Benson Hougland

PostedJanuary 20, 2021

Are you a system integrator, developer, engineer, or manager wondering if MQTT could help with your industrial internet of things (IIoT) application? If so, this white paper can give you some answers. It explains the fundamentals of the protocol, demonstrates how the Sparkplug B specification adapts MQTT to industrial applications, and shows you how to establish and scale MQTT networks using industrial edge computing.

This approach creates a secure foundation for IIoT networks that scale up smoothly and operate reliably in support of mission-critical applications.

Download: https://www.opto22.com/support/resources-tools/documents/2357-white-paper-industrial-strength-mqtt-sparkpl

PostedAugust 19, 2020

Sharing process data has long been a goal of industrial automation, but traditional operational technology (OT) architectures are poor at scaling, priced prohibitively, and demand complex configuration and support. So how can we achieve the new, more ambitious goals of the industrial internet of things (IIoT)?

Read this white paper to see how next-generation distributed I/O and control are opening new possibilities for connected infrastructure.

PostedApril 22, 2020

In an era of increasing connectivity and technical capabilities, it seems like simple ideas should be simple to achieve. But industrial internet of things projects, even simple ones, are still expensive, demand special skills, and involve many steps.

This white paper introduces edge I/O, a new kind of product that simplifies IIoT applications. Opto 22's groov RIO is an example of an edge I/O product.

PostedMay 28, 2019

This technical note describes the cybersecurity features built into groov EPIC and lists best practices for setting up a secure groov EPIC system.

PostedMarch 26, 2019

For today's controls engineers, new demands to use and share data present three main challenges: security, complexity, and expense. These IIoT or data-intensive automation applications typically require many steps and a lot of middleware: hardware, drivers, parsers, and custom software. Time-consuming to set up, difficult to maintain and change, they also open major security concerns.

See how a new kind of industrial controller—an edge programmable industrial controller, or EPIC—can simplify and secure automation and IIoT projects, while reducing cost and complexity.

PostedSeptember 2, 2016

Successful Internet of Things (IoT) applications send data from systems that monitor and control the physical world to information technology (IT) data processing systems. There the data can be analyzed and the results used to improve business capabilities: better inventory management, better predictive maintenance, reduced asset downtime, and much more.

But first we need to solve 3 problems: how to connect the physical world to the IT world, how to handle the huge masses of data that physical systems produce, and how to efficiently structure the IoT.

This white paper explores these problems and how edge computing can help solve them.

PostedJuly 25, 2016

You've probably heard about the Internet of Things (IoT). But what is it, and how will it affect our businesses?

This primer helps you understand the IoT and the significant challenges we face to realize its benefits.

The primer defines operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT), and shows how they are converging and why. It defines IoT technologies and suggests 3 steps you can take to develop an effective and profitable IoT strategy.

PostedJuly 25, 2016

We’ve all heard about the Internet of Things (IoT) and its promises: bringing useful data directly to people who make business decisions, and enabling machines to communicate with each other and make decisions for human benefit.

But how does the IoT actually work? How does the data get from inside these physical "things" to computer networks where it can be used?

This technical paper describes that pathway for OT (operational technology) professionals—automation professionals. It describes the kinds of data you may be asked to provide and why. It explains how data from physical "things"—especially existing sensors and actuators that have no IoT capabilities built in—can be securely communicated to company computer networks, without disturbing control networks.

The paper also explains concepts important to any IoT strategy and introduces a new method to achieve the IoT results you need now, without requiring a complex chain of conversion hardware and software.