node-red-contrib-clab-interfaces 0.0.1

Node-RED nodes for CompuLab IoT Gateway interfaces (IOT-GATE-iMX8, SBC-IOT-iMX8, IOT-GATE-RPi)

npm install node-red-contrib-clab-interfaces

node-red-contrib-clab-interfaces

Node-RED nodes for CompuLab IoT Gateway hardware interfaces.

Note: This is an independent open-source project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by CompuLab Ltd.

Overview

This package provides Node-RED nodes to interact with the hardware interfaces of CompuLab IoT Gateways, including:

• IOT-GATE-iMX8 / SBC-IOT-iMX8
• IOT-GATE-IMX8PLUS / IOT-DIN-IMX8PLUS
• IOT-LINK
• IOT-GATE-RPi

Features

Category	Node	Description
GPIO	clab-gpio-in	Digital input (read GPIO pins)
	clab-gpio-out	Digital output (set GPIO pins)
Serial	clab-serial-in	Serial/RS485 receive
	clab-serial-out	Serial/RS485 transmit
CAN Bus	clab-can-in	CAN bus receive
	clab-can-out	CAN bus transmit
Analog	clab-analog-in	Analog input (4-20mA, 0-10V, PT100/PT1000)
LED	clab-led	User LED control (on/off/blink)
System	clab-system	System info, RTC, Watchdog, TPM, Power
Bluetooth	clab-bluetooth	BT adapter control, scan, connect
GPS	clab-gps	Position, satellites, distance calculation
Cellular	clab-cellular	LTE modem info, connect, signal strength
WiFi	clab-wifi	WiFi status, scan, connect, access point
Ethernet	clab-ethernet	Interface status, DHCP/static IP config
Network	clab-network	Ping, DNS, traceroute, port check, HTTP check

Multiple Add-on Modules Support

CompuLab IoT Gateways support multiple stackable I/O add-on modules, allowing massive expansion of your gateway capabilities.

IOT-DIN-IMX8PLUS - Up to 8 Stackable Modules

The IOT-DIN-IMX8PLUS supports stacking up to 8 I/O expansion modules in positions A through H:

Module Type	Max Stack	Description	Device Index Range
IFM-RS485	3 modules	4x RS485 ports each	Up to 12 RS485 ports (3×4)
IFM-RS232	3 modules	4x RS232 ports each	Up to 12 RS232 ports (3×4)
IFM-DI8O8	8 modules	8 DI + 8 DO each	Up to 64 DI + 64 DO (8×8+8)
IFM-ADC8	8 modules	8x analog inputs each	Up to 64 analog channels (8×8)
IFM-WB	1 module	WiFi 6E + BT 5.3	Single module only
IFM-MESH	3 modules	BT Mesh/Thread/Zigbee	Up to 3 mesh modules
IFM-NVME	1 module	NVMe SSD storage	Position A only

Stacking Rules:

• Maximum 8 modules total (positions A-H)
• RS485/RS232/MESH: maximum 3 combined
• IFM-NVME: must be in position A
• Automatic detection and configuration

Other CompuLab Devices

Device	Base I/O	Add-on Support
IOT-GATE-iMX8/IMX8PLUS	4 DI + Backpanel RS485/RS232	2 Add-on modules
IOT-LINK	2x RS485 (FARS4/FBRS4)	3 DIO base
IOT-GATE-RPi	4x RS485 ports	8 IN/OUT

How to Use Multiple Modules

Serial Ports - Up to 12 RS485 or RS232 Interfaces

Each serial port requires its own configuration node. With 3× IFM-RS485 modules:

// Module A (Position A) - 4 ports
Serial Config 1: /dev/ttyLP6  (or device-specific path)
Serial Config 2: /dev/ttyLP7
Serial Config 3: /dev/ttyLP8
Serial Config 4: /dev/ttyLP9

// Module B (Position B) - 4 ports
Serial Config 5: /dev/ttyLP10
Serial Config 6: /dev/ttyLP11
// ... up to 12 RS485 ports total

Analog Inputs - Up to 64 Channels (8 Modules × 8 Channels)

Use msg.deviceIndex and msg.channelIndex to access different modules:

// Module A, Channel 0-7
msg.deviceIndex = 0;
msg.channelIndex = 0; // to 7

// Module B, Channel 0-7
msg.deviceIndex = 1;
msg.channelIndex = 0; // to 7

// Module C, Channel 0-7
msg.deviceIndex = 2;
msg.channelIndex = 0; // to 7

// ... up to deviceIndex 7 (Module H)

Example: Scanning all 64 analog channels

// Flow context to track current position
var deviceIndex = context.get('deviceIndex') || 0;
var channelIndex = context.get('channelIndex') || 0;

// Set current channel
msg.deviceIndex = deviceIndex;
msg.channelIndex = channelIndex;

// Move to next channel
channelIndex++;
if (channelIndex >= 8) {
    channelIndex = 0;
    deviceIndex++;
    if (deviceIndex >= 8) {
        deviceIndex = 0; // Start over
    }
}

context.set('deviceIndex', deviceIndex);
context.set('channelIndex', channelIndex);

return msg;

Digital I/O - Up to 64 Inputs + 64 Outputs

With 8× IFM-DI8O8 modules, you can have massive I/O capacity:

// Module A: DI0-DI7, DO0-DO7
msg.pin = "DI0"; // First module, first input

// Module B: DI8-DI15, DO8-DO15
msg.pin = "DI8"; // Second module, first input

// ... up to DI63, DO63

CAN Bus - Multiple CAN Interfaces

Create separate configuration nodes for each CAN interface:

// CAN Config 1: can0 @ 500 kbit/s
// CAN Config 2: can1 @ 250 kbit/s

Real-World Use Case: Industrial Monitoring System

Example configuration with IOT-DIN-IMX8PLUS + 8× IFM-ADC8 + 3× IFM-RS485:

// ============================================
// Monitor 64 temperature sensors (PT100)
// via 8 ADC modules + Log data via 12 RS485 
// PLCs distributed across factory floor
// ============================================

// Flow 1: Read all 64 temperature sensors
var device = flow.get('currentDevice') || 0;
var channel = flow.get('currentChannel') || 0;

msg.deviceIndex = device;    // Module A-H (0-7)
msg.channelIndex = channel;  // Channel 0-7

// Round-robin through all channels
channel++;
if (channel >= 8) {
    channel = 0;
    device = (device + 1) % 8;
}
flow.set('currentDevice', device);
flow.set('currentChannel', channel);

// Flow 2: Send aggregated data to PLCs
// Each RS485 port connected to different PLC
// Port mapping handled by 12 separate serial-out nodes
msg.topic = `sensor_${device}_${channel}`;
msg.payload = {
    temperature: msg.payload,
    location: `Module-${device}-CH${channel}`
};

return msg;

Dynamic Module Selection via msg Properties

All nodes support dynamic configuration through message properties:

// Example: Switch between different analog channels
var channels = [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7];
var currentChannel = context.get('currentChannel') || 0;

msg.deviceIndex = 0;
msg.channelIndex = channels[currentChannel];

currentChannel = (currentChannel + 1) % channels.length;
context.set('currentChannel', currentChannel);

return msg;

Installation

Via Node-RED Palette Manager

1. Open Node-RED
2. Go to Menu → Manage Palette → Install
3. Search for node-red-contrib-clab-interfaces
4. Click Install

Via npm

cd ~/.node-red
npm install node-red-contrib-clab-interfaces

Via Docker

Use the provided Docker Compose setup:

git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/node-red-contrib-clab-interfaces.git
cd node-red-contrib-clab-interfaces
docker-compose up -d

Quick Start

GPIO Example

[
    {
        "id": "gpio-in-example",
        "type": "clab-gpio-in",
        "name": "Button Input",
        "device": "IOT-GATE-iMX8",
        "pin": "DI0",
        "interval": 1000
    }
]

Serial RS485 Example

[
    {
        "id": "serial-out-example",
        "type": "clab-serial-out",
        "name": "Modbus TX",
        "port": "/dev/ttymxc2",
        "baudRate": 9600
    }
]

Node Documentation

clab-gpio-in / clab-gpio-out

Digital I/O for CompuLab devices.

Supported Devices:

• IOT-GATE-iMX8: DI0-DI3, DO0-DO3
• IOT-GATE-RPi: GPIO pins via gpiochip0
• IOT-LINK: DI0-DI7, DO0-DO7

Input Properties:

• device - Target device type
• pin - GPIO pin name
• interval - Polling interval (ms)

clab-serial-in / clab-serial-out

RS232/RS485 serial communication.

Configuration:

• port - Serial device path
• baudRate - Baud rate (9600, 19200, 38400, 57600, 115200)
• dataBits - Data bits (7, 8)
• stopBits - Stop bits (1, 2)
• parity - Parity (none, even, odd)

clab-analog-in

Analog input for industrial sensors.

Input Types:

• current - 4-20mA current loop
• voltage - 0-10V or 0-5V voltage input
• temperature - PT100/PT1000 RTD sensors

Output:

Field	Type	Description
payload	number	Measured value (scaled if enabled)
raw	number	Raw ADC value (e.g. 0-4095 for 12-bit)
percent	number	Value as percentage (0-100%)
valid	boolean	True if within expected range
unit	string	Unit of the value
currentMA	number	Current in mA (current type only)
voltage	number	Voltage in V (voltage type only)
celsius	number	Temperature in °C (temperature type only)

Scaling Example:

A pressure sensor with 4-20mA output representing 0-10 bar:

• Input Type: 4-20mA Current
• Enable Scaling: ✓
• Min: 0, Max: 10, Unit: bar

Output:

{
  "payload": 5.5,
  "raw": 2048,
  "currentMA": 12.8,
  "percent": 55,
  "scaled": 5.5,
  "unit": "bar",
  "valid": true
}

clab-can-in / clab-can-out

CAN bus communication.

Configuration:

• interface - CAN interface (can0, can1)
• bitrate - CAN bitrate (125000, 250000, 500000, 1000000)

clab-system

System functions with action selector:

Action	Description
info	System information (hostname, kernel, CPU, memory)
uptime	System uptime
temperature	CPU temperature
rtc-read	Read hardware clock
rtc-set	Set hardware clock
rtc-sync	Sync RTC to system time
watchdog-status	Watchdog status
watchdog-enable	Enable watchdog
watchdog-disable	Disable watchdog
watchdog-kick	Reset watchdog timer
tpm-status	TPM availability
tpm-random	Generate random bytes via TPM
reboot	System reboot
shutdown	System shutdown

clab-bluetooth

Bluetooth control with action selector:

Action	Description
status	Adapter info
enable	Enable Bluetooth
disable	Disable Bluetooth
scan	Scan for devices
devices	List known devices
connect	Connect to device
disconnect	Disconnect from device
remove	Remove paired device

clab-gps

GPS functions:

Action	Description
position	Current position (lat, lon, alt, speed)
satellites	Satellite information
distance	Calculate distance between two points
start-gpsd	Start gpsd daemon
stop-gpsd	Stop gpsd daemon

clab-cellular

LTE/4G modem control:

Action	Description
status	Connection status
info	Modem information (manufacturer, model, IMEI)
sim	SIM card info (IMSI, ICCID)
signal	Signal strength (RSRP, RSRQ, quality %)
connect	Connect to network
disconnect	Disconnect
enable	Enable modem
disable	Disable modem
reset	Reset modem
at-command	Send AT command

clab-wifi

WiFi control:

Action	Description
status	WiFi status
enable	Enable WiFi
disable	Disable WiFi
scan	Scan for networks
connect	Connect to network
disconnect	Disconnect
saved	List saved connections
delete	Delete saved connection
ap-start	Start access point
ap-stop	Stop access point

clab-ethernet

Ethernet configuration:

Action	Description
status	Interface status (IP, MAC, speed)
interfaces	List all interfaces
statistics	RX/TX statistics
enable	Enable interface
disable	Disable interface
dhcp	Enable DHCP
static	Set static IP

clab-network

Network diagnostics:

Action	Description
ping	Ping host
dns	DNS lookup
reverse-dns	Reverse DNS lookup
traceroute	Trace route to host
port-check	Check TCP port
http-check	Check HTTP/HTTPS URL
routes	Show routing table
arp	Show ARP table
speed-test	Simple download speed test

Device Compatibility

Feature	IOT-GATE-iMX8	IOT-GATE-RPi	IOT-LINK	IOT-DIN-IMX8PLUS
GPIO	✅	✅	✅	✅
Serial RS232/485	✅	✅	✅	✅
CAN Bus	✅	❌	✅	✅
Analog 4-20mA	✅	❌	✅	✅
User LED	✅	✅	✅	✅
RTC	✅	✅	✅	✅
Watchdog	✅	✅	✅	✅
TPM	✅	❌	❌	✅
Bluetooth	✅	✅	✅	✅
GPS	✅	✅	✅	✅
LTE Modem	✅	✅	✅	✅
WiFi	✅	✅	✅	✅

Docker Setup

Uses the official Node-RED container with hardware mounts:

version: '3.8'

services:
  node-red:
    image: nodered/node-red:latest
    container_name: node-red-clab
    ports:
      - "1880:1880"
    volumes:
      - node-red-data:/data
      - ./:/data/node_modules/node-red-contrib-clab-interfaces:ro
      - /dev:/dev
      - /sys:/sys:ro
    privileged: true
    group_add:
      - dialout
      - gpio

Start:

docker-compose up -d

Install package in container:

docker exec -it node-red-clab npm install node-red-contrib-clab-interfaces
docker restart node-red-clab

Access: http://localhost:1880

Example Flows

Mount the demo flow to get started quickly:

volumes:
  - ./examples/compulab-demo-flow.json:/data/flows.json:ro

Or import manually in Node-RED: Menu → Import → Select examples/compulab-demo-flow.json

See examples/README.md for details.

Docker Networking Considerations

For full hardware access (especially network interfaces like Ethernet, WiFi, Bluetooth), consider using host network mode:

network_mode: host

Quick Start for WiFi:

• Getting wpa_supplicant: not found or nmcli: not found? → WIFI-DOCKER-QUICKSTART.md

Detailed documentation:

• DOCKER-NETWORK.md - Ethernet and network interface access
• DOCKER-WIFI.md - WiFi configuration and fallback methods
• DOCKER-BLUETOOTH.md - Bluetooth setup and requirements
• WIFI-MULTI-NETWORK.md - Managing multiple WiFi networks

Development

Prerequisites

• Node.js >= 14.0.0
• Node-RED >= 2.0.0

Setup

git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/node-red-contrib-clab-interfaces.git
cd node-red-contrib-clab-interfaces
npm install

Testing

npm test

Project Structure

node-red-contrib-clab-interfaces/
├── nodes/              # Node-RED node definitions
│   ├── clab-gpio.js
│   ├── clab-gpio.html
│   ├── clab-serial.js
│   ├── ...
│   └── icons/
│       └── clab.svg
├── lib/                # Helper libraries
│   ├── gpio-helper.js
│   ├── serial-helper.js
│   ├── can-helper.js
│   ├── system-helper.js
│   ├── bluetooth-helper.js
│   ├── gps-helper.js
│   ├── cellular-helper.js
│   ├── wifi-helper.js
│   ├── ethernet-helper.js
│   ├── network-helper.js
│   └── analog-helper.js
├── test/               # Unit tests
├── examples/           # Example flows
├── docker-compose.yml
├── Dockerfile
└── package.json

API Reference

See API.md for detailed API documentation.

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

License

MIT License - see LICENSE for details.

Resources

• CompuLab IoT Gateways
• CompuLab Wiki - IOT-GATE-iMX8
• Node-RED Documentation

Disclaimer

This project is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by CompuLab Ltd. CompuLab and related product names are trademarks of CompuLab Ltd.

Support

For issues and feature requests, please use the GitHub Issues page.