Command Line Tools

(These cli tools were formally part of the serialport package and have now been moved to their own packages for ease of use.)

All cli tools can be run via npx or installed globally.

For Example:

$ npx @serialport/list
/dev/tty.Bluetooth-Incoming-Port
/dev/tty.usbmodem1421    Arduino (www.arduino.cc)

#or

$ npm install -g @serialport/list
$ serialport-list
/dev/tty.Bluetooth-Incoming-Port
/dev/tty.usbmodem1421    Arduino (www.arduino.cc)

SerialPort List

$ npx @serialport/list [options]
# or
$ npm install -g @serialport/list
$ serialport-list [options]

The package @serialport/list will install the serialport-list cli tool which lists all available serial ports in different formats.

$ serialport-list -h

  Usage: serialport-list [options]

  List available serial ports

  Options:

    -h, --help           output usage information
    -V, --version        output the version number
    -f, --format <type>  Format the output as text, json, or jsonline. default: text


$ serialport-list
/dev/tty.Bluetooth-Incoming-Port
/dev/tty.usbmodem1421    Arduino (www.arduino.cc)

$ serialport-list -f json
[{"comName":"/dev/tty.Bluetooth-Incoming-Port"},{"comName":"/dev/tty.usbmodem1421","manufacturer":"Arduino (www.arduino.cc)","serialNumber":"752303138333518011C1","locationId":"14200000","vendorId":"2341","productId":"0043"}]

$ serialport-list -f jsonline
{"comName":"/dev/tty.Bluetooth-Incoming-Port"}
{"comName":"/dev/tty.usbmodem1421","manufacturer":"Arduino (www.arduino.cc)","serialNumber":"752303138333518011C1","locationId":"14200000","vendorId":"2341","productId":"0043"}

SerialPort Repl

$ npx @serialport/repl <port>
# or
$ npm install -g @serialport/repl
$ serialport-repl <port>

The package @serialport/repl will install the serialport-repl cli tool which provides a nodejs repl for working with serialport. This is valuable when debugging.

You can make use of the serialport-repl command with;

$ serialport-repl # to auto detect an arduino
$ serialport-repl /dev/tty.usbmodem1421 # to connect to a specific port

It will load a serialport object with debugging turned on.

$ serialport-repl
  serialport:binding:auto-detect loading DarwinBinding +0ms
port = SerialPort("/dev/tty.usbmodem1421", { autoOpen: false })
globals { SerialPort, portName, port }
> SerialPort.list()
  serialport:main .list +6s
[ { comName: '/dev/tty.usbmodem1421',
    manufacturer: 'Arduino (www.arduino.cc)',
    serialNumber: '752303138333518011C1',
    pnpId: undefined,
    locationId: '14200000',
    vendorId: '2341',
    productId: '0043' } ]
> port.write('Calling all Autobots!')
true
> port.read()
  serialport:main _read queueing _read for after open +1m
null
> port.open()
  serialport:main opening path: /dev/tty.usbmodem1421 +30s
  serialport:bindings open +1ms

SerialPort Terminal

$ npx @serialport/terminal  -p <port> [options]
# or
$ npm install -g @serialport/terminal
$ serialport-terminal  -p <port> [options]

The package @serialport/terminal will install the serialport-terminal cli tool which provides a basic terminal interface for communicating over a serial port. ctrl+c will exit.

$ serialport-terminal -h

  Usage: serialport-terminal -p <port> [options]

  A basic terminal interface for communicating over a serial port. Pressing ctrl+c exits.

  Options:

    -h, --help                     output usage information
    -V, --version                  output the version number
    -l --list                      List available ports then exit
    -p, --port, --portname <port>  Path or name of serial port
    -b, --baud <baudrate>          Baud rate default: 9600
    --databits <databits>          Data bits default: 8
    --parity <parity>              Parity default: none
    --stopbits <bits>              Stop bits default: 1
    --echo --localecho             Print characters as you type them

$ serialport-terminal -l
/dev/tty.Bluetooth-Incoming-Port
/dev/tty.usbmodem1421    Arduino (www.arduino.cc)