WebUSB DMX512 Controller

Manage a DMX512 universe with an Arduino-based controller directly from the browser by leveraging WebUSB.

👉 To fully understand the background of this module you should read the article How to build a WebUSB DMX512 Controller by using an Arduino. 👈

Table of Contents

• ES6 module
  • Install
  • API Documentation
  • Usage
  • Browser Support
• Demo
  • Run locally
• Build your own controller
  • Hardware

---

ES6 module

The module can be used in projects where you want to control a DMX512 controller over WebUSB. It's written in JavaScript and contains only one Class called Controller.

Install

Install the webusb-dmx512-controller module into your project:

npm install webusb-dmx512-controller

API Documentation

Can be found on API documentation.

Usage

import Controller from 'webusb-dmx512-controller/controller.js'

const controller = new Controller()
const activateButton = document.getElementById('activateWebUsb')

// Listen for click events on the activate button, because
// `controller.enable` must be triggered by a user gesture
activateButton.addEventListener('click', e => {

  // Enable WebUSB and select the Arduino
  controller.enable().then(() => {

    // Create a connection to the selected Arduino
    controller.connect().then(() => {

      // Update the 1 channel of the DMX512 universe with value 255
      controller.updateUniverse(1, 255)
    })
  })
})

Also make sure to take a look the code behind the demo to get more usage examples.

The module is also used in luminave in it's usb-dmx-manager component.

Browser Support

In order to use the module you have to use a browser that supports WebUSB:

• Chrome 61 + 62: Behind flags
  • chrome://flags/#enable-experimental-web-platform-features
• Chrome 63+: Native support

---

Demo

In order to test the WebUSB DMX512 Controller directly in the browser you can use the demo on GitHub. The code behind the demo can be found in the repository.

Run locally

• Clone this repository
• Install the dev dependencies by executing npm install inside the repository
• Execute npm start to start the local web server
• Open the demo on localhost:8080

---

Build your own controller

Check out the article "How to build a WebUSB DMX512 Controller by using an Arduino" as it provides a detailed explanation on how to use the content of this repository to build your own WebUSB DMX512 Controller:

Hardware

• 1 x Arduino, tested with:
  • Arduino Leonardo
  • Arduino Leonardo ETH
  • Seeeduino Lite
• 1 x 2.5kV Isolated DMX512 Shield for Arduino - R2