New video provides some practical solutions to consider in the age of TCP/IP.

Looking to digitally transform your operations, but your existing machines don't support newer protocols like MQTT or OPC UA?

Don't worry, you're not alone. Legacy industrial control systems are still operating everywhere today. But don't settle or wait for them to fail. 

It's time to learn more about modern edge devices that can bridge the gap between old and new.

This new 1-minute video is a great conversation starter on the topic.

Without disturbing existing systems, edge devices make it easy to convert data from a custom fieldbus into open protocols for digital transformation.

If TCP/IP won the “protocol wars” in the ‘90s, then WHY are you still fighting protocol battles on the plant floor today? Because industrial networks were around long before the internet. As far back as the 1960s, machines communicated via serial networks like RS-232, RS-485, and CAN Bus—with specialized proprietary fieldbus protocols like Modbus, Profibus, and DeviceNet.

Even with TCP/IP on Ethernet, specialized protocols remained. Modbus now has a TCP/IP version, Profibus gave way to ProfiNET, DeviceNet to EtherNet/IP, and even some new ones joined the protocol party.

After the industry demanded interoperability, OPC was born—now OPC UA—a big step toward a unified architecture on OT networks. Meanwhile on the IT side, using HTTP and HTTPS was common. It’s how web browsers—and most of the internet—work today.

MQTT Sparkplug came later. A recently named International Standard, it’s built on efficient, secure, and scalable publish/subscribe communications—a great fit for digital transformation projects and the IIoT.

A year in review of the most popular topics and discussions on the OptoForums.

Let's talk for a moment about our fantastic Opto 22 forum fans. The OptoForums host an amazing community.

It seems that only a very small number of industrial automation manufacturers run their own public forums. Some community-supported efforts have sprung up to backfill the need for a place where like-minded folks can gather, but there is something special about having a place that is, well, for lack of a better term, "factory supported."

Why is that a big deal?

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.

New categories and reorganization of topics are just some of the reasons to visit the OptoForums.

Whether you're new to using Opto 22 products or a long-time user, you can benefit from checking out the OptoForums. It's where engineering minds meet to post questions, answer fellow forum user questions, recommend solutions or even provide code samples—all related to Opto 22 hardware and software.

Moderated by Opto 22's Ben Orchard and Terry Orchard, the Forums are another great resource to keep bookmarked for troubleshooting or application advice.

And the Forums recently went through some reorganization, with more topics and categories added to help you find your answers more quickly and efficiently. Take a look at what's new.

The latest video in our developer series is a quick-start guide for setting up OPC UA on groov RIO.

You heard it here first a few weeks ago in the OptoBlog! groov RIO is the first universal Ethernet I/O module with an embedded OPC UA server. Now you can connect your favorite OPC UA-compatible SCADA or HMI software directly to your multi-signal, multifunction Ethernet I/O System. 

Terry Orchard shows you how simple it is. In his latest developer video, learn how to set up an OPC UA server on groov RIO to accept connections from OPC UA clients and request groov data.

A look at how edge devices and interoperability standards are paving the way for the fourth industrial revolution.

As we enter the so-called fourth industrial revolution, which aims to finally close the gap between distributed automation systems and business systems, let’s take a quick look back at some of the developments that got us here and where they point for the future. 

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.

Following the recent groov EPIC 3.4 firmware update, groov RIO offers similar updates in its 3.4 release.

Here are some exciting additions in the latest groov RIO 3.4 package. All these new features are available in all groov RIO models: MM1, MM2 and RIO EMU.

The biggest news is the embedded OPC UA server. This is a first of its kind: a fully functioning OPC UA server option for a remote, Ethernet-based input/output module.

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.