Get a recap of the most searched topics and popular OptoForum posts of the year.

Let’s take a look back at 2021 through the eyes of the OptoForums. You remember last year's top 5, right?

For starters, we had almost 200 more people sign up this year over last. (Y-Axis below is the number of daily sign-ups).

Topics: Node-RED, MQTT, groov EPIC, groov RIO, OPC UA, OptoForum

Dashboard UI on integrated and HDMI displays, Dashboard-only user accounts, and login directly to the Dashboard!

If you follow this blog closely you'll have seen the news that the groov family has had a recent firmware release—version 3.3.1 for groov EPIC and 3.3.0 for groov RIO. 

This release brings a lot of great features that you can see in the OptoBlog posts linked above, but here I'd like to talk a bit more about the additional features added for Node-RED, specifically for the Node-RED Dashboard.

Topics: Node-RED, groov EPIC, groov RIO

In step with our recent groov EPIC 3.3 firmware release comes our groov RIO 3.3 firmware update.

Ready to hear about new features included in our popular groov RIO edge I/O module? The recently released groov RIO firmware update 3.3 is now available. Here are some reasons you'll want to update!

Topics: Firmware, Node-RED, Ignition Edge, groov RIO, power monitoring

Several highly requested features have been added to the latest firmware update for groov EPIC PR1 and PR2.

Even with the Covid pandemic lingering on, our mostly remote team of software engineers at Opto 22 have been hard at work. As a result, we have a groov EPIC firmware update that addresses a bunch of requested features, and like any software update, some bug fixes as well.

Simply known as version 3.3.1, you can freely download and take advantage of these improvements right away.

Let's take a look at what's new...

Topics: Updates, Firmware, Node-RED, CODESYS, groov EPIC, Ignition

Opto 22's YouTube channel is growing with more videos and subscribers.

What started several years ago as a platform to host a few Opto 22 product videos has now reached a new milestone. The Opto 22 YouTube channel recently reached 2 million views and is closing in on 20,000 subscribers.

Whether you're new to the industrial automation industry, or are looking for specific developer tips on using MQTT or Node-RED, the OptoVideo channel is your one stop for all things automation and digital transformation. 

Topics: Case studies, Webinars, Node-RED, MQTT, groov EPIC, automation 101, Ignition, groov RIO, YouTube

Sharpen your drawing tools. It's time to go to work.

Visualization for industrial automation is bigger than it’s ever been, and it’s not just about control anymore. As it becomes increasingly important to turn data into information efficiently and ubiquitously, visualization platforms deal with more data types, presentation formats, and a broader range of users and use cases. As always, Opto 22 gives you many tools so you can choose what fits your project best. Let’s take a look at some of those options.

Topics: Node-RED, Ignition Edge, PAC Display, groov View, groov EPIC, HMI, Ignition, groov RIO

A new video has just been added to the Node-RED developer series that takes a closer look at MySQL database nodes.

Have you been watching our Node-RED video series? If you're an NR user or want to become one, you don't want to miss out on Terry Orchard's tutorials. His latest video will unlock your honest-to-goodness Node-RED superpowers with step-by-step instructions on moving user inputs and device signal data into and out of a MySQL database.

Topics: Node-RED, groov RIO, MySQL

Learn more about Time Proportional Output (TPO) and how you can use it on the groov RIO edge I/O module.

Do you need to control a digital output from an analog input?

If so, perhaps TPO is the solution you seek. Did you know that a groov RIO has 8 built-in TPO controllers and each can be configured for a different time period? We just need a little setup assistance in the form of a Node-RED flow. Before we get into that, let's talk more about just what TPO is.

Topics: Node-RED, groov EPIC, groov RIO, OptoForum, time proportional output

Listen and watch episode 18 of The Manufacturing Hub Podcast for more insight on what challenges OT engineers are facing today.

Opto 22's leader in product strategy, Benson Hougland, is back in the OptoDemo Studio to discuss new Industry 4.0 tools and what it means for engineers in the industrial automation space and beyond.

As a guest on The Manufacturing Hub Podcast, Benson is part of an hour-long conversation with hosts Vlad Romanov and Dave Griffith. (You might remember Vlad as being an OptoPartner, and we've mentioned his SolisPLC training platform and groov product reviews in previous OptoBlog posts.) We were thrilled to be working together again and hope you enjoy the discussion.

Topics: IIoT, Node-RED, Ignition Edge, groov EPIC, industrial automation, podcast, groov RIO

Some developer tips for successfully moving your project from home to the plant floor.

We know a lot of developers love to tinker and prototype projects on Raspberry Pi hardware. I do the same at my house with over 12 Raspberry Pi computers doing different things. It's such an affordable and fun platform with a huge community behind it... what's not to love? The challenge comes when it’s time to move your project from the house/office to the factory floor.

Topics: Node-RED, Raspberry Pi, groov EPIC, developer, groov RIO