New case study featuring groov RIO demonstrates how OptoPartner Microclimates helped provide a secure system for the Aquaculture Centre of Excellence.

The groov case study library continues to expand with its latest application story that shows how groov products play an important role in education.

The Aquaculture Centre of Excellence at Lethbridge College mimics conditions in large commercial aquaponics facilities, but for research purposes, they needed a highly flexible automation system. Research parameters change frequently to test a variety of system elements, and most automation systems don't allow frequent adjustments. 

This case study shows how Microclimates software running on groov RIO industrial I/O modules gave researchers the secure, flexible system they required. 

Watch Terry Orchard's next video in the Secure Shell Access (SSH) series for custom Python programming.

Did you see last week's new video: Getting Started with groov EPIC & RIO Secure Shell? That video explained how to obtain a free Shell license for your groov EPIC, activate it, and then install it on your groov devices.

This new video picks up where the introduction left off: Getting Started with Repositories & Python on groov EPIC and RIO. Take a deeper dive using Secure Shell Access (SSH) along with custom Python programming packages with your groov devices.

Although your host, Terry Orchard, demonstrates on a groov EPIC Learning Center in the video, the tips shared work on any groov EPIC or RIO model.

Terry Orchard is back in his studio to give you a video overview of the Secure Shell Access (SSH) feature on groov  EPIC.

Whether you're already using Opto 22's groov EPIC or have been researching its features, it's important to note the extensive programming options it comes with. You can use the easy flow chart-based PAC Control, the familiar IEC 61131-3 compliant languages of CODESYS, or build Node-RED flows to move data.

But, did you know EPIC allows you to build your own custom applications using languages you know like Python, C/C++ and run them on an open, Linux^®-based operating system? That's the topic of Terry Orchard's latest video, part of the new Opto 22 Developer series.

In a recent blog post, Terry Orchard covered one of the programming options available on the groov EPIC: secure shell (SSH) access. If you’re familiar with Linux shell commands, you can use secure shell access to install application packages and add functionality to your groov EPIC Edge Programmable Industrial Controller.

For example, you could add a local database server.

Ready to start using your new GRV-EPIC-PR1, the groov EPIC Edge Programmable Industrial Controller? An EPIC can do so much more than a traditional controller.

But first, you'll need to activate it. Once you've activated, you can:

• Get future software and firmware updates
• Receive automatic notifications about updates
• Build and use web-based HMIs with groov View (the visualization software)

The OS, or operating system, of groov EPIC is very different from traditional controllers. Instead of a proprietary OS, EPIC uses an open-source Linux® operating system.

From a security standpoint, an “open source” OS sounds scary. But in many ways it is more secure than a closed-source one, especially a well-known and often-attacked OS such as Microsoft® Windows®.