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Introduction to Node Control IDE

Node Control IDE is a web-based programming environment that provides a runtime environment for developing applications on various microcontrollers such as STM32, MSP432, and PLCs. Node Control IDE is a drag-and-drop programming environment that enables developers to create IIoT applications quickly and easily without needing to write complex code.

Create an Account

You need an invitation link before you can start using Node Control IDE. After you receive the invitation link to your email, click on the link or copy and paste the link into the address bar of your browser to access the web page where you can create an account, and follow the steps below.
- On the Sign-Up screen that appears, your username and email address used in the invitation link email will be written, and you can change them if you wish.
- Then, fill in the “First Name”, “Last Name”, “Password”, and “Confirm Password” fields from top to bottom and then click on the create account button. If you have completed the steps correctly, welcome to Node Control. If you cannot log in, please contact the support team.
- You are currently on the Project List screen. As you create projects, they will be listed on this screen.
- There are 2 buttons in the upper right corner. You can click the new project button to create your first project, or you can import a project saved on your computer to the IDE by clicking the import project button.
- You can view the project list in either list view or grid view by clicking on the icons next to these buttons.
- Now, let’s create our first project in Node Control by following the steps given below.

For detailed information, you can watch the video below.

Create a Project

Navigate to the Project List screen and follow the steps below. The Project List screen is the home screen of the IDE and can also be accessed by clicking on the home icon next to the logo in the top left corner. Please remember to save your projects, otherwise your actions will not be saved.

  • Click on the new project button in the upper right corner of the project list screen.
  • You will be presented with the “Project Create” screen. Enter the name of your project in the “Name” field and select your team from the “Select Team” field. “Select Team” is a feature of the IDE that allows you to create teams with your coworkers and manage different projects with different teams.
  • Fill in the “Description” field to provide a description of your project, and then click on the “Save” button to save your project.
  • Your project has now been created and is ready to work on. You are now in the IDE workspace, where a panel containing the “Functions” and “Devices” tabs is located on the left side of the screen. You can switch between these two tabs by clicking on the Functions and Devices icons in the top left corner of the panel.
  • The Functions tab contains function blocks that you can use, while the Devices tab includes your registered devices and the “New Device” button at the bottom of the panel that allows you to create new devices.
  • On the right side of your workspace, you will find a collapsible panel containing operation and feature tabs such as “Properties,” “Help,” “Output,” “Debug,” and “Solution Tree”.
  • The “Properties” and “Help” tabs are located side by side in the upper left corner of the panel.
  • When you click on a function block or device, the Properties tab becomes active in the left panel.
  • Under the Properties tab, you can see the properties of the selected function block or device and enter parameter inputs,outputs or features.
  • The “Help” icon is located next to the Properties icon. You can access the description and usage examples of the selected function block from this tab.
  • On the right side of these icons, there are three groups of “Output,” “Debug,” and “Solution Tree” icons placed side by side.
  • In the “Output” tab, you can see the processing steps, outputs, and deployment status of your project.
  • Click on the “Clear Output” icon to clean up the Output tab.
  • The “Debug” tab is located to the right of the Output tab, where you can perform debugging operations and view error outputs in detail.
  • The “Solution Tree” tab, located on the right side of the Debug icon, displays the directory of your project created in the branching form, allowing you to access the subdirectories and parent directories of your project, and view components and project configurations.
  • Please refer to the Node Control IDE User Manual to learn more about its usage features and functions.

For detailed information, you can watch the video below.

Create a Device

Now let’s take a look at how to create and use devices, which is the most important step in creating our project.

  • Click on the Devices tab located in the left-hand panel. The Devices tab icon is located next to the Functions icon in the left-hand panel.
  • Once you click on the Devices tab icon, you will be taken to the Devices tab.
  • The first thing you will see on the Devices tab is the “My Devices” tab, which displays your previously saved devices for your projects. If you want to work with one of your saved devices, open the My Devices tab and click and drag the device you want from the displayed panel to your workspace. Your device is now ready to use.
  • If you haven’t saved any devices before or don’t have a device yet, you need to create a new device. While the Devices tab is open, click on the “New Device” button located in the bottom left-hand panel. This will open the “Create Device” panel.
  • In the “Name” field, give your device a name. Next to the Name field, click on the “Select Board Type” field and select the desired platform from the available options.
  • Once you’ve filled in the Name and Board Type fields, the other fields will be automatically filled in with default values by the IDE. You can make any necessary changes.
  • Click on the “Select Runtime Type” field to select the desired runtime, then click on the “Select OS Type” field to select the desired OS. Fill in the OS Version field and click on the “Bootloader Type” field to select your desired bootloader type. Fill in the “Silicon Version” field and click on the HMI Type field to select your desired HMI type.
  • The “HMI Screen Width and Height” fields at the bottom of the panel default to “480-272”. You can enter the values that suit your needs.
  • Once you have completed all the fields for your device, you can save your device by clicking on the “Save” button or save and place your device in your workspace by clicking on the “Save&Place” button. You can now see your newly created device under the My Devices tab.
  • If you want to exit the Create Device panel without saving, click on the “Cancel” button or click anywhere outside the panel.
  • Remember, if you exit without clicking the Save button, your device will not be saved.

For detailed information, you can watch the video below.

Create a Channel

Creating a channel is necessary to establish communication between the device and the Node Control IDE. Channels provide a way for data to be transferred between the device and the IDE, allowing for real-time monitoring and control of the device’s operations. Without a channel, the IDE would not be able to communicate with the device or receive any data from it.Let’s take a look at the steps to create a channel now.

  • Click on the device in the workspace to open the “Device Definition” window.
  • Click on the “Channel” tab in the Device Definition window.
  • Fill in the “Name” field to give the channel a name.
  • Select the “Communication Type” from the drop-down menu.
  • Give the connection port a name in the “Port Name” field.
  • Enter the “Slave Address” of the device in the Slave Address field.
  • Click on the “Baudrate” field and select the rate you want.
  • Click in the “Parity” field and select one of the options “No parity”, “Even”, “Odd”.
  • Click the “Save” button to save the channel.
  • The channel will now appear in the workspace and can be used to communicate with the device.

To view the channel in the workspace, go to the Functions tab and click on the Channels sub-tab. You can then drag and drop the channel to the deploy connection point to establish a connection with the device.

If you want to “delete” a channel, simply right-click on the channel and select Delete from the context menu.

Deploy

  1. First, ensure that the device is connected to the computer via the communication port.
  2. Click on the device for which you want to deploy the project, and then click on the “Channel” tab in the device definition window that appears.
  3. Create a Channel.
  4. Enter the address of the slave device in the “Slave Address” field.
  5. Save the changes by clicking on the “Save” button.
  6. Navigate to the “Deploy” tab in the IDE workspace.
  7. Select the device and channel that you have just created from the drop-down menus in the “Deploy Configuration” section.
  8. Click on the “Deploy” button to start the deployment process.
  9. Once the deployment process is complete, the device will start running the project.

Resources

Tutorials

Node Control IDE provides step-by-step tutorials on how to create IIoT applications using the platform.

Documentation

Node Control IDE provides comprehensive documentation on how to use the platform.

Support

Node Control IDE is a powerful tool for creating IIoT applications quickly and easily. By following the steps outlined in this getting started guide, you should be able to start creating IIoT applications using the platform. If you have any questions or issues, be sure to consult the documentation or reach out to Node Control Developer Team for assistance.