GhostMessage is fun toy that provides a way to send a message to a connected LED Matrix from a web page.
GhostMessage runs on a NodeJS server, and requires a matrix to receive data over a serial connection. The firmware utilizes the RGB Matrix Panel library and the Adafruit GFX Library. You should be able to install those through the Arduino IDE.
My Panel is backed with a Nootropic Design RGB LED Backpack. This firmware is
compatible with a regular Arduino Uno - you will need to swap the pin on line
14 with the correct Latch pin. For Arduino Unos, change the value to A3
.
To install the dependencies for the Node server, from a command line run:
npm install
This will install the Serial library, and the supporting libraries for the web socket and server.
Run the server by typing in the command line:
node index.js /dev/serial-port-name web-server-port
Arguments are options, the serial port will default to /dev/ttyS0
which is
a dummy port. You should use whatever serial connection your Serial device has
registered as. The web server port will defaul to 8080
.
The default port is 8080
. Once the server is running, you can go to
http://localhost:8080
and you should see the Ghost Message page with a
text box. If the Ghost is Red, Teal, Pink or Orange, you're in good shape. If the
ghost is is "dead" or the retreat colors as in Pacman - the websocket connection
is not active.