MMM-PiLights

mlewus

I have been using MMM-PiLights RGB LED string driver module for several years now https://github.com/jc21/MMM-PiLights. It’s currently listed in the MagicMirror 3rd party list but fails

npm install

with MagicMirror 2.17.1 / node 14.18.3 / npm 6.14.15 due to outdated dependencies on the nan and spi-device packages. If enough people are interested it would be great if @bugsounet would include this as a supported 4th party module.

[TLDR]
MMM-PiLights controls a variable number of WS2801 or LPD8806 RGB LEDs connected as a series string to the Raspberry Pi via its SPI interface, using SPI0_SD0 and SPI0_SCLK. It can be triggered from an internal Magic Mirror notification or a HTTP interface. It flashes the LEDs in a particular color. Despite its limited functionality I found it useful to indicate when MMM-Hotword detects a wake up word, when I was using the old MMM-V2GoogleAssistant. I am now transitioning to the 4th party version of Google Assistant here. I have installed versions of node v14.18.3 and npm 6.14.15 in preparation of that transition, and I have all of my other modules working. I have not yet installed MMM-Detector or MMM-GoogleAssistant, though I do have the Google Assistant demo library working properly.

MMM-PiLights will not install with these node/npm versions. The problem is in the required lpd8806-node module which also appears to be abandoned:
https://github.com/Trekky12/LPD8806-node
It has dependencies on outdated versions of nan (@2.14) and spi-device (@2.09) which won’t compile with my versions of node and npm. To fix this, lpd8806-node needs to be updated to nan 2.15.0 and spi-device to 3.1.2. The updated version of lpd8806-node then needs to be included in package.json of MMM-PiLights and a new package-lock.json file generated.

I initially tried installing the correct versions of nan and spi-device and ran electron-rebuild. That failed in multiple places. For instance, lzma-native fails to build properly. I managed to get it installed using MagicMirror-rebuild (thanks, @bugsounet ! ) and manual updates as follows:

cd ~/MagicMirror/modules
git clone https://git hub.com/jc21/MMM-PiLights.git
cd  ~/MagicMirror/modules/MMM-PiLights
npm i magicmirror-rebuild
./node_modules/.bin/MagicMirror-rebuild
/* this fails due to outdated spi-device */
npm install nan@2.15.0 --save
npm install spi-device@3.1.2 --save
 ./node_modules/.bin/MagicMirror-rebuild

I have a C/C++ programming background but little-to-no experience with js, node and npm. If picking this up as a supported package is not possible, I’d appreciate if someone would point me to info about how to generate new package-lock.json files with updated dependency versions. I’ll fork PiLights and lpd8806-node to my own repository and try to do the updates.

Thanks!

bugsounet

Hi @mlewus

Interesting, I could integrated it in GA v4 with EXT_PiLights module
I can try to fix it if you want
of course I can give you access to the library in order to maintain it.

Note, You can usewith v2/v3 even if GA v4 is under coding

bugsounet

@mlewus

can you try this ?
just clone it and npm install it
config is actually the same like original (except: the module name), I have not (again) modify main code
tell me if:

install is ok ?
launch properly ?
functionality are ok ?
what type of led do you use ? (ws2801 or lpd8806 ?)

mlewus

I use the LPD8806. I looked at the changes you made and installed from your repository. It installed without error. I will test it tomorrow morning and make sure the LEDs work. Thanks, I really appreciate this!

mlewus

EXT-PiLights installed with no complaint. I am using LPD8806 LEDs and it works as it should. Thanks so much for this!

bugsounet

@mlewus
Hi, I will code EXT-Led (with this module based and recoded) and I will Hard coding some Led sequence in Gateway

Are you ready for testing my code in some days ?

mlewus

My mirror is working with Pi-Lights test module you previously provided. I can test the new module at any time.