Building Dashboards with Node-RED

When to use Node-RED instead of the native dashboard

The native iGromi OS dashboard covers most cases (time series, OEE, alarms). Node-RED comes in when you need custom logic: combining variables from different machines with your own formula, building a bespoke Andon screen, or integrating a third-party system with no native connector.

Step 1: Enable the Node-RED module

1. In the iGromi OS portal, go to Edge Apps > Node-RED.
2. Enable it on the Bridge or Edge Node where you want the flows to run (it runs as an isolated container, without affecting the rest of the system).
3. Open the visual editor via the Open Editor button — it launches in a new tab.

Step 2: Connect the iGromi node

The module ships with its own nodes (igromi-in / igromi-out) already authenticated against the local Unified Namespace:

1. Drag an igromi-in node onto the canvas.
2. Pick the tag from the asset tree — no need to type MQTT topics by hand.

Step 3: Build the visual interface

1. Install the node-red-dashboard palette from Menu > Manage palette.
2. Wire your igromi-in node to a gauge or chart widget.
3. Group the widgets into tabs by line or area.
4. Deploy with the Deploy button.
5. The dashboard is reachable at http://[edge-ip]:1880/ui.

Step 4: Custom logic (example)

To compute your own indicator, for instance real-time energy cost:

1. Add a function node between the power igromi-in (kW) and the electricity tariff.
2. Write the formula in JavaScript inside the node (e.g. msg.payload = msg.payload * tariffPerKwh;).
3. Send the result to an igromi-out node to publish it back as a calculated tag, also available in the native dashboard.

Note: Anything you publish with igromi-out lands in the Unified Namespace like any other tag — it can be used in alarms, reports or OEE without duplicating logic.