NodeRED Flow-based programming for IoT

11th January 2019 Harshvardhan Mishra

NodeRED

is a flow-based development tool for visual programming developed originally by IBM for wiring together hardware devices, APIs and online services as part of the Internet of Things. Node-RED provides a web browser-based flow editor, which can be used to create JavaScript functions. Elements of applications can be saved or shared for re-use. The runtime is built on Node.js. The flows created in Node-RED are stored using JSON. Since version 0.14 MQTT nodes can make properly configured TLS connections. In 2016, IBM contributed Node-RED as an open source JS Foundation project.

Features of NodeRED

Browser-based flow editing

Node-RED provides a browser-based flow editor that makes it easy to wire together flows using the wide range of nodes in the palette. Flows can be then deployed to the runtime in a single-click. JavaScript functions can be created within the editor using a rich text editor. A built-in library allows you to save useful functions, templates or flows for re-use.

Built on Node.js

The light-weight runtime is built on Node.js, taking full advantage of its event-driven, non-blocking model. This makes it ideal to run at the edge of the network on low-cost hardware such as the Raspberry Pi as well as in the cloud. With over 225,000 modules in Node’s package repository, it is easy to extend the range of palette nodes to add new capabilities.

Social Development

The flows created in Node-RED are stored using JSON which can be easily imported and exported for sharing with others. An online flow library allows you to share your best flows with the world.

How to Use Node-RED

Node-RED is built on Node.js, taking full advantage of its event-driven, non-blocking model. This makes it ideal to run at the edge of the network on low-cost hardware such as the Raspberry Pi as well as in the cloud.

Node-RED available for :

Run locally – available for asystem or Docker

On a device –Raspberry Pi, BeagleBone Black,Interacting with Arduino,Android

In the cloud – IBM Cloud, SenseTecnic FRED,Amazon Web Services,Microsoft Azure

Install Node-RED in Ubuntu

Before you can install Node-RED, you must have a working install of Node.js. We recommend the use of Node.js LTS 8.x.

The easiest way to install Node-RED is to use the node package manager, npm, that comes with Node.js. Installing as a global module adds the command node-red to your system path:

sudo npm install -g --unsafe-perm node-red

Run NodeRED

$ node-red

You can then access the Node-RED editor by pointing your browser at http://localhost:1880.

How to add Node and Create a flow, I will explain in next article. You can visit https://nodered.org/docs/getting-started/

Community

A great community Available for NodeRED

Read this : Best IoT Visual Programming Tools