NodeDSF : Interface nodes for Node-Red (V1.1.11 - 06-10-23).

Dakota

@MintyTrebor
would it be possible for you to make a video guide for set up? I'm a mechanical guy, and this software requirement stuff is kind of hard for me to wrap my head around. i have a duet wifi board and i uploaded the NodeDSF_Plugin folder but as far as node red goes i have no idea how to set that up.

MintyTrebor

@Dakota - Hi. There are written instructions on setting up node-red in the NodeDSF installation wiki pages ...

If you prefer video instructions for installing node-red, there are many already available on youtube, for quite a few different platforms.

The NodeDSF node-red nodes should work on any Node-Red installation regardless of platform (windows/pi/docker/linux etc).

Edit: I forgot to add. You say that you have a Duet Wifi Board - So can I infer that you are not using the Duet Board + SBC connected over GPIO configuration?... The DWC plugin does not work for stand alone Duet Boards. (please refer to the wiki).

The node-red NodeDSF nodes work for both standalone and board + SBC configurations.

Dakota

@MintyTrebor
Your inference is correct, I don't currently own a R-Pi (though I would like to get one at some point). So that's where I was getting really confused in the wiki since most documentation seems to point to needing a separate host like an R-Pi. Then I've been trying to figure out how install it without since you said the v1.1 could do so.

MintyTrebor

V1.1.3 Update - Can now monitor global variables for changes.

tekstyle

@mintytrebor is there a tutorial on how to get started. I am node-red illiterate. how would I get my duetwifi board to work with this? my set up is that I have a windows laptop dedicated to DWC and it never turns off.

MintyTrebor

@tekstyle There are written instructions on setting up node-red in the NodeDSF installation wiki pages, however this is primarily aimed at linux users. nodered.org has instructions on installing for windows, and general usage guidance.

The NodeDSF wiki has detailed information on how each its nodes work, and includes example uses, and a video of setting up a flow to send an email on printer status change.

If you want general node-red guidance nodered.org or youtube are your friends.

Sorry - should of also added:
In terms of getting your duet wifi board to work. All you need to know is your Duet Wifi's IP address (and user name and password if you have set one up). You do not have to configure anything on the duet side in order for NodeDSF to work.

tekstyle

@mintytrebor Thank you for the guidance! got a lot on my plate but will look into this in the near future.

tekstyle

@mintytrebor
i am trying to follow your tutorial to setup email but I am getting this when I click on deploy after dragging the debug green box to the flow chart.

"Your flow credentials file is encrypted using a system-generated key. If the system-generated key is lost for any reason, your credentials file will not be recoverable, you will have to delete it and re-enter your credentials. You should set your own key using the 'credentialSecret' option in your settings file. Node-RED will then re-encrypt your credentials file using your chosen key the next time you deploy a change."

I am unsure where to go from here. I am using windows as my machine to run node-red.

MintyTrebor

@tekstyle I don't think that is an error msg just a warning - probably because you have put a user name and password into the send email node. Node-Red stores these types of variables (credentials, api keys, etc) in a separate secured file. The warning is telling you the default encryption of this file is tied to your machine, and not a "key" you have provided.

From the Node-red Forum:

"Open your Node-RED settings file (typically settings.js - but Node-RED logs the full path to the file it is using so you can check).

Find the credentialSecret entry. Remove the // from the start of the line to uncomment it and then change the value (a-secret-key) to be whatever string you want to use to encrypt your credentials file. You will need to remember that value if you every want to move your flows to another machine (for example).

Restart Node-RED. Done."

tekstyle

@mintytrebor

i found the settings.js. uncommented the // as shown below then restarted by closing command prompt. restarted and starting up the service again by typing "node-red" [enter]. went to http://127.0.0.1:1880/ on my web browser. I am stuck here where I don't know where to enter the credential "12345"

  // By default, credentials are encrypted in storage using a generated key. To
    // specify your own secret, set the following property.
    // If you want to disable encryption of credentials, set this property to false.
    // Note: once you set this property, do not change it - doing so will prevent
    // node-red from being able to decrypt your existing credentials and they will be
    // lost.
    credentialSecret: "12345",

this is my start up log:

16 Dec 02:22:22 - [info] Node-RED version: v1.3.5
16 Dec 02:22:22 - [info] Node.js  version: v14.17.1
16 Dec 02:22:22 - [info] Windows_NT 10.0.19041 x64 LE
16 Dec 02:22:23 - [info] Loading palette nodes
16 Dec 02:22:25 - [info] +-----------------------------------------------------
16 Dec 02:22:25 - [info] | uibuilder initialised:
16 Dec 02:22:25 - [info] |   Using Node-RED's webserver
16 Dec 02:22:25 - [info] |   root folder: \Users\dell\.node-red\uibuilder
16 Dec 02:22:25 - [info] |   version . .: 3.3.1
16 Dec 02:22:25 - [info] |   packages . : socket.io
16 Dec 02:22:25 - [info] +-----------------------------------------------------
16 Dec 02:22:25 - [info] Settings file  : C:\Users\dell\.node-red\settings.js
16 Dec 02:22:25 - [info] Context store  : 'default' [module=memory]
16 Dec 02:22:25 - [info] User directory : \Users\dell\.node-red
16 Dec 02:22:25 - [warn] Projects disabled : editorTheme.projects.enabled=false
16 Dec 02:22:25 - [info] Flows file     : \Users\dell\.node-red\flows_DESKTOP-PI7LP0S.json
16 Dec 02:22:25 - [info] Server now running at http://127.0.0.1:1880/
16 Dec 02:22:25 - [info] Waiting for missing types to be registered:
16 Dec 02:22:25 - [info]  - ui_group
16 Dec 02:22:25 - [info]  - ui_tab
16 Dec 02:22:25 - [info]  - ui_template
16 Dec 02:22:25 - [info]  - ui_button
16 Dec 02:22:25 - [info]  - ui_toast
16 Dec 02:22:25 - [info]  - ui_gauge
16 Dec 02:22:25 - [info]  - ui_text

MintyTrebor

@tekstyle Sorry not following you.

You have already specified your credentialSecret as "12345" in settings.js. You should not need to enter it anywhere else.

If you want to change it, then change "12345" in settings.js.

tekstyle

@mintytrebor

i don't think node-red is communicating with DUET when following the email tutorial (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn_XXR3FJ00). link text
here is what my debug looks like. I am now doing this on a rasp pi4 as it wasn't working on my windows 10 machine. I also followed the instructions at link text to install node-red and NODE DSF on it.

dsfModel : msg : Object
object
topic: "dsfModel"
payload: null
dsf: object
monitorMode: "DSF"
monitorError: "No server defined or cannot connect to DSF. Checking again in 10 seconds"
_msgid: "adf0ddc76a5d1eae"

MintyTrebor

@tekstyle Are you using a standalone duet control board, or do you have it connected to an SBC using a ribbon/spi cable?

If you are using a standalone control board you need to set the type to Duet in the connection properties of the monitor node

Then

tekstyle

@mintytrebor

i am using a duet2wifi with a rasp pi4 for node-red.

tekstyle

@mintytrebor

i changed the type to DUET. i also changed my credentialSecret code to false. it seems to be getting something under debug window on the right now. but following your example, i can not see the OM for the command M117 "xxx". if you go to line 141, that is were STATE starts and I do not see the field for displaymessage = "xxx"

12/20/2021, 9:32:20 AM
msg : string[57]
"Error loading flows: Error: Failed to decrypt credentials"
12/20/2021, 9:32:20 AMnode: b881bf70e5d5eca0
dsfModel : msg : Object
object
topic: "dsfModel"
payload: object
fullModel: object
boards: array[1]
0: object
directories: object
empty
fans: array[3]
0: object
actualValue: 0
requestedValue: 0
rpm: -1
1: object
actualValue: 0
requestedValue: 1
rpm: -1
2: object
actualValue: 0
requestedValue: 0
rpm: -1
global: object
ext1: 1
SensorTriggered: 2
heat: object
heaters: array[3]
0: object
active: -273
current: 15.1
standby: 0
state: "active"
1: object
active: 0
current: 14.2
standby: 160
state: "active"
2: object
active: 0
current: -273.1
standby: 0
state: "off"
inputs: array[12]
[0 … 9]
0: object
feedRate: 50
lineNumber: 69
state: "idle"
1: object
feedRate: 50
lineNumber: 0
state: "idle"
2: object
3: object
4: object
5: object
6: object
7: object
8: null
9: object
[10 … 11]
job: object
build: null
duration: null
filePosition: 0
layer: null
layerTime: null
pauseDuration: null
rawExtrusion: null
timesLeft: object
warmUpDuration: null
limits: object
empty
move: object
axes: array[3]
0: object
machinePosition: 0
userPosition: 0
1: object
2: object
currentMove: object
extruders: array[1]
0: object
virtualEPos: -3
network: object
empty
scanner: object
empty
sensors: object
analog: array[3]
0: object
lastReading: 15.1
1: object
2: object
endstops: array[3]
0: object
triggered: false
1: object
2: object
filamentMonitors: array[1]
0: object
status: "ok"
gpIn: array[2]
0: null
1: object
value: 0
probes: array[1]
0: object
value: array[1]
seqs: object
boards: 0
directories: 0
fans: 6
global: 2
heat: 14
inputs: 29753
job: 39
move: 82
network: 7
reply: 168
scanner: 1
sensors: 36
spindles: 0
state: 45
tools: 13
volChanges: array[2]
0: 77
1: 0
volumes: 64929
spindles: array[4]
0: object
current: 0
state: "unconfigured"
1: object
2: object
3: object
state: object
messageBox: object
title: null
message: null
atxPower: true
currentTool: 0
gpOut: array[0]
laserPwm: null
msUpTime: 634
nextTool: 0
previousTool: -1
status: "idle"
time: "2021-12-20T09:32:32"
upTime: 476541
tools: array[2]
0: object
active: array[1]
0: 0
standby: array[1]
state: "active"
1: object
volumes: array[2]
0: object
empty
1: object
patchModel: null
prevModel: null
dsf: object
monitorMode: "Duet"
_msgid: "7916fbc1145cf6f1"

MintyTrebor

@tekstyle ""Error loading flows: Error: Failed to decrypt credentials" is a node-red error (not from NodeDSF) because you have changed your credentialSecret code configuration in your setting.js.

The help text for credentialSecret states changing it will prevent node-red from decrypting existing credentials:

// By default, credentials are encrypted in storage using a generated key. To
 // specify your own secret, set the following property.
 // If you want to disable encryption of credentials, set this property to false.
 // Note: once you set this property, do not change it - doing so will prevent
 // node-red from being able to decrypt your existing credentials and they will be
 // lost.
 //credentialSecret: "a-secret-key",

Which means any ip addresses, usernames, passwords (etc) you configured in your nodes before you changed credentailSecret are no longer accessible to node-red.

I suggest you Reset the settings.js beck to what it was before you changed it.
The default setting is just commented out eg:

//credentialSecret: "a-secret-key",

tekstyle

@mintytrebor
i changed it back to credentialsecret: "a-secret-key" with it commented out. restarted. this is my start log

Starting as a systemd service.
20 Dec 20:55:41 - [info]
Welcome to Node-RED
===================
20 Dec 20:55:41 - [info] Node-RED version: v2.1.4
20 Dec 20:55:41 - [info] Node.js  version: v14.18.2
20 Dec 20:55:41 - [info] Linux 5.10.63-v7l+ arm LE
20 Dec 20:55:42 - [info] Loading palette nodes
20 Dec 20:55:44 - [info] Dashboard version 3.1.2 started at /ui
20 Dec 20:55:44 - [info] Settings file  : /home/pi/.node-red/settings.js
20 Dec 20:55:44 - [info] Context store  : 'storeInFile' [module=localfilesystem]
20 Dec 20:55:44 - [info] Context store  : 'default' [module=memory]
20 Dec 20:55:44 - [info] User directory : /home/pi/.node-red
20 Dec 20:55:44 - [warn] Projects disabled : editorTheme.projects.enabled=false
20 Dec 20:55:44 - [info] Flows file     : /home/pi/.node-red/flows.json
20 Dec 20:55:44 - [info] Server now running at http://127.0.0.1:1880/
20 Dec 20:55:44 - [warn]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Your flow credentials file is encrypted using a system-generated key.
If the system-generated key is lost for any reason, your credentials
file will not be recoverable, you will have to delete it and re-enter
your credentials.
You should set your own key using the 'credentialSecret' option in
your settings file. Node-RED will then re-encrypt your credentials
file using your chosen key the next time you deploy a change.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
20 Dec 20:55:44 - [warn] Error loading credentials: SyntaxError: Unexpected token � in JSON at position 1
20 Dec 20:55:44 - [warn] Error loading flows: Error: Failed to decrypt credentials
20 Dec 20:55:44 - [info] +-----------------------------------------------------
20 Dec 20:55:44 - [info] | uibuilder v4.1.4 initialised
20 Dec 20:55:44 - [info] | root folder: /home/pi/.node-red/uibuilder
20 Dec 20:55:44 - [info] | Using Node-RED's webserver at:
20 Dec 20:55:44 - [info] |   http://127.0.1.1:1880/ or http://localhost:1880/
20 Dec 20:55:44 - [info] | Installed packages:
20 Dec 20:55:44 - [info] |   jquery, socket.io
20 Dec 20:55:44 - [info] +-----------------------------------------------------
20 Dec 20:55:44 - [info] Starting flows
20 Dec 20:55:44 - [info] Started flows

settings.js below

    flowFile: 'flows.json',

    /** By default, credentials are encrypted in storage using a generated key.$
     * specify your own secret, set the following property.
     * If you want to disable encryption of credentials, set this property to f$
     * Note: once you set this property, do not change it - doing so will preve$
     * node-red from being able to decrypt your existing credentials and they w$
     * lost.
     */
//    credentialSecret: false,
//    credentialSecret: "a-secret-key",

for every change made, how do I apply those changes so node-red knows to reset itself or something to decrypt exisiting credentials properly? right now , I just do node-red-stop followed by node-red-start in terminal.

MintyTrebor

@tekstyle Node-red has probably generated a new key automatically now..

Look for a file called something like "flows_#####cred.json" in .node-red folder (the same folder as settings.js) and rename it to "flows#####_cred.old". Then restart node red.

It will probably clear all of the node settings you have already entered, but it should clear the error.

You will have to re-enter the IP and set the mode to Duet in the monitor node of your flow.

tekstyle

@mintytrebor

renamed the flow_cred.json to flow_cred.old.

stop service and start up again. then deleted all old flow and made new ones. it's weird, i can see the objective models in the debug (eg, it knows I have 2 tools configured) but it just doesn't do anything. it never updates (eg, T0 is set to "off" but it always shows "standby"). Also, the debug would just keep displaying new information even before I press the red deploy button

start log below:

pi@raspberrypi:~/.node-red $ node-red
20 Dec 21:33:24 - [info] 

Welcome to Node-RED
===================

20 Dec 21:33:24 - [info] Node-RED version: v2.1.4
20 Dec 21:33:24 - [info] Node.js  version: v14.18.2
20 Dec 21:33:24 - [info] Linux 5.10.63-v7l+ arm LE
20 Dec 21:33:25 - [info] Loading palette nodes
20 Dec 21:33:27 - [info] Dashboard version 3.1.2 started at /ui
20 Dec 21:33:27 - [info] Settings file  : /home/pi/.node-red/settings.js
20 Dec 21:33:27 - [info] Context store  : 'storeInFile' [module=localfilesystem]
20 Dec 21:33:27 - [info] Context store  : 'default' [module=memory]
20 Dec 21:33:27 - [info] User directory : /home/pi/.node-red
20 Dec 21:33:27 - [warn] Projects disabled : editorTheme.projects.enabled=false
20 Dec 21:33:27 - [info] Flows file     : /home/pi/.node-red/flows.json
20 Dec 21:33:27 - [info] Creating new flow file
20 Dec 21:33:27 - [info] +-----------------------------------------------------
20 Dec 21:33:27 - [info] | uibuilder v4.1.4 initialised
20 Dec 21:33:27 - [info] | root folder: /home/pi/.node-red/uibuilder
20 Dec 21:33:27 - [info] | Using Node-RED's webserver at:
20 Dec 21:33:27 - [info] |   http://127.0.1.1:1880/ or http://localhost:1880/
20 Dec 21:33:27 - [info] | Installed packages:
20 Dec 21:33:27 - [info] |   jquery, socket.io
20 Dec 21:33:27 - [info] +-----------------------------------------------------
20 Dec 21:33:27 - [info] Server now running at http://127.0.0.1:1880/
20 Dec 21:33:27 - [info] Starting flows
20 Dec 21:33:27 - [info] Started flows
20 Dec 21:34:43 - [info] Stopping flows
20 Dec 21:34:43 - [info] Stopped flows
20 Dec 21:34:43 - [info] Starting flows
20 Dec 21:34:43 - [info] Started flows

MintyTrebor

@tekstyle The log shows node-red is working without any credential issues now.

I suggest you go into the monitor node and click the pencil edit button next to the ip address

then delete the config

repeat deletion for every item in the list

Then delete the flow and do a full deploy

Go to the connection test example flow from my repo here, then click copy raw contents

In a new flow click the menu and select import

paste the copied raw data into the box, select new flow, and click import

this will create a new "Connection Example" flow

Double click the monitor node (named Duet2 Board), and click the pencil button and set your duet board IP and mode to Duet

Click update, then done, and then do a full deploy.
Open the debug side window

The use the Start & Stop nodes to control the monitor, the output can be seen in the side debug window. It should look something like this: