equipment with SNAP PAC controllers running PAC Control strategies. 

Topics: optonews, PACs, New products, Integrators, PAC Project, OptoNews 2015-10-07, Modbus

A SNAP PAC controller communicates over Ethernet. Is it OK if two PCs are trying to communicate with the PAC at the same time, or will they interfere with each other? 

This was the question in a recent OptoForum post, and it got a quick answer: yes, it's OK.

Whether it's a standalone S-series or a rack-mounted R-series PAC, you can have many devices simultaneously requesting data from and sending data to a SNAP PAC.

Topics: Tips, optonews, PACs, Integrators, Networking, OptoNews 2015-10-07

You've heard us talk about how you can monitor and control your Modbus/TCP devices from a groov mobile operator interface on your tablet or smartphone.

But what if your Modbus device uses a serial link? 

Topics: Energy management, Videos, groov, Remote monitoring, optonews, Integrators, Building management, OptoNews 2015-09-23

A warm (!) welcome to Albireo Energy, a new OptoPartner focused on intelligent buildings and energy efficiency.

Albireo Energy helps building owners and managers all over the U.S. to improve efficiency, optimize safety and up time, and reduce operational costs—while improving comfort for building tenants.

Topics: Energy management, optonews, Integrators, OptoNews 2015-08-12, Building management

Do you have devices on a Controller Area Network? Now you can communicate with them using the SNAP-SCM-CAN2B serial communication module and a new CAN RX/TX Integration Kit. 

New R2.0b firmware on the SNAP-SCM-CAN2B makes it possible to both transmit and receive data. 

When you enable transmit functionality, all data communications between the module and the SNAP PAC brain or controller are ASCII encoded and frame delimited for robust communications.

Topics: Updates, optonews, New products, Integrators, OptoNews 2015-07-15, I/O

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