Renew your groov Maintenance 16 Oct 2014, 12:18 am

If you’ve had your groov Box or groov Server for almost a year now, you’ll soon be seeing a renewal email for groov Maintenance.

What is groov Maintenance? It’s simple: groov Maintenance lets you get groov updates for free.

When you purchase groov, one year of maintenance is included. That means that for one year following the date you first activate your groov, you can download and install groov updates for free. groov updates include new features (like new gadgets and the Stash), enhancements to features (like more pens for realtime trends), and patches as needed.

When that first year is over, you’ll want to renew Maintenance so you can still get updates for free.

We’ll send you a couple of reminder emails, and you can just follow the link and instructions in the email to renew. It’s important to know that the email is for a specific groov, and the quote you’ll get for the renewal cost (10% of the retail price for your groov) is tied to that one groov.

You’ll also want to know that renewal extends from the expiration date, not from the date you purchase renewal.

For more information, see the groov Maintenance Technical Note, form 2130.
And watch for your renewal email.

Shellshock: Update your groov Box for security 1 Oct 2014, 11:08 pm

You may have heard news reports about the Shellshock bug, a recent security threat that could allow hackers access to web servers and computers.

So far, tests have been unable to exploit the Shellshock vulnerability on groov Boxes, either the AT1 or the AR1. The system is designed with multiple layers of defenses to prevent anyone’s exploiting vulnerabilities like Shellshock.

BUT TO BE SURE, we urge all groov Box administrators to install the latest groov Admin update, which eliminates the Shellshock vulnerability from the system.

Update Instructions

1. Log in at manage.groov.com.
2. Click Show in the Details column next to your groov Box to see new files available for it. Click the filename for groov Admin v1.570.38 and SAVE the file to your computer.
3. Back up your groov project: In groov Build, choose File > Backup project to computer.
4. Install the update: In groov Admin, choose groov Admin Update under System in the menu tree. Locate the file you saved, click Open, and then click Update. Wait for the success message.
5. Change the Administrator password and all user passwords.

See the OptoKnowledgeBase article for more details.

Questions?

Contact Opto 22 Product Support
Email: support@opto22.com
Phone: 1-800-835-6786 (toll-free) or 1-951-695-3080

More Information

SNAP PACs: If you have Opto 22’s SNAP PAC System for industrial automation, remote monitoring, and data acquisition, be reassured that SNAP PAC controllers and brains are NOT susceptible to Shellshock, as they do not use Linux.

Other Systems: In addition to updating your groov Box, make sure you apply all recommended updates from reliable sources to any Unix, Linux, or Apple web servers and computers you have. You can find out more about the Shellshock vulnerability here:

• ​Redhat Security Blog
• ​Ubuntu Security Notice USN-2362-1
• ​CVE-2014-6271
• ​CVE-2014-7169

Video: ¿Qué es groov? 23 Sep 2014, 9:02 pm

groov de Opto 22 hace que sea fácil de desarrollar una aplicación móvil para casi todos los sistemas y equipos de automatización.

Y puede usar la aplicación en casi cualquier Smartphone, Tablet o incluso una Smart TV, sin importar el tamaño, la marca o sistema operativo.

Vea el video para ver cómo poner sus sistemas en su móvil hoy mismo.

¿Qué es groov?

Videos: Use Trends, Colors in groov 23 Sep 2014, 5:27 pm

Check out these two new How-to Workshop videos for groov:

Using the Trend gadget in groov—groov 2.2 makes real-time trends much more flexible, with up to 4 pens, up to 7 days of data, and more. Watch this new video and see how to add the trends you need for your application.

Working with colors in groov—groov 2.2 also adds a number of new darker background colors for the mobile interfaces you build. In the video you’ll learn tips on using the new colors and watch gadgets automatically change color when you change the background.

Have you updated your groov yet? If not, get groov 2.2 at manage.groov.com now so you can use the new trends and colors—and all the new features.

New groov 2.2: Faster Editing, Video Sizing, More 22 Sep 2014, 7:53 pm

groov 2.2 is now released! This free update includes plenty of new features.

We already told you about the new momentary button, better trending, dark background colors, and Stash.

This time we’ll focus on some more new features that save you time and give you more flexibility.

• Size videos more easily:
  • Shrink videos all the way down to thumbnails if you wish.
  • Choose Fixed Aspect Ratio so the video’s shape stays the same regardless of its size. No distortion.
• Save time in groov Build:
  • Use automatic names for gadgets. Gadgets default to their tagnames, so you don’t have to name them unless you want to.
  • Grab gadget handles more easily to resize and move.
  • Resize pages smoothly and quickly.
  • See all editing tools in the new Edit menu (or right-click in the screen as before).
• Use up and down timers from PAC Control strategies in your groov interface.
• Customize Value gadgets to show more meaningful text—instead of just On/Off, show state as Open/Closed, Yes/No, or whatever is most appropriate for your application.

See all the changes in groov 2.2 in the Readme file.

Update your groov now:

1. Go to manage.groov.com and log in.
2. In the Details column for your groov, click Show.
3. For a groov Box, click the groov App R2.2b file. For groov Server, click the groov Server R2.2b file.
4. Save the file to your computer.
5. Install the update. For help, see “Updating groov” in the groov User’s Guide.

Or watch an update video: Update groov App for your groov Box or Update groov App for your groov Server

Design World highlights the new groov Box 29 Aug 2014, 4:46 pm

In a new video on YouTube, Design World Managing Editor Leslie Langnau introduces the second-generation groov Box—fanless, compact, and industrially hardened.

The video highlights how you would use the new groov Box and includes a short getting-started piece by our own Ben Orchard.

Ben shows how to set up the groov Box, link to an OPC-UA tag server and an Opto 22 SNAP PAC controller, and build a simple interface—all in just about three minutes.

The groov interface can be used on a wide variety of mobile devices as well as laptops and PCs. In fact you’ll see Ben turn off the lights using his Android smartphone and turn them back on using an iPad. Pretty cool.

Watch the Design World video.

New groov 2.2: Better Trends, Colors, New Button 26 Aug 2014, 5:43 pm

groov 2.2 is now released! It’s a free update and it includes new and improved features you’ll want to have, like these.

Improvements to trends

• Track more data with up to 4 pens
• Track data longer—up to 7 days
• See data on 2 axes
• Choose longer scan rates if you need them

New dark backgrounds up to black

When you change background colors, gadgets automatically change color as needed to remain visible.

New gadget: Momentary Button

This new gadget works just like a normally open/normally closed pushbutton: it sends one value when pushed and another value when released. Handy for tasks such as jogging a drive feed or panning an IP camera.

New Stash area

Want to show a gadget on PCs and tablets, but hide it on smartphones? Just drag it to the Stash in the Handheld view. It won’t appear on the small screen but will still be there on bigger screens.

Need to save a gadget you’re working on but not ready to roll out? Stash it! It’ll be saved but not visible to your users.

These are just a few of the changes in groov 2.2. There are lots more. See what else is included here in the Readme file.

Update your groov now!

1. Go to manage.groov.com and log in.
2. In the Details column for your groov, click Show.
3. For a groov Box, click the groov App R2.2 file. For groov Server, click the groov Server R2.2 file.
4. Save the file to your computer.
5. Install the update. For help, see “Updating groov” in the groov User’s Guide.

Or watch an update video: Update groov App for your groov Box or Update groov App for your groov Server

Tech tip: See tags used in groov 14 Aug 2014, 5:35 pm

Is there a way to see whether a specific tag from your tag database is currently in use in your groov mobile interface?

Absolutely.

You can also find out where a tag is used, what gadget it’s attached to, and whether it is used multiple times. Here’s how.

In groov Build, from the View menu choose All Tags.

As you can see in the image at top right, all the tags in your groov project are listed in this window, no matter what source they come from.

You can sort the list by column.

Click the Tag column heading, and the list is sorted alphanumerically by tag name. (Click the Tag heading again and the list reverses, so Z is first.)

The image at bottom right shows the result: the list is sorted by tag name.

Scroll to find the tag you want and see where it’s used. If it’s not in the list, it’s not used in your groov project.

You can sort this list by other columns in the same way.

So if you want to see which tags are represented by Round Gauges, for example, click the Gadget column heading and then scroll down to see Round Gauges. All those tags will be grouped together.

Or if you have multiple SNAP PACs and OPC-UA servers in the same interface and want to see all the tags used for one of them, click the Device column heading.

Questions? Comments? Don’t forget, Product Support for groov is free.

New groov Box Quick Start video 7 Aug 2014, 9:25 pm

You’ve got your groov Box and you’re ready to plug it in and start building a mobile operator interface for your automation system. Great!

In our latest video, Opto 22’s Director of Training Mary St. John walks you through the quick-start steps. You’ll set up your groov Box, activate it and get your license file, enter passwords and begin your interface.

The video follows the paper Quick Start Guide included with your Box. Some people like following the Guide; some people would rather watch a video. Here’s for all you video people!

Get started fast with the groov Quick Start video.

Where were you in 1974? 31 Jul 2014, 8:30 pm

Can you remember? Bob and Mary Jane Engman can—they were in their house in Huntington Beach, California, planning a new company to manufacture the optically isolated, liquid epoxy-filled solid-state relays that Bob had drawn the design for at the kitchen table. That’s Bob in the photo at the right.

This new manufacturing process made SSRs both more reliable and cheaper to build than others on the market. Better for customers. Better for business.

Bob and Mary Jane called their new company Optrol at first, but that name was already used by another company. So they chose Opto 22.

Why 22? Says Bob, “We had 22 SSR models at the time, and I figured nobody would already have that name.”

Forty years later Opto 22 still manufactures SSRs that are known worldwide for their reliability—plus controllers, I/O, automation software, and groov.

And in a sea of constant change in automation—mergers, startups, acquisitions, failures, major technological advancements—Opto 22 is still family owned, still manufactures all products in Southern California, and is still based on the fundamental tenets of Bob Engman’s business philosophy:

• It’s more fun to work in a small company than a big corporation.
• You get a lot more accomplished if you don’t have layers of managers to slow you down.
• If you treat people well—whether they’re employees or customers—they’ll stick with you.
• People want good products that last a long time.
• Automation’s future lies in utilizing new technologies and open standards.

No matter where you were in 1974, we’re glad you’re interested in our latest product, groov. And we’ll do our best to give you high-quality products and service for many more years to come!

Read more about what makes Opto 22 special.