Important: v6.0.0 is a complete re-architecting of this library. Improvements include proper device and mode support through an external Device object, correct handling of firmware features, and promise-based functionality for interfacing with device attachments. Although many new features were added, existing code will almost surely break upon upgrade.
LEGO Powered Up is the successor to Power Functions, the system for adding electronics to LEGO models. Powered Up is a collection of ranges - starting with LEGO Education WeDo 2.0 released in 2016, LEGO Boost released in 2017, LEGO Powered Up released in 2018, LEGO Technic CONTROL+ released in 2019, and LEGO Education SPIKE Prime released in 2020. It also includes the 2018 Duplo App-Controlled Train sets.
This library allows communication and control of Powered Up devices and peripherals via Javascript, both from Node.js and from the browser using Web Bluetooth.
Node.js v8.0+ required.
npm install node-poweredup --savenode-poweredup uses the Noble BLE library by Sandeep Mistry. On macOS everything should function out of the box. On Linux and Windows there are certain dependencies which may need installed first.
Note: node-poweredup has been tested on macOS 10.15 and Debian/Raspbian on the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B.
While most Powered Up components and Hubs are compatible with each other, there are exceptions. For example, there is limited backwards compatibility between newer components and the WeDo 2.0 Smart Hub. However WeDo 2.0 components are fully forwards compatible with newer Hubs.
| Device Name | Product Code | Type | WeDo 2.0 Smart Hub | Boost Move Hub | Powered Up Hub | Control+ Hub | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WeDo 2.0 Tilt Sensor | 45305 | Sensor | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 45300 |
| WeDo 2.0 Motion Sensor | 45304 | Sensor | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 45300 |
| WeDo 2.0 Medium Motor | 45303 | Motor | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 45300 76112 |
| Boost Color and Distance Sensor | 88007 | Sensor | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | 17101 |
| Boost Tacho Motor | 88008 | Motor/Sensor | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | 17101 |
| Powered Up Train Motor | 88011 | Motor | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 60197 60198 |
| Powered Up LED Lights | 88005 | Light | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 88005 |
| Control+ Large Motor | 22169 | Motor/Sensor | Partial | No | Yes | Yes | 42099 42100 |
| Control+ XLarge Motor | 22172 | Motor/Sensor | Partial | No | Yes | Yes | 42099 42100 |
| SPIKE Prime Medium Motor | 45678 | Motor/Sensor | Partial | No | Yes | Yes | 45678 |
| SPIKE Prime Large Motor | 45678 | Motor/Sensor | Partial | No | Yes | Yes | 45678 |
| SPIKE Prime Color Sensor | 45678 | Sensor | No | No | Yes | Yes | 45678 |
| SPIKE Prime Distance Sensor | 45678 | Sensor | No | No | Yes | Yes | 45678 |
| SPIKE Prime Force Sensor | 45678 | Sensor | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | 45678 |
In addition, the Hubs themselves have certain built-in features which this library exposes.
| Hub Name | Product Code | Built-In Features | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| WeDo 2.0 Smart hub | 45301 | RGB LED Piezo Buzzer Button |
45300 |
| Boost Move Hub | 88006 | RGB LED Tilt Sensor 2x Tacho Motors Button |
17101 |
| Powered Up Hub | 88009 | RGB LED Button |
60197 60198 76112 |
| Powered Up Remote | 88010 | RGB LED Left and Right Control Buttons Button |
60197 60198 |
| Duplo Train Base | 28743 | RGB LED/Headlights Speaker Speedometer Motor Color and Distance Sensor Button |
10874 10875 |
| Control+ Hub | 22127 | RGB LED Button Tilt Sensor Accelerometer |
42099 42100 |
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The WeDo 2.0 Smart Hub uses an older firmware which is no longer being updated. As a result, only certain motors and sensors work with it. See the table above.
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When used with the Boost Move Hub, the Control+ Motors and SPIKE Prime Motors/Sensors do not currently accept commands (This is a known bug which requires a firmware update from Lego to fix)
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The SPIKE Prime Hub does not use Bluetooth Low Energy, so is not supported via this library. It is recommended you use MicroPython to develop for this Hub using the officially provided tools and software.
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On most Unix systems, you need root permissions to access Bluetooth devices. You may want to grant the node executable access to the Bluetooth adapter
Full documentation is available here.
const PoweredUP = require("node-poweredup");
const poweredUP = new PoweredUP.PoweredUP();
poweredUP.on("discover", async (hub) => { // Wait to discover a Hub
console.log(`Discovered ${hub.name}!`);
await hub.connect(); // Connect to the Hub
const motorA = await hub.waitForDeviceAtPort("A"); // Make sure a motor is plugged into port A
const motorB = await hub.waitForDeviceAtPort("B"); // Make sure a motor is plugged into port B
console.log("Connected");
while (true) { // Repeat indefinitely
console.log("Running motor B at speed 50");
motorB.setPower(50); // Start a motor attached to port B to run a 3/4 speed (75) indefinitely
console.log("Running motor A at speed 100 for 2 seconds");
motorA.setPower(100); // Run a motor attached to port A for 2 seconds at maximum speed (100) then stop
await hub.sleep(2000);
motorA.brake();
await hub.sleep(1000); // Do nothing for 1 second
console.log("Running motor A at speed -30 for 1 second");
motorA.setPower(-30); // Run a motor attached to port A for 2 seconds at 1/2 speed in reverse (-50) then stop
await hub.sleep(2000);
motorA.brake();
await hub.sleep(1000); // Do nothing for 1 second
}
});
poweredUP.scan(); // Start scanning for Hubs
console.log("Scanning for Hubs...");More examples are available in the "examples" directory.
Thanks go to Jorge Pereira (@JorgePe), Sebastian Raff (@hobbyquaker), Valentin Heun (@vheun), Johan Korten (@jakorten), and Andrey Pokhilko (@undera) for their various works, contributions, and assistance on figuring out the LEGO Boost, WeDo 2.0, and Powered Up protocols.