node-red-contrib-stop-watch

A Node-RED node that functions as a stopwatch, capable of starting, stopping, and resetting based on incoming messages. The time is displayed in the format hh:mm:ss.

Install

To install this node, run the following command in your Node-RED user directory (typically ~/.node-red):

npm install node-red-contrib-stop-watch

Usage

After installing, you can find the node in the "Bufferstack.IO" category within the Node-RED editor.

Configuration

• Name: The name of the node, which can be used to label it in your flows.

Messages

The node responds to messages with the following topics:

• start: Starts the stopwatch when the payload is true.
• stop: Stops the stopwatch when the payload is true.
• reset: Resets the stopwatch to 00:00:00 when the payload is true.

Output

The node outputs the current stopwatch time as a string in the format hh:mm:ss every second while running.

Potential Use Scenarios

• Cycle Time Measurement in Manufacturing: Track the time taken for each cycle in a manufacturing process to identify bottlenecks and optimize production efficiency.
• Task Duration Tracking in Project Management: Monitor the time spent on tasks and activities to enhance productivity and ensure project timelines are met.
• Automation Processes: Use as part of automated workflows to measure and respond to the duration of various processes, enhancing control and precision in operations.
• Cooking and Baking: Keep track of cooking and baking times in automated kitchen setups, ensuring consistency and quality in culinary tasks.
• Healthcare Applications: Measure and track time-sensitive medical procedures or treatment durations to ensure adherence to protocols and improve patient care.
• Laboratory Experiments: Monitor and record the duration of various steps in scientific experiments to ensure accuracy and reproducibility.

Example Flow

Here's an example flow demonstrating how to use the stopwatch node:

[{"id":"a1","type":"inject","z":"1","name":"Start","props":[{"p":"payload"},{"p":"topic","vt":"str"}],"payload":"true","payloadType":"bool","topic":"start","x":150,"y":60,"wires":[["b1"]]},{"id":"a2","type":"inject","z":"1","name":"Stop","props":[{"p":"payload"},{"p":"topic","vt":"str"}],"payload":"true","payloadType":"bool","topic":"stop","x":150,"y":120,"wires":[["b1"]]},{"id":"a3","type":"inject","z":"1","name":"Reset","props":[{"p":"payload"},{"p":"topic","vt":"str"}],"payload":"true","payloadType":"bool","topic":"reset","x":150,"y":180,"wires":[["b1"]]},{"id":"b1","type":"stopwatch","z":"1","name":"Stopwatch","x":340,"y":120,"wires":[["debug1"]]},{"id":"debug1","type":"debug","z":"1","name":"Debug","active":true,"console":"false","complete":"payload","x":510,"y":120,"wires":[]}]

License

This project is licensed under the GPL-3.0 License. See the LICENSE file for details.

Author

Created by Harshad Joshi.

Links

• GitHub Repository