Particle CLI

The Particle CLI is a powerful tool for interacting with your devices and the Particle Cloud. The CLI uses node.js and can run on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux fairly easily. It's also open source so you can edit and change it, and even send in your changes as pull requests if you want to share!

Known Issues

The Wireless Photon Setup Wizard will only automatically switch networks on OS X. Users of other operating systems will need to manually connect their computer to the Photon's Wi-Fi. You will be prompted during the wizard when this is required.

Installing

If you've already installed `spark-cli`, please uninstall it before continuing.

Simply type: `npm uninstall -g spark-cli` into the command line.

First, make sure you have node.js installed!

Next, open a command prompt or terminal, and install by typing:

$ npm install -g particle-cli
$ particle cloud login

Note! If you have problems running this, make sure you using Terminal / the Command Prompt as an Administator, or try using sudo

$ sudo npm install -g particle-cli

Install (advanced)

To use the local flash and key features you'll need to install DFU-util and openssl. They are freely available and open-source, and there are installers and binaries for most major platforms as well.

Here are some great tutorials on the community for full installs:

Installing on Ubuntu

Installing on Windows

Installing on Mac OS X:

Rather than installing these packages from source, and instead of using MacPorts, it is relatively straightforward to use Homebrew to install DFU-util and openssl. Once you have installed brew the basic command is brew install DFU-util openssl.

Upgrading

To upgrade Particle-CLI, enter the following command:

$ npm update -g particle-cli

Running from source (advanced)

To grab the CLI source and play with it locally

git clone git@github.com:spark/particle-cli.git
cd particle-cli
npm install
node app.js help

Getting Started

These next two commands are all you need to get started setting up an account, claiming a device, and discovering new features.

particle setup

Guides you through creating a new account, and claiming your device!

$ particle setup

particle help

Shows you what commands are available, and how to use them. You can also give the name of a command for detailed help.

$ particle help
$ particle help keys

Apply the CC3000 patch [Core only]

The easiest way to apply the CC3000 patch is to flash the known "cc3000" firmware followed by the "tinker" firmware over USB.

1.) Make sure you have DFU-util installed

2.) Connect your Core via usb, and place it into DFU mode by holding both buttons, and releasing reset, keep holding mode until your Core flashes yellow.

3.) Run particle flash --usb cc3000

This will run a special firmware program that will update the firmware running inside the CC3000 WiFi module. When it's done running, your Core will be blinking yellow in DFU-mode, you'll need to flash regular firmware like Tinker to get connected and developing again.

4.) Run particle flash --usb tinker

This will flash a new version of Tinker to your Core and return to a blinking blue "listening" state, where you can:

5.) Run particle setup or particle setup wifi to provide your network credentials to get connected again.

Performing a "Deep update"

Any Core shipped before Summer 2014 would benefit from having this update applied at least once. It improves the Core's performance on very busy networks, and helps fix other minor issues. This update now ships with the CLI so you can apply it to Cores that are unable to get online otherwise.

1.) Make sure you have DFU-util installed

2.) Connect your Core via usb, and place it into DFU mode by holding both buttons, and releasing RESET, keep holding MODE until your Core flashes yellow.

3.) Run particle flash --usb deep_update_2014_06

4.) Your Core should reboot and try to connect to any previously saved wifi networks, and then update itself again.

Command Reference

particle setup wifi

Helpful shortcut for adding another wifi network to a device connected over USB. Make sure your device is connected via a USB cable, and is slow blinking blue listening mode

$ particle setup wifi

particle login

$ particle login

particle logout

Logout and optionally revoke the access token for your CLI session.

$ particle logout

particle list

Generates a list of what devices you own, and displays information about their status, including what variables and functions are available

$ particle list

Checking with the cloud...
Retrieving devices... (this might take a few seconds)
my_device_name (0123456789ABCDEFGHI) 0 variables, and 4 functions
  Functions:
    int digitalwrite(string)
    int digitalread(string)
    int analogwrite(string)
    int analogread(string)

particle device add

Adds a new device to your account

$ particle device add 0123456789ABCDEFGHI
Claiming device 0123456789ABCDEFGHI
Successfully claimed device 0123456789ABCDEFGHI

particle device rename

Assigns a new name to a device you've claimed

$ particle device rename 0123456789ABCDEFGHI "pirate frosting"

particle device remove

Removes a device from your account so someone else can claim it.

$ particle device remove 0123456789ABCDEFGHI
Are you sure?  Please Type yes to continue: yes
releasing device 0123456789ABCDEFGHI
server said  { ok: true }
Okay!

particle flash

Sends a firmware binary, a source file, or a directory of source files, or a known app to your device.

Note! When sending source code, the cloud compiles .ino and .cpp files differently. For .ino files, the cloud will apply a pre-processor. It will add missing function declarations, and it will inject an #include " application.h" line at the top of your files if it is missing.

If you want to build a library that can be used for both Arduino and Particle, here's a useful code snippet:

#if defined(ARDUINO) && ARDUINO >= 100
#include "Arduino.h"
#elif defined(SPARK)
#include "application.h"
#endif

Flashing a directory

You can setup a directory of source files and libraries for your project, and the CLI will use those when compiling remotely. You can also create particle.include and / or a particle.ignore file in that directory that will tell the CLI specifically which files to use or ignore.

$ particle flash deviceName my_project

Flashing one or more source files

You can include any number of individual source files after the device Name, and the CLI will include them while flashing your app.

$ particle flash deviceName app.ino library1.cpp library1.h

Flashing a known app

You can easily reset a device back to a previous existing app with a quick command. Three app names are reserved right now: "tinker", "voodoo", and "cc3000". Tinker is the original firmware that ships with the device, and cc3000 will patch the wifi module on your Core. Voodoo is a build of VoodooSpark to allow local wireless firmata control of a device.

$ particle flash deviceName tinker
$ particle flash deviceName cc3000
$ particle flash deviceName voodoo

You can also update the factory reset version using the --factory flag, and over usb with --usb

$ particle flash --factory tinker
$ particle flash --usb tinker

Compiling remotely and Flashing locally

To work locally, but use the cloud compiler, simply use the compile command, and then the local flash command after. Make sure you connect your device via USB and place it into DFU mode.

$ particle compile device_type my_project_folder --saveTo firmware.bin
OR
$ particle compile device_type app.ino library1.cpp library1.h --saveTo firmware.bin
$ particle flash --usb firmware.bin

particle compile

Compiles one or more source file, or a directory of source files, and downloads a firmware binary. This is device specific and must be passed as an argument during compilation.

The devices available are:

photon (alias is 'p')
core (alias is 'c')

eg. particle compile photon xxx OR particle compile p xxxx both targets the photon

Note! The cloud compiles .ino and .cpp files differently. For .ino files, the cloud will apply a pre-processor. It will add missing function declarations, and it will inject an #include " application.h" line at the top of your files if it is missing.

If you want to build a library that can be used for both Arduino and Particle, here's a useful code snippet:

#if defined(ARDUINO) && ARDUINO >= 100
#include "Arduino.h"
#elif defined(SPARK)
#include "application.h"
#endif

compiling a directory

$ particle compile device_type my_project_folder

example particle.include

application.cpp
library1.h
library1.cpp

example particle.ignore

.ds_store
logo.png
old_version.cpp

Compiling one or more source files

You can include any number of individual source files after the device id, and the CLI will include them while compiling your app.

$ particle compile device_type app.ino library1.cpp library1.h

Compiling in a directory containing project files

This will push all the files in a directory that the command line is currently 'cd' in for compilation.

$ particle compile device_type .

particle call

Calls a function on one of your devices, use particle list to see which devices are online, and what functions are available.

$ particle call deviceName digitalwrite "D7,HIGH"
1

particle get

Retrieves a variable value from one of your devices, use particle list to see which devices are online, and what variables are available.

$ particle get deviceName temperature
72.1

particle monitor

Pulls the value of a variable at a set interval, and optionally display a timestamp

Minimum delay for now is 500 (there is a check anyway if you keyed anything less)
hitting CTRL + C in the console will exit the monitoring

$ particle monitor deviceName temperature 5000
$ particle monitor deviceName temperature 5000 --time
$ particle monitor all temperature 5000
$ particle monitor all temperature 5000 --time
$ particle monitor all temperature 5000 --time > my_temperatures.csv

particle identify

Retrieves your device id when the device is connected via USB and in listening mode (flashing blue).

$ particle identify
$ particle identify 1
$ particle identify COM3
$ particle identify /dev/cu.usbmodem12345

$ particle identify
0123456789ABCDEFGHI

particle subscribe

Subscribes to published events on the cloud, and pipes them to the console. Special device name "mine" will subscribe to events from just your devices.

$ particle subscribe
$ particle subscribe mine
$ particle subscribe eventName
$ particle subscribe eventName mine
$ particle subscribe eventName deviceName
$ particle subscribe eventName 0123456789ABCDEFGHI

particle publish

Allows a message to be published via the CLI without using a physical Particle device. This is particularly useful when you are testing your firmware against an actual published event.

There is a --private flag that allows you to publish events to devices subscribing to events with the MY_DEVICES option.

$ particle publish eventName
$ particle publish eventName --private
$ particle publish eventName someData
$ particle publish eventName someData --private

particle serial list

Shows currently connected devices acting as serial devices over USB

$ particle serial list

particle serial monitor

Starts listening to the specified serial device, and echoes to the terminal

$ particle serial monitor
$ particle serial monitor 1
$ particle serial monitor COM3
$ particle serial monitor /dev/cu.usbmodem12345

particle keys doctor

Helps you update your keys, or recover your device when the keys on the server are out of sync with the keys on your device. The particle keys tools requires both DFU-util, and openssl to be installed.

Connect your device in DFU mode, and run this command to replace the unique cryptographic keys on your device. Automatically attempts to send the new public key to the cloud as well.

$ particle keys doctor your_device_id

There have been reports of the new public key not being sent to the cloud, in which case particle keys send will need to be run manually.

particle keys new

Generates a new public / private keypair that can be used on a device.

$ particle keys new
running openssl genrsa -out device.pem 1024
running openssl rsa -in device.pem -pubout -out device.pub.pem
running openssl rsa -in device.pem -outform DER -out device.der
New Key Created!

$ particle keys new mykey
running openssl genrsa -out mykey.pem 1024
running openssl rsa -in mykey.pem -pubout -out mykey.pub.pem
running openssl rsa -in mykey.pem -outform DER -out mykey.der
New Key Created!

particle keys load

Copies a .DER formatted private key onto your device's external flash. Make sure your device is connected and in DFU mode. The particle keys tools requires both DFU-util, and openssl to be installed. Make sure any key you load is sent to the cloud with particle keys send device.pub.pem

$ particle keys load device.der
...
Saved!

particle keys save

Copies a .DER formatted private key from your device's external flash to your computer. Make sure your device is connected and in DFU mode. The particle keys tools requires both DFU-util, and openssl to be installed.

$ particle keys save name_of_file
...
Saved!

particle keys send

Sends a device's public key to the cloud for use in opening an encrypted session with your device. Please make sure your device has the corresponding private key loaded using the particle keys load command.

$ particle keys send 0123456789ABCDEFGHI device.pub.pem
submitting public key succeeded!

particle keys server

Switches the server public key stored on the device's external flash. This command is important when changing which server your device is connecting to, and the server public key helps protect your connection. Your device will stay in DFU mode after this command, so that you can load new firmware to connect to your server.

$ particle keys server my_server.der
Okay!  New keys in place, your device will not restart.

particle keys server ip_address

When using the local cloud you can ask the CLI to encode the IP or dns address into your key to control where your device will connect.

$ particle keys server my_server.pub.pem 192.168.1.10
$ particle keys server my_server.der 192.168.1.10

particle config

The config command lets you create groups of settings and quickly switch to a profile by calling particle config profile-name. This is especially useful for switching to your local server or between other environments.

Calling particle config particle will switch Particle-Cli back to the Particle Cloud API server.

$ particle config profile-name
$ particle config particle
$ particle config local apiUrl http://localhost:8080  //creates a new profile with name "local" and saves the IP-address parameter
$ particle config useSudoForDfu true

Calling particle config identify will output your current config settings.

$ particle config identify
Current profile: particle
Using API: https://api.particle.io
Access token: e671fadd500a8a3921bb78c8d0400d7ba450a847

sennor/particle-cli