Getting Started

Prerequisites

• At least an Arduino or compatible board (Uno, Mega, Leonardo, Fio, Pro, Pro Mini)
  • Arduino UNO
  • Arduino Leonardo
  • Arduino MEGA
  • Arduino FIO
  • Arduino Pro
  • Arduino Pro Mini
  • TinyDuino
• Sparkfun Inventor's Kit (Recommended for getting started)

OSX

• Install Node.js >= 0.10.x
• Install Xcode
• Install node-gyp npm install -g node-gyp

Windows

Via @ThomasDeutsch on https://github.com/rwldrn/johnny-five/issues/48#issuecomment-7696662

• Install Node.js >= 0.10.x 32 bit (unless anyone can confirm success with 64 bit)
• npm --add-python-to-path install --global --production windows-build-tools
• Install node-gyp npm install -g node-gyp

Ubuntu and Debian

• Install Node.js >= 0.10.x apt-get install nodejs
• Install the nodejs-legacy package apt-get install nodejs-legacy
• Install build-essential or a suitable alternative apt-get install build-essential

Arch Linux

• Install Node.js pacman -S nodejs
• Install Arduino Libraries (for firmware flashing) pacman -S arduino

Hello World

Generally Arduino boards (Uno, Mega, Leonardo, Fio, Mini) come pre-flashed with the compiled StandardFirmata firmware. In most cases, getting started is as simple as...

mkdir nodebot && cd nodebot;

npm install johnny-five;

Now open your text editor and create a new file called "strobe.js", in that file type or paste the following:

var five = require("johnny-five"),
    board = new five.Board();

board.on("ready", function() {
  // Create an Led on pin 13
  var led = new five.Led(13);

  // Strobe the pin on/off, defaults to 100ms phases
  led.strobe();
});

Make sure the board is plugged into your host machine (desktop, laptop, raspberry pi, etc). Now, in your terminal, type or paste the following:

node strobe.js

Troubleshooting

Firmware

The StandardFirmataPlus firmware is the one that is used for Johnny-Five to communicate with the board. That means you have to install it first, then you can execute the nodejs programs.

Arduino IDE

• Open Arduino IDE
• Verify correct port and board
• Navigate to File > Examples > Firmata > StandardFirmataPlus
• Load sketch onto board.

Packaged

• Install arduino package on your operating system ).
• Make a firmware folder and save this firmware.ino into it. if the link is dead again and not appearing in the Arduino IDE, use this gist backup.
• Install arduino libraries via arduino --install-library "Firmata,Servo" in the Terminal.
• Flash the arduino board via arduino --board "arduino:avr:uno" --upload ./path/to/firmware/firmware.ino. Remember to change your board according to what you use. See below on how to figure out that identifier.
• If the upload was successful, the board is now prepared for johnny-five usage.

Finding out your Board identifier for arduino-tools

• Go to the package index file of the Arduino tools.
• Download the url entry of the package that contains your boards, for example http://downloads.arduino.cc/cores/avr-1.6.18.tar.bz2.
• Inside the archive, there's a boards.txt file that contains all supported boards. These boards can be used as the last part of the identifier. For example, the boards.txt lists yun meaning the arduino --board "arduino:avr:yun" has to be used.

List of Arduino Board identifiers (May 2017)

This is a compiled list that may not be up-to-date. Use the method described above in case you can't find your board here.

• "arduino:avr:yun" for Arduino Yun
• "arduino:avr:uno" for Arduino/Genuino Uno
• "arduino:avr:diecimila" for Arduino Duemilanove or Diecimila
• "arduino:avr:nano" for Arduino Nano
• "arduino:avr:mega" for Arduino/Genuio Mega or Mega 2560
• "arduino:avr:megaADK" for Arduino Mega ADK
• "arduino:avr:leonardo" for Arduino Leonardo
• "arduino:avr:leonardoeth" for Arduino Leonardo ETH
• "arduino:avr:micro" for Arduino/Genuino Micro
• "arduino:avr:esplora" for Arduino Esplora
• "arduino:avr:mini" for Arduino Mini
• "arduino:avr:ethernet" for Arduino Ethernet
• "arduino:avr:fio" for Arduino Fio
• "arduino:avr:bt" for Arduino BT
• "arduino:avr:LilyPadUSB" for LilyPad Arduino USB
• "arduino:avr:lilypad" for LilyPad Arduino
• "arduino:avr:pro" for Arduino Pro
• "arduino:avr:atmegang" for Arduino NG or older
• "arduino:avr:robotControl" for Arduino Robot Control
• "arduino:avr:robotMotor" for Arduino Robot Motor
• "arduino:avr:gemma" for Arduino Gemma
• "arduino:avr:circuitplay32u4cat" for Arduino Circuit Playground
• "arduino:avr:yunmini" for Arduino Yun Mini
• "arduino:avr:chiwawa" for Arduino Industrial 101
• "arduino:avr:one" for Linino One
• "arduino:avr:unowifi" for Arduino Uno WiFi

Other

Sometimes Windows systems will fail to compile native dependencies, if you run across this case try:

npm install johnny-five --msvs_version=2012