Did you miss any of these? Here are the 5 OptoBlog posts our readers found most interesting in 2015:

1. Sinking and Sourcing in DC Circuits

Topics: Process control, Internet of Things, optonews, PAC Project, OptoNews 2016-01-06

We've talked recently about digital and analog totalizing: getting total running values for on-time, flow, power production, and so on. 

The next step is using those totals in your PAC Control strategy—and in your groov mobile operator interface—to get the information you need.

Topics: Process control, Discrete control, Tips, optonews, PACs, PAC Project, OptoNews 2016-01-06

Suppose you have an analog input—maybe it's a flow meter, for example—and you want to know not only the current flow rate, but also the cumulative flow over time.

How many gallons went through that pipe over the last 24 hours, or over the last month? 

If you're using an Opto 22 analog input module and PAC Control, you're in luck. 

Topics: Energy management, Process control, Tips, optonews, I/O, PAC Project, OptoNews 2015-12-02

Do you use communication handles in your PAC Control strategy?

Or are you thinking, "What's a communication handle?"

In either case, this tip is for you.

A communication handle is a powerful type of variable in PAC Control. You'll use it for three main reasons:

Topics: Tips, optonews, PACs, PAC Project, OptoNews 2015-11-18

If you've used Opto 22 products for a long time, you may very well have some colorful G4 digital I/O modules in a panel somewhere. They were probably installed back in the 1990s.

Still reliably monitoring sensors and activating outputs, these G4s are likely the workhorses of your automation system. Why would you ever want to replace them?

Topics: Discrete control, optonews, Migration, I/O, PAC Project, Optomux, OptoNews 2015-11-04

Choose the software, controllers, I/O, and more for your application, with help from our new interactive demo about SNAP PAC System components.

You'll find answers to questions like these:

Topics: optonews, PACs, I/O, PAC Project, OptoNews 2015-11-04

Let's say you have four pumps available, and you don't run them all at once. When it's time to start one, you want to choose the one with the least wear. 

You can decide which one to start by comparing the total amount of time each pump has run. That's a job for a totalizer.

Topics: Tips, optonews, PACs, I/O, PAC Project, OptoNews 2015-10-21

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

When you turn on an output, do you set a flag and then check it to see the output's status before turning the output on again? 

Or do you just turn it on without checking?

Is setting a flag a good way to speed up the program and avoid tying up the network with unnecessary communications to I/O?

Or does it just add a lot of extra variables and decision blocks that make debugging and maintenance harder?

Topics: Discrete control, Tips, optonews, PACs, I/O, PAC Project, OptoNews 2015-09-23

Just a couple of reminders about upcoming events in your area: 

• Hands-on SNAP PAC System training September 22-24 in Amherst, New Hampshire
• SORT Technology Showcase September 22 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Topics: groov, optonews, PACs, Events & conferences, Training, PAC Project, OptoNews 2015-09-09