Node-RED with Xiaomi Yeelight RGBW Smart Bulb

Xiaomi Yeelight is a Wi-Fi smart RGBW LED bulb that you can integrate with Node-RED. So, in this project we’re going to show you how to build a web application with Node-RED and Raspberry Pi to control the Yeelight lamp.

Note: If you have any trouble following this tutorial, you can follow this one instead, that is also compatible with the Xiaomi Yeelight Smart bulb: Node-RED with Xiaomi Mijia Bedside Lamp

Watch the video demonstration

If you want to learn more about the Xiaomi Yeelight specifications and how it works with the official app, go to Maker Advisor to read our review.

Prerequisites

• You should be familiar with the Raspberry Pi – read Getting Started with Raspberry Pi.
• You should have the Raspbian operating system installed in your Raspberry Pi – read Installing Raspbian Lite, Enabling and Connecting with SSH.
• You need Node-RED installed on your Pi and Node-RED Dashboard.

If you like home automation and you want to learn more about Node-RED, Raspberry Pi, ESP8266 and Arduino. I recommend that you download my course: Build a Home Automation System with Node-RED, ESP8266 and Arduino.

Project overview

Here’s some important aspects about the Node-RED application built in this project:

• The Xiaomi Yeelight Smart Wi-Fi Bulb will be controlled using the Yeelight node that you need to install;
• In the application, you have a color picker or a drop-down menu to change the bulb color;
• The application also allows you to change the temperature and brightness;
• Finally, you have the “Toggle” button. This means that if you press that button when the lamp is on, the lamp turns off and vice versa.

Parts required

• Raspberry Pi Board  – read Best Raspberry Pi Starter Kits
• Xiaomi Yeelight Smart Bulb RGBW – E27 AC220V – read full review

You can use the preceding links or go directly to MakerAdvisor.com/tools to find all the parts for your projects at the best price!

Enabling LAN Control

Having the Yeelight bulb connected to your router, you have to go to your Yeelight app and enable the LAN Control.

1) Select the Yeelight Color Bulb:

2) Open the bottom right menu and choose the LAN Control option:

3) Tap the enable button:

After that your Node-RED flow can interact with the Yeelight bulb. You can find the documentation of the Yeelight app here.

Installing the yeelight Node-RED node

To control the Yeelight with Node-RED, first you need to install node-red-contrib-yeelight. In the Terminal window type the following (this may take a few seconds to complete):

pi@raspberrypi:~ $ node-red-stop
pi@raspberrypi:~ $ cd ~/.node-red
pi@raspberrypi:~/.node-red $ npm install node-red-contrib-yeelight

Starting Node-RED

To start Node-RED, enter the following in the Terminal window:

pi@raspberrypi:~ $ node-red-start

To access Node-RED, open a tab in any browser on the local network and type the following:

http://Your_RPi_IP_address:1880

You should replace Your_RPi_IP_address with your Raspberry Pi IP address. If you don’t know your Raspberry Pi IP address, in the Terminal enter:

pi@raspberrypi:~ $ hostname -I

Creating the Node-RED Flow

Before creating the flow, make sure you have the yeelight node, as show in the figure below. If you don’t have the node, check that you’ve followed the instructions above in the Installing the yeelight Node-RED node section.

Here’s the flow to control the Xiaomi Yeelight bulb.

As this flow is a bit complex, we recommend importing the flow we provide instead of building it from scratch. Then, you can make modifications to the flow, if necessary.

Importing the Node-RED flow

To import the Node-RED flow provided, go to the GitHub repository or click the figure below to see the raw file, and copy the code provided.

Next, in the Node-RED window, at the top right corner, select the menu, and go to Import  > Clipboard.

Then, paste the code provided and click Import.

Adding your Yeelight’s IP address

In order to retrieve the Yeelight IP address, you can use the an IP scanner like Advanced IP Scanner or Angry IP Scanner.

In my case, the Yeelight’s IP address is 192.168.1.131. Double-click one of the Yeelight’s nodes:

Open the config node:

Type your Yeelight’s IP address (leave the default port number 55443):

Node-RED UI

After making all the necessary changes, click the Deploy button to save all the changes.

Now, you Node-RED application is ready. To access Node-RED UI and see how your application looks, access any browser in your local networks and type:

http://Your_RPi_IP_address:1880/ui

Your application should look as in the following figure.

Here’s a quick demonstration (for the full demonstration see the video at the beginning of the post):

Wrapping up

In this project we’ve made a Node-RED application to control the Xiaomi Yeelight. We hope you’ve liked this project, and have fun controlling your LED lamp.

Note: If you have any trouble following this tutorial, you can follow this one instead, that is also compatible with the Xiaomi Yeelight Smart bulb: Node-RED with Xiaomi Mijia Bedside Lamp

If you like this project, you may also like:

• Xiaomi Yeelight RGBW Smart Bulb Review
• Node-RED with WS2812B Addressable RGB LED Strip
• What’s the Best LED Strip For Your Project?
• Build a Home Automation System with Node-RED

Thanks for reading.