Soft PAC with Node RED

Hello all,

Can you use SoftPAC with Node Red?

Is there any plan to implement API in SoftPAC?

Short version.
Can you use SoftPAC with Node-RED? Yes.
API for SoftPAC (like we do with our PACs)? Our engineers are looking at it.

Long version.
We have lots of customers running Node-RED and SoftPAC on the same or different PC’s.
To install Node-RED on a PC, follow the official guide here; Redirecting…
You can also run groov Server for Windows on the same PC. Its pretty sweet having all three apps on the one bit of hardware, but, and don’t get me started, it is a Windows PC in the end, so care and feeding instructions should be strictly followed.
You can of course install the groov and PAC nodes and have them talk at each other all day and all night long.

With the API on SoftPAC, again, because its on a Windows PC, there are some Microsoft challenges for our software team. You need a HTTP(s) listener. A lot of PC’s have IIS installed and running, even if you don’t think you do, so that can cause port conflicts. The Windows Firewall can cause some issues as well. Then there is the connection between that listener and SoftPAC.
As I said, our team is looking at it.

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Yeah thats awesome. I was looking to beable to put Node-RED, SQL Server, Soft PAC and Groov Server all on one computer to alleviate either ethernet packet collision or i/o competition as we have been having some speed issues with our recent groov project.

The overall PAC Strategy apparently is not to be changed, or will not be changed to use scratch pad so I have to come up with possible alternatives.

I’ve ran Node-RED and Groov Server on one computer with SQL Server Express to great success and wanted to see what I could do to add Soft PAC in the mix.

The Windows thing is kind of the issue now because Windows is Windows.:upside_down: I’m assuming though if I could get a stripped down version of Windows it wouldn’t be too bad…maybe.

I also might break down and buy a raspberry pi. I don’t know just mulling ideas around to see what might be the best option.

For all those interested in adding the REST API (and therefore Node-RED access) to SoftPAC, please chime in here, including use case if possible. We tend to look harder at things that lots of people want to use for interesting uses!
Thanks,
-OptoMary

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Happy birthday, OptoMary!:gift::birthday:

Definitely need API for SoftPAC :sunglasses:
or SotfPAC on Linux

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Can you share with us your use case for each of those?
They are very different and… well… yeah, bit interested in how you would like to press each of those into service…

Same. Would be nice to make a standalone box that could connect to groov. Thin Clients with opto tech sounds great.

YES PLEASE :slight_smile:

Noted! Thanks for weighing in.

I’m interested to see how it would work with the REST API for SoftPac.
Regards / Lennart

@lennart.carlsten and others, don’t forget about our other website;
http://developer.opto22.com/
Here you will find all the API details for PAC Control, groov Manage, groov and more.

Any updates wrt SoftPac and REST API?

:slight_smile: back again… Any development including REST API into SoftPAC?
Also… Node Red

Sorry. No updates at this time.

Is this still on the cards or can I store it in that dark place at the back of my mind?

Our software engineers are busy with groov RIO at the moment.
(Also, there is this; COVID-19 UPDATE: Continuation of  Support and Services).
Pop it in the back of your mind, but not that dusty dark corner… keep it in that other nice sunny corner.

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:laughing: thanks for the reply Beno