FYI - for those that are reading this in the future, make sure that your power supply ground is grounded to the RPi ground. That tripped me up.

https://www.npmjs.com/package/rpi-ws2801 vs.
https://www.npmjs.com/package/lpd8806-async

I work on an own repository for this one but unfortunaly do not have much time at the moment, you can check that out as well. I thought of an option which sais that you are using ws2801 or lpd8806 and the module handles it … but a lot stuff to do.

https://github.com/Ashidian/MMM-PiLights

it jumped everytime into the try catch.

but now it is working fine…
and you need to install the ws2801 npm packages from
https://www.npmjs.com/package/rpi-ws2801

here is the file:
(but i dont know if the uplaod worked…)
[0_1485084948629_node_helper.js](Uploading 100%)

/* global require */

const _ = require('lodash');
const Color = require('color');
const NodeHelper = require('node_helper');
const bodyParser = require('body-parser');
const LPD8806 = require('lpd8806-async');
//const WS2801	 = require('rpi-ws2801');
const async = require('async');

var ajv = require('ajv')({
    allErrors: true,
    format: 'full',
    coerceTypes: true
});

module.exports = NodeHelper.create({

    config: {},
    animationRunning: false,
    stopAnimationRequest: false,
    defaultSpeed: 100,

    /**
     * node_helper start method
     */
    start: function () {
        console.log('[PiLights] Starting node_helper');

        this.expressApp.use(bodyParser.json());
        this.expressApp.use(bodyParser.urlencoded({ extended: true }));

        this.expressApp.get('/PiLights', (req, res) => {
            console.error('[PiLights] Incoming:', req.query);

            if (typeof req.query.sequence !== 'undefined') {
                // Sequence

                this.runSequence(req.query.sequence)
                    .then(function () {
                        res.status(200)
                            .send({
                                status: 200
                            });
                    })
                    .catch(function (err) {
                        res.status(400)
                            .send({
                                status: 400,
                                error: err.message
                            });
                    });

            } else {
                res.status(400)
                    .send({
                        status: 400,
                        error: 'Sequence not specified'
                    });
            }
        });
    },

    /**
     *
     * @param {String} notification
     * @param {*}      payload
     */
    socketNotificationReceived: function (notification, payload) {
        if (notification === 'START') {
            this.config = payload;

            try {
                console.info('Trying to load leds');

                // Internal reference to rpi-ws2801
                this.leds = require("rpi-ws2801");
                this.leds.connect(this.config.ledCount, this.config.device);
                // Initialize off
                this.leds.fill(0x00, 0x00, 0x00);
                //this.leds.setMasterBrightness(this.config.brightness);

                console.log('[PiLights] Leds connected ok');

            } catch (err) {
                console.error('[PiLights] Unable to open SPI (' + this.config.device + '), not supported?', err.message);
                this.leds = null;
            }

        } else if (notification === 'SEQUENCE') {
            Promise.resolve(this.runSequence(payload)
                .catch(function (err) {
                    console.log('[PiLights] Sequence error: ' + err.message);
                }));
        }
    },

    /**
     * Runs a light sequence
     *
     * @param   {String}  sequence
     * @param   {Integer} [iterations]
     * @returns {Promise}
     */
    runSequence: function (sequence, iterations) {
        var self = this;
        iterations = iterations || 20;

        return new Promise(function (resolve, reject) {
            var colors = [0, 0, 0];

            switch (sequence) {
                case 'blue_pulse':
                    colors = [0, 0, 255];
                    break;
                case 'white_pulse':
                    colors = [255, 255, 255];
                    break;
                case 'lightblue_pulse':
                    colors = [0, 255, 255];
                    break;
                case 'red_pulse':
                    colors = [255, 0, 0];
                    break;
                case 'green_pulse':
                    colors = [0, 255, 0];
                    break;
                case 'orange_pulse':
                    colors = [255, 170, 0];
                    break;
                case 'pink_pulse':
                    colors = [255, 0, 255];
                    break;
                case 'off':
                    colors = [0, 0, 0];
                    iterations = 1;
                    break;
                default:
                    reject(new Error('Unknown sequence: ' + sequence));
                    return;
                    break;
            }
            resolve(self.pulse(colors[0], colors[1], colors[2], iterations, 20));

        });
    },

    /**
     * @param {Function} cb
     * @returns {*}
     */
    switchAnimation: function (cb) {
        if (!this.animationRunning) {
            return this.startAnimation(cb);
        }

        this.stopAnimationRequest = true;

        if (this.animationRunning) {
            //console.log('animation was running, delaying new animation');

            var self = this;
            setTimeout(function () {
                self.switchAnimation(cb);
            }, 100);
        } else {
            this.startAnimation(cb);
        }
    },

    /**
     *
     * @param {Function} cb
     * @returns {Function}
     */
    startAnimation: function (cb) {
        //console.log('[PiLights] Starting animation..');
        this.stopAnimationRequest = false;
        this.animationRunning = true;
        return cb();
    },

    /**
     *
     */
    stopAnimation: function () {
        //console.log('[PiLights] Animation stopped.');
        this.animationRunning = false;
    },

    /**
     *
     */
    update: function () {
        //        if (this.leds) {
        //            this.leds.update();
        //        }
    },

    /**
     *
     * @param {Integer} red
     * @param {Integer} green
     * @param {Integer} blue
     * @param {Integer} [iterations]
     * @param {Integer} [speed]
     */
    pulse: function (red, green, blue, iterations, speed) {
        if (this.leds) {
            this.switchAnimation(() => {
                console.log('[PiLights] Pulse (' + red + ',' + green + ', ' + blue + ') Iterations: ' + iterations + ', Speed: ' + speed);
                this.flashEffect(red, green, blue, iterations, speed);
            });
        }
    },

    /**
     *
     * @param r
     * @param g
     * @param b
     */
    fillRGB: function (r, g, b) {
        if (this.leds) {
            this.switchAnimation(() => {
                //console.log('[PiLights] Filling leds with', r, g, b);
                this.leds.fill(r, g, b);
                this.stopAnimation();
            });
        }
    },

    /**
     *
     */
    off: function () {
        if (this.leds) {
            //console.log('[PiLights] Setting Leds Off');
            this.leds.fill(0x00, 0x00, 0x00);
            this.stopAnimation();
        }
    },

    /**
     *
     * @param {Integer} r
     * @param {Integer} g
     * @param {Integer} b
     * @param {Integer} [iterations]
     * @param {Integer} [speed]
     */
    flashEffect: function (r, g, b, iterations, speed) {
        var self = this;
        var step = 0.05;
        var total_iterations = 0;

        speed = speed || 10; // ms
        iterations = iterations || 99999;

        var level = 0.00;
        var dir = step;

        function performStep() {
            if (level <= 0.0) {
                level = 0.0;
                dir = step;
                total_iterations++;
            } else if (level >= 1.0) {
                level = 1.0;
                dir = -step;
            }

            level += dir;

            if (level < 0.0) {
                level = 0.0;
            } else if (level > 1.0) {
                level = 1.0;
            }

            if (self.stopAnimationRequest || total_iterations > iterations) {
                self.stopAnimation();
                return;
            }

            self.leds.fill(r * level, b * level, g * level);


            setTimeout(performStep, speed);
        }

        if (this.leds) {
            performStep();
        }
    }

});

I think it would be great for this module to implement both possibilities of LED strips so one can set the type in the properties, wouldn’t it?

What does the server console log report after the text [PiLights] Incoming: ?

req.query.sequence should contain the string name of the sequence you’re requesting.

yeah i made a infinite mirror behind the magic mirror :-)

your animations are working fine with my change of your led strip class to my w2801 class.
But if i add some squences in the switch case, for example ‘off’ then i get the request error.

is there some hidn node.js thing where you define the possible sequences?

I have to say i am a C# developer and it is the first time with node.js…
No debugging and intellisense with nano is realy painfull^^

Assuming your tests with curl -X GET "http://yourmagicmirror/PiLights?sequence=blue_pulse" still don’t work, I think I’d need to see all of your changes. If you’ve forked my repo on github can you please link it?

i changed your module to work with the common W2801 Led Strips.

Now i wanted to add some new sequences.
I modified the switch case but everytime i will go to this sequence with the http request i get the answer, squence not found.

this.expressApp.use(bodyParser.urlencoded({extended: true}));

    this.expressApp.get('/PiLights', (req, res) => {
        console.error('[PiLights] Incoming:', req.query);

        if (typeof req.query.sequence !== 'undefined') {
            // Sequence

            this.runSequence(req.query.sequence)
                .then(function () {
                    res.status(200)
                        .send({
                            status: 200
                        });
                })
                .catch(function (err) {
                    res.status(400)
                        .send({
                            status: 400,
                            error: err.message
                        });
                });

        } else {
            res.status(400)
                .send({
                    status: 400,
                    error: 'Sequence not specified'
                 });
        }

So if i send a new sequence then i will get the answer 400 sequence not specified.
Where do you specify the available sequences?

With Best regards
Schmo

MOSI    P1-19  (Master Out Slave In)
MISO    P1-21  (Master In Slave Out)
SCLK    P1-23
GND     P1-25
CE0     P1-24
CE1     P1-26

For DATA_IN, you should use the MOSI (19) pin, and for CLOCK_IN, the SCLK (23) pin. Pins 24 and 26 are chip select pins if you happen to have several SPI slave devices and needed to select which one you’re addressing.

For raspberry pi 3 I’ve connected the pins [DI to 20] and [CI to 24] as labelled in this image.