Installation on Mac

To get your Arduino Javascript p5js or vueJS project started, you will need to install a few things on your computer and on the Arduino board.

Getting your Mac ready to go

1. Install Node (npm)

First we will need to get npm up and running on your Mac. You will only need to do this once.

  • Visit the Node website and download the latest version of NPM. Run the installer.

  • Go to Applications -> Utilities (Dienstprogramme) and open the app Terminal.

  • Type npm -version in the Terminal window and press ENTER. If the Terminal responds with a number, e.g. 8.8.0, the installation was successful.

2. Download the arduino-p5js example

  • Visit the arduino-p5js repository and click “download repository”. A zip-file will be downloaded with a name like 99grad-arduino-p5js-(version).zip.

  • Unpack the zip-file on your desktop and rename the folder if you like. In this example we will rename it to project.

  • Switch back to the Terminal. Type ``cd `` in the Terminal and a space at the end.

  • Drag you folder project from the desktop in to the Terminal window. In the Terminal you will now see the path to the folder behind the cd `` command, i.e ``cd /Users/Yourname/Desktop/project. Press ENTER. The Terminal will now navigate to the project-folder.

3. Install the npm-packages

  • Type npm install in the Terminal and press ENTER.

  • You will see tons of strange symbols and warnings. Stay calm and enjoy feeling like a cool programmer.

Let things do their thing. A window might open saying something about Python that needs to be updated or installed. If necessary, go through the installation of Python and then run npm install again in the terminal.

4. Test the application

  • Type npm run serve in the Terminal and press ENTER.

  • After a few seconds a window will open. If you see a big circle with “p5”, you’ve made it!

If you see a blank window or nothing: Check, if the Terminal is saying something about “Sudo password”. If yes, enter the password for your computer (the one you use when you install software). If your password does not work, follow the instructions on this page (German version ) to create a password, then try npm run serve again.

Getting your Arduino ready to go

Next, the Arduino Board needs the correct software.

5. Download the Arduino IDE

  • Download the Arduino IDE from this website and run the installer.

  • Connect your Arduino board to your computer

  • Open the Arduino IDE.

  • In the navigation bar: Go to Tools (Werkzeuge) -> Board and select your Board from the list

  • Go to Tools -> Port and select the correct port. This usually will be something like /dev/cu.usbserial-xxx

6. Install the sketch

  • Visit the nnarduino-sketch repository and click “download repository”

  • Unzip the folder

  • Important: rename the folder to nnarduino-sketch (remove the 99grad- prefix and the id at the end)

  • Open nnarduino-sketch.ino in the folder. The Arduino IDE will open.

  • Go to Sketch -> Upload and wait for the upload to complete

  • You can now close the Arduino IDE. The software is stored on the Arduino and will remain there even after disconnecting the board from the computer.