How to use the 'node_helper', 'serialport'

sdetweil

@nhpunch u cannot talk to hardware in module, you do that in node_helper.

if you split the mirror into two parts server and client… node_helper runs on the server,
module runs in the client browser…(even in the same machine)

here is a package u can install to enable code to talk to serial port in node helper

https://www.npmjs.com/package/serialport

button would be in the module. you can use an html button, or more advanced div and span
then when u get the button action in the module, you sendSocketNotification() a message to the node_helper… then node_helper then talks serial port to your arduino.

nhpunch

@sdetweil

Thank you very much for your reply.

You said that hardware and modules did not communicate, but communication is possible.

  serialport.open(function () {
        console.log('connect...');
        serialport.on('data', function(data) { // 아두이노로부터 전달된 데이터
          console.log('data received: ' + data);
        });

        setInterval( function() { // 2초마다 아두이노에게 문자열을 전송하는 예
          led = !led;
          serialport.write(led==true ? "1" : "0", function(err, result){
            if(err){
             console.log(err);
            }
          });
        }, 5000);
      });

In this code, it is possible to send a string to Arduino

What I’m wondering is how to do sendSocketNotification ().

I referenced https://github.com/MichMich/MagicMirror/tree/master/modules but did not understand

Please let me know how to send it. Then I will be very thankful:folded_hands_light_skin_tone:

sdetweil

@nhpunch there are two parts of a MagicMirror module

node_helper, runs on server, can use require(…some other library…)
module_name.js, runs in browser, manages data presented on screen, cannot use require(…)

so, the two parts can talk to each other by sending socket messages, using the supplied function
sendSocketNotification(some_id_string, some_data_packet)

the receiver of the message gets called at the function socketNotificationReceived(some_id_string, some_data_packet)

get my sample module that has both parts, and uses timer,

https://github.com/sdetweil/SampleModule

also see the developers doc here

https://github.com/MichMich/MagicMirror/tree/master/modules

my sample implements all the functions so you can see them…
not all are needed… so u can comment out the ones u don’t need to use

config for my sample, to add to config.js is

  {
    module: "SampleModule",
    position: "center",
    config: {
      message: "this is a test from config entry"
    }
  },

nhpunch

@sdetweil

I was really grateful and ran the sample code.

But I do not know what to send as a module to do what I want.

Can you help me with my module and node_helper?

sdetweil

@nhpunch sorry, i don’t understand

sdetweil

@sdetweil you make up your own messages…

so, you have a push button on the screen (done by module_name,js)… when push button,
send button name and 1 to node helper… when it gets 1, it uses serial port to send to arduino.

when u let up on button , you send 0…

write out what you WANT the system to do… (design)

then implement THAT design

nhpunch

@sdetweil

I’m doing what you said, but I do not know how to send it to the node_helper when the button is pressed.

I’m so sorry.

sdetweil

@nhpunch this.sendSocketNotification(…,…)

from the doc

this.sendSocketNotification(notification, payload)

notification String - The notification identifier.
payload AnyType - Optional. A notification payload.

If you want to send a notification to the node_helper, use the sendSocketNotification(notification, payload). Only the node_helper of this module will receive the socket notification.

Example:

this.sendSocketNotification('SET_CONFIG', this.config);

you’ll see in the sample that this is used twice… once by the module_name.js to send the config over to the node_helper and once by the node_helper to send a new text string to the module_name.js to display

its also used in your module, from the first post above

  start: function () {
    Log.info("Starting module: " + this.name);
    this.sendSocketNotification('CONFIG', this.config)
  },

nhpunch

@sdetweil

I did my best, but I did not succeed.

I’m a real idiot.

Can you take a look at my code?

sdetweil

@nhpunch sure. Make a GitHub repo, and let me know