One of the world's largest automation events is headed to Chicago!

It's the international trade fair for industrial automation: Industrial Automation North America (IANA).

And here's an even bigger reason to attend: IANA is co-located with IMTS 2016, North America’s leading manufacturing technology trade show.

Topics: Energy management, Process control, Food & beverage, Discrete control, Internet of Things, IoT, optonews, PACs, Events & conferences, REST API, OptoNews 2016-08-17

With the release of firmware R9.5a, Opto 22's rack-mounted and standalone SNAP PAC industrial controllers include a built-in RESTful API. 

But what does that mean? What can you do with a RESTful API, and how does it fit into that Internet of Things (IoT) idea you've thought about?

Topics: Internet of Things, IoT, optonews, PACs, REST API, OptoNews 2016-08-17

A lot of our customers have gotten excited about the new HTTP/HTTPS server and RESTful API just added to Opto 22 SNAP PAC standalone and rack-mounted industrial controllers.

Why?

Because now your software developers can use the programming language of their choice to securely access data in the SNAP PAC—both I/O point data and data from any variable in your PAC Control strategy.

Topics: Internet of Things, Remote monitoring, IoT, optonews, PACs, REST API, OptoNews 2016-08-03

How do you get fresh apples in March?

California Controlled Atmosphere (CalCA) knows the secret: strictly controlled storage.

CalCA builds produce storage systems for growers in California and all over the world. Each system must be flexible to accommodate fluctuating harvests and individual produce varieties.

Topics: Case studies, Videos, Food & beverage, optonews, PACs, OptoNews 2016-08-03

Last OptoNews you heard about all the new features in PAC Project 9.5 and SNAP PAC firmware 9.5, both just released.

The most exciting new features are the HTTP/HTTPS server and RESTful API, giving you secure access to I/O point and variable data in your PAC controller. 

These developer- and IoT-ready features are free—all you need to do is update your firmware.

But updating PAC controller firmware on a running system can pose a problem.

Topics: Updates, Tips, optonews, PACs, PAC Project, Firmware, PAC Control, OptoTagPreserve, OptoNews 2016-08-03

I'm extremely excited about the new capabilities of the 9.5 firmware and, in particular, the new RESTful interface (REST API and HTTP/S server) for SNAP PAC controllers. I have several PACs throughout my home for various tasks like lighting, A/C, irrigation, energy management, monitoring, and surveillance. The new RESTful interface allows me to take my home automation system to completely new levels, including interacting with my other home automation/IoT products, like my Nest thermostats, smoke alarms, and NestCams; my Philips Hue lighting; my Wemo switches; and much more.

This post isn’t about home automation, however. It’s about getting the firmware upgrade done and configuring the HTTP/S RESTful server. And in doing so, it was important to me (and my application) that I preserved the persistent control system variables used in my control strategies. So...the following are the steps I took to upgrade my firmware while preserving important data and getting started with REST.

Topics: PACs, Firmware, PAC Control, API, REST API, RESTful server, PAC Manager, OptoTagPreserve, REST

Available now. Announcing the new PAC Project and firmware R9.5a releases. Included:

• Many new features you've asked for
• Support for two new I/O modules
• A brand-new HTTP/HTTPS server and REST API to make integration, data exchange, and Internet of Things (IoT) applications 

Topics: Internet of Things, Updates, IoT, optonews, PACs, New products, Integrators, PAC Project, OptoNews 2016-07-20

Getting Useful Data from Big Data

At the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC), researchers analyze mountains of data from widely differing fields, including:

• Supersonic aircraft
• The human brain
• Distant stars

Topics: Energy management, Case studies, optonews, PACs, Integrators, Building management, Modbus, OptoNews 2016-07-06

Move up to SNAP PAC—and keep racks and field wiring intact

Have you seen some of our newer high-density, high-speed, or multifunction I/O modules and wished you could use them in your legacy SNAP Ultimate or SNAP Ethernet I/O system? 

Have you wanted to build an easy-to-use groov mobile interface for your legacy system?

Topics: Updates, optonews, PACs, New products, Migration, Integrators, I/O, OptoNews 2016-07-06

Are you thinking about how you could use data from some of your SNAP PACs in databases, other applications, even the Internet of Things (IoT)?

If so, you'll be pretty excited about the upcoming release of SNAP PAC firmware, R9.5. 

Topics: Process control, Discrete control, Internet of Things, Updates, Remote monitoring, IoT, optonews, PACs, Firmware, Security, OptoNews 2016-06-22