Curriculum

68 Sections
8 Lessons
Lifetime

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Section 1: Course Orientation, Learning Paths, and Version Baseline
Discover how the course works, what you will build, which learning path best matches your goals, and how to prepare your software, hardware, workspace, and course files for success.
12
- 1.1
  0. Before You Begin: Early Access, Pricing & No-Refund Policy
  9 Minutes
- 1.2
  01. Welcome to Mastering Node-RED
  3 Minutes
- 1.3
  02. What You Will Build: From First Flow to Industrial IIoT
  3 Minutes
- 1.4
  03. How to Use This Course as a Structured Path and Reference Library
  3 Minutes
- 1.5
  04. Choose Your Learning Path
  4 Minutes
- 1.6
  05. Course Software, Hardware, Accounts, and Simulation Options
  3 Minutes
- 1.7
  06. Version-Sensitive Lessons, Source Authority, and the Course Update System
  4 Minutes
- 1.8
  07. Set Up Your Student Workspace and Course Files
  4 Minutes
- 1.9
  Section 1 Guided Integration Exercise
- 1.10
  Independent Practice: Create Your Node-RED Study Charter
- 1.11
  Troubleshooting Scenario
- 1.12
  Chapter 1 Quiz: Course Orientation, Learning Paths, and Version Baseline
  4 Questions
Section 2: Node-RED, Low-Code, and Event-Driven Foundations
Learn what Node-RED is, how flow-based and event-driven programming works, and where Node-RED fits across home automation, IoT, IT, OT, edge, cloud, and industrial environments.
0
Section 3: Windows 11 and Networking Essentials
Build the essential Windows 11, PowerShell, file-system, IP addressing, port, DNS, firewall, and connectivity skills needed to install, access, and troubleshoot Node-RED confidently.
0
Section 4: Installing Node.js and Node-RED on Windows 11
Install and verify Node.js and Node-RED on Windows 11, explore the Node-RED user directory, enable safe LAN access, and troubleshoot or reinstall the runtime when necessary.
0
Section 5: Your First Flow and the Edit-Deploy-Test Cycle
Build your first working Node-RED flow, configure Inject and Debug nodes, deploy and test changes, trace messages, document your work, and export a reusable flow.
0
Section 6: Mastering the Node-RED 5 Editor
Navigate the Node-RED 5 editor efficiently, customize its workspace and sidebars, organize nodes visually, use search and keyboard shortcuts, and apply accessibility and productivity settings.
0
Section 7: Professional Flow Organization and Development Workflow
Develop maintainable Node-RED applications by applying consistent naming, layout, documentation, grouping, testing, and deployment practices while learning how to recognize and refactor confusing flows.
0
Section 8: Core Nodes I — Inject, Debug, Change, and Switch
Master four essential Node-RED nodes and use typed inputs, property paths, context values, and routing rules to build and troubleshoot a practical multi-route message processor.
0
Section 9: The Node-RED Message Object
Understand the msg object in depth, including payloads, topics, identifiers, nested properties, arrays, message mutation, cloning, and techniques for tracing data through multi-step flows.
0
Section 10: Data Types, Conversion, and Input Validation
Handle strings, numbers, Booleans, objects, arrays, buffers, missing properties, and invalid values while building a reusable validation flow for reliable real-world telemetry.
0
Section 11: JSON Fundamentals
Learn how to read, create, parse, stringify, navigate, validate, and transform JSON data so you can work confidently with APIs, devices, databases, and structured Node-RED messages.
0
Section 12: JSONata and Low-Code Transformation
Use JSONata to select, filter, map, reshape, calculate, aggregate, and transform data within Node-RED, and learn when JSONata offers a cleaner solution than JavaScript.
0
Section 13: CSV, XML, YAML, HTML, CSS, and Text Data
Process and convert common text and structured-data formats, build templates with HTML and CSS, parse web content, and create a flexible multi-format data-conversion pipeline.
0
Section 14: JavaScript Foundations for Node-RED
Learn the practical JavaScript concepts needed for Node-RED, including variables, data structures, control flow, functions, methods, transformations, dates, error handling, promises, and asynchronous logic.
0
Section 15: Function Node Mastery
Create powerful Function nodes that modify and route messages, manage multiple outputs, work asynchronously, use context, report errors and status, and apply reusable logic without overcomplicating flows.
0
Section 16: Context, State, and Configuration-Driven Flows
Manage node, flow, and global state; configure persistent context stores; use environment variables; and build one adaptable stateful flow for development, testing, and production environments.
0
Section 17: Message Sequences, Timing, and Rate Control
Control message sequences and timing with Split, Join, Sort, Batch, Delay, and Trigger nodes while implementing aggregation, rate limiting, smoothing, debounce, watchdog, and device-protection patterns.
0
Section 18: Error Handling with Catch, Status, and Complete
Design flows that fail safely by capturing errors and status changes, standardizing error messages, tracking completion, routing failures, applying bounded retries, and validating recovery through fault injection.
0
Section 19: Link Nodes, Subflows, and Modular Architecture
Transform large flows into maintainable systems using Link nodes, callable service flows, configurable subflows, reusable components, and practical architecture decisions for modular Node-RED development.
0
Section 20: Import, Export, Flow Library, Palette Manager, and npm
Share flows safely, manage configuration nodes and credentials, install and maintain community packages, evaluate compatibility and security, and build a quality gate for third-party Node-RED nodes.
0
Section 21: Files, Watchers, Binary Data, and Windows OS Integration
Read, write, append, watch, and parse files; handle buffers and Base64 data; call Windows commands safely; and build a practical Windows system-monitoring application.
0
Section 22: HTTP and REST Fundamentals
Understand HTTP requests, responses, methods, routes, headers, parameters, bodies, content types, and status codes while designing and building a validated Node-RED CRUD REST API.
0
Section 23: Consuming APIs, Authentication, and Webhooks
Connect Node-RED to external APIs, configure authentication, process responses and errors, manage timeouts and rate limits, send and receive webhooks, and build a weather-data pipeline.
0
Section 24: WebSockets, TCP, and UDP
Compare and implement WebSocket, TCP, and UDP communication, work with framing and binary payloads, manage connections and reconnections, and troubleshoot socket-based Node-RED flows.
0
Section 25: MQTT Fundamentals
Learn MQTT architecture, topics, wildcards, payload design, QoS, retained messages, Last Will and Testament, sessions, and Node-RED MQTT nodes while building a publish-and-subscribe system.
0
Section 26: MQTT Brokers, Security, and Production Architecture
Compare MQTT brokers, install Mosquitto on Windows 11, connect multiple brokers, secure communications with authentication and TLS, design scalable topic structures, and monitor offline devices.
0
Section 27: Sparkplug B and Industrial MQTT
Explore Sparkplug B namespaces, metrics, edge nodes, devices, birth and death messages, and state awareness while building a simulated industrial telemetry flow over MQTT.
0
Section 28: Database Foundations and SQLite
Learn relational database and SQL fundamentals, protect queries from injection, integrate SQLite with Node-RED, store and retrieve historical information, and build a compact data historian.
0
Section 29: MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, and Microsoft SQL Server
Compare and integrate leading relational databases, apply parameterized queries and transactions, secure connections, manage connection pools, diagnose failures, and port flows between database platforms.
0
Section 30: MongoDB, InfluxDB, and Time-Series Data
Compare document and time-series databases, integrate MongoDB and InfluxDB, store and query telemetry, manage timestamps and retention, and build an environmental time-series historian.
0
Section 31: FlowFuse Dashboard Fundamentals
Install and configure FlowFuse Dashboard, understand its page and widget architecture, display and collect live data, and build and troubleshoot your first complete Node-RED dashboard.
0
Section 32: Advanced Dashboards, Responsive Design, and Legacy Migration
Create responsive, accessible, multi-page dashboards with themes, historical charts, database data, dynamic widgets, and custom styling while learning how to migrate legacy node-red-dashboard projects.
0
Section 33: Home Automation with Node-RED
Design event-driven smart-home automations for sensors, lighting, plugs, energy monitoring, schedules, presence, overrides, MQTT devices, and notifications while building a complete home automation controller.
0
Section 34: Home Assistant, Hue, Zigbee, Z-Wave, and Matter
Integrate Node-RED with Home Assistant and evaluate smart-home connectivity through Philips Hue, Zigbee, Z-Wave, Matter, MQTT, and APIs while addressing security, privacy, and troubleshooting.
0
Section 35: Raspberry Pi, ESP32, and Edge IoT
Deploy Node-RED on Raspberry Pi, work safely with GPIO and sensors, build an MQTT edge gateway, design ESP32 telemetry, simulate hardware, and plan offline operation, security, and backup.
0
Section 36: Serial Communications, RS-232, and RS-485
Understand Windows COM ports, serial settings, USB adapters, RS-232, RS-485, framing, buffers, and Node-RED serial nodes while preparing for reliable Modbus RTU communications.
0
Section 37: Industrial Automation, OT, and Safety Foundations
Learn how PLCs, HMIs, SCADA, MES, historians, industrial networks, and edge gateways work, where Node-RED belongs in OT, and which deterministic and safety-critical functions it must never replace.
0
Section 38: Modbus TCP
Master Modbus data areas, function codes, addressing, offsets, package selection, polling, timeouts, and troubleshooting while building a simulated Modbus TCP server and monitoring system.
0
Section 39: Modbus RTU, Data Types, Endianness, and Diagnostics
Communicate with Modbus RTU devices over RS-485, decode signed values, floating-point data and bit fields, correct byte and word order, scale registers, and build a reusable normalization layer.
0
Section 40: OPC UA
Explore OPC UA architecture, namespaces, NodeIds, browsing, subscriptions, security policies, certificates, and authentication while connecting Node-RED to a simulator and building a secure monitoring flow.
0
Section 41: Siemens S7 and PROFINET Integration
Understand Siemens PLC families, S7 addressing, current integration nodes, polling and change detection, safe read/write practices, PROFINET limitations, security, and simulator-based troubleshooting.
0
Section 42: Rockwell / Allen-Bradley and EtherNet/IP
Learn Rockwell PLC integration options, EtherNet/IP and CIP fundamentals, tag-based and legacy addressing, safe data access, polling strategies, device-load management, security, and troubleshooting.
0
Section 43: Schneider, Omron, Mitsubishi, Beckhoff, and AutomationDirect
Apply a vendor-neutral strategy to major PLC brands, compare available protocols and community nodes, and create a practical test plan for secure, maintainable industrial integration.
0
Section 44: BACnet and KNX Building Automation
Understand BACnet/IP objects and properties, KNX integration options, community-node evaluation, data normalization, network segmentation, and secure Node-RED integration within building automation systems.
0
Section 45: SNMP, DNP3, and CAN Bus
Monitor infrastructure with SNMP, examine secure SNMPv3 operation, explore DNP3 utility applications and CAN/CAN-FD communications, and understand package, platform, security, and troubleshooting limitations.
0
Section 46: AMQP, RabbitMQ, Kafka, and Event Streaming
Compare message queues and event streams, integrate Node-RED with RabbitMQ and Kafka, understand routing and acknowledgments, and design secure, reliable systems that handle backpressure and failure.
0
Section 47: Real-Time Data Engineering and Telemetry Pipelines
Design a production-style telemetry pipeline that validates, normalizes, enriches, timestamps, filters, aggregates, correlates, and routes multi-vendor data to storage, dashboards, alerts, and downstream systems.
0
Section 48: Industrial Dashboards, Alarms, Downtime, and OEE
Build an industrial operations dashboard that presents machine states, production counts, alarms, trends, downtime, energy use, and OEE while respecting the limits of non-safety-certified visualization systems.
0
Section 49: Resilience, Recovery, and Graceful Degradation
Prepare flows for real-world failures with timeouts, retries, reconnection, stale-data handling, watchdogs, error queues, store-and-forward, state recovery, and controlled degraded operation.
0
Section 50: Systematic Debugging and Troubleshooting
Apply a repeatable troubleshooting method across flows, runtime logs, browser tools, APIs, MQTT, sockets, databases, files, serial devices, Modbus, OPC UA, industrial protocols, and performance problems.
0
Section 51: Node-RED Projects and Runtime Configuration
Create and manage Node-RED Projects, handle dependencies and encrypted credentials, use essential Git concepts, configure settings.js, run multiple instances, and migrate projects safely between environments.
0
Section 52: Windows Startup, Backup, Restore, and Upgrades
Run Node-RED automatically on Windows, create complete backups, restore and validate runtimes, plan safe Node.js and Node-RED upgrades, test breaking changes, and prepare reliable rollback procedures.
0
Section 53: Securing the Node-RED Editor, Admin API, HTTP Nodes, and Dashboards
Threat-model Node-RED, configure editor and Admin API authentication, protect HTTP endpoints and dashboards, secure credentials and environment variables, reduce attack surface, and validate controls through testing.
0
Section 54: HTTPS, TLS, Certificates, and Reverse Proxies
Understand certificates, private keys, trust chains, HTTPS configuration, PFX/P12 files, renewal, reverse proxies, authentication, security headers, and practical methods for diagnosing TLS failures.
0
Section 55: Network Segmentation, VPNs, Zero Trust, and OT Security
Design secure Node-RED network architecture using firewalls, VLANs, industrial zones and conduits, DMZs, VPNs, jump hosts, Zero Trust principles, asset management, IEC 62443, and NIST guidance.
0
Section 56: Logging, Monitoring, and Observability
Create structured logs, monitor runtime resources and message health, track device and service connectivity, build watchdogs and operational dashboards, and generate meaningful health alerts.
0
Section 57: Performance Engineering and Scaling
Measure and improve Node-RED performance by addressing blocking code, payload size, message frequency, database writes, dashboard and MQTT throughput, state management, scaling approaches, redundancy, and failure domains.
0
Section 58: Docker, Linux, Virtual Machines, and Edge Deployment
Deploy Node-RED with Docker and Docker Compose, manage volumes and upgrades, translate administration skills to Linux and virtual machines, and design secure, offline-capable edge systems.
0
Section 59: AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and Edge-to-Cloud Architecture
Compare edge and cloud processing, explore Node-RED deployment and integration patterns across AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, and address identity, secrets, cost, latency, resilience, and hybrid architecture.
0
Section 60: Email, Teams, Slack, Telegram, Discord, SMS, and Webhooks
Build a secure multi-channel notification pipeline using email, collaboration platforms, messaging apps, SMS services, and webhooks while controlling authentication, retries, duplication, escalation, and alert fatigue.
0
Section 61: AI and LLM Integration
Connect Node-RED to cloud or local language models for classification, summarization, and event enrichment while validating structured responses and managing privacy, security, hallucinations, cost, latency, and human oversight.
0
Section 62: Testing, Simulation, and Regression Protection
Create repeatable tests using known inputs, expected outputs, simulated sensors and services, endpoint validation, fault injection, regression techniques, current testing frameworks, and a reusable Node-RED test harness.
0
Section 63: Creating Custom Node-RED Nodes
Design, build, document, secure, test, package, publish, and maintain custom Node-RED nodes using runtime JavaScript, editor HTML, typed properties, configuration nodes, credentials, status, and error handling.
0
Section 64: Official GitHub Source, Releases, Issues, and Community
Use Node-RED's official GitHub organization, repositories, releases, changelogs, issues, pull requests, source code, contribution guidance, forum, and community resources to research problems and stay current.
0
Section 65: Documentation, Runbooks, Change Management, and Production Readiness
Create professional technical documentation, architecture diagrams, inventories, runbooks, maintenance procedures, environment separation, acceptance tests, ownership records, and production deployment and rollback plans.
0
Section 66: Capstone A — Home and IoT Automation System
Combine your skills to design, build, secure, test, document, back up, and validate a complete home or IoT system with devices, MQTT, storage, dashboards, automation, notifications, and failure recovery.
0
Section 67: Capstone B — Industrial IIoT Monitoring and Integration System
Create a secure simulated industrial solution that integrates PLC, Modbus, or OPC UA data with MQTT, historization, dashboards, alarms, health monitoring, segmentation, testing, recovery, and operational documentation.
0
Section 68: Course Completion, Competency Review, and Final Examination
Review every major Node-RED competency, evaluate your progress, plan continued practice and future updates, submit your final project, and demonstrate your knowledge through the cumulative final examination.
0

Curriculum

04. Choose Your Learning Path

Choose Your Learning Path

Your Node-RED training path should reflect your current experience and what you want to accomplish. This lesson will help you identify the most relevant sections without limiting your access to the rest of the course.

You can follow one primary path, combine several paths, or complete the entire course from beginning to end.

Select the Right Node-RED Training Path

Every student should begin with the course orientation and Node-RED foundations. After completing those lessons, choose the route that best supports your goals.

Beginner Path

Choose this path if you have little or no experience with Node-RED, programming, or automation. Follow the foundational lessons in order before progressing to specialized topics.

Data and API Path

This path focuses on messages, JSON, data transformation, APIs, webhooks, databases, dashboards, and real-time data processing. It suits students interested in application integration and data engineering.

IoT and Home Automation Path

Choose this route to connect sensors, MQTT devices, smart-home platforms, Raspberry Pi systems, ESP32 devices, and edge applications.

Industrial Automation Path

This path covers operational technology, PLC integration, Modbus, OPC UA, industrial networking, telemetry, alarms, dashboards, and IIoT architecture. Complete the recommended foundational and safety lessons first.

Administrator and Security Path

Select this route to focus on installation, runtime configuration, authentication, network security, monitoring, backup, recovery, performance, and deployment.

Advanced Developer Path

This path emphasizes JavaScript, reusable flows, subflows, custom nodes, testing, architecture, source control, and maintainable application development.

Adjust Your Path When Needed

Your interests may change as you gain experience. You can switch routes, combine related topics, or return to prerequisite lessons whenever necessary.

Use the Course Pathway Map and Node-RED Skills Matrix to track your progress. The best Node-RED training path is the one that helps you build practical skills while moving steadily toward your personal or professional goals.

Lesson Transcript

The full course contains eight recommended learning paths. A path is a navigation aid, not a restriction. Begin with one primary path and optionally record a secondary path.

Path A, Complete Beginner to Professional, follows the entire course in order. Choose it when you want broad mastery or do not yet know which domain will become most important.

Path B, Home Automation, focuses on foundations, networking and messaging, dashboards, home automation, Home Assistant, IoT devices, notifications, security, testing, and the Home/IoT capstone.

Path C, IoT and Edge, emphasizes MQTT, Sparkplug B where relevant, databases, dashboards, Raspberry Pi, ESP32 or simulators, serial communications, edge deployment, cloud integration, security, testing, and production readiness.

Path D, Data and API Integration, emphasizes core programming and data skills, HTTP, REST, webhooks, sockets, data transformation, databases, testing, documentation, and production practices.

Path E, Dashboard and Visualization, builds the data foundations required for dependable real-time and historical dashboards before focusing on FlowFuse Dashboard and domain-specific visualization.

Path F, Industrial Automation and OT, provides the broadest industrial route: strong foundations, MQTT and data systems, serial and industrial protocols, telemetry, operations dashboards, resilience, security, monitoring, testing, documentation, and the IIoT capstone.

Path G, Node-RED Administrator, centers on installation, runtime configuration, dependencies, projects, startup, backups, security, monitoring, performance, scaling, containers, deployment, and operational readiness.

Path H, Advanced Developer, covers deep message processing, JavaScript, Function nodes, modular architecture, APIs, advanced integrations, testing, custom nodes, source-code research, documentation, and production engineering.

Use the Pathway Map to record your choice. Revisit it after your first major project. Your path may change as your goals become clearer.

Curriculum

Mastering Node-RED: Home, IoT & Industrial Automation

04. Choose Your Learning Path

Select the Right Node-RED Training Path

Beginner Path

Data and API Path

IoT and Home Automation Path

Industrial Automation Path

Administrator and Security Path

Advanced Developer Path

Adjust Your Path When Needed

Lesson Transcript

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