What does this Realix-ERC with Node-RED integration bring? Realix offers a highly flexible control system developed specifically for escape rooms. Its architecture allows builders to design complete puzzle logic and manage all room effects in a structured, integrated way.
The Realix concept can be viewed as two main parts:
- The Control Layer – responsible for devices, objects, and effect sequences
- The Logic Layer – handling the puzzle schema and overall game control
In the standard setup, the Realix Core Service connects directly to SBUS Boxes, DMX Boxes, and Media Boxes, all of which are auto-discoverable components.
The Control Unit manages every connected device, while the Game Control component executes the puzzle flow, timers, and game states defined in the Realix Designer.
Node-RED integration for external puzzle logic
Many escape-room operators already run their room control on Node-RED, a platform they adopted in earlier projects to connect devices and manage puzzle logic. To make integration straightforward for those setups, Realix is developing a Node-RED connector that exposes the complete control functionality of the Realix Core Service through MQTT.
With this connector in place, all Realix hardware including auto-discoverable SBUS devices, DMX Boxes, Media Boxes, and other smart devices such as audio players, becomes directly accessible from within Node-RED flows. This makes it possible to retain existing Node-RED logic while taking advantage of Realix’s robust and unified hardware layer.
How the integration works
In the original Realix configuration, both control and logic are handled inside the Core Service: the Control Unit drives the hardware, and the Game Control component manages puzzle progression and timing. When used with Node-RED, the Game Control is replaced by external Node-RED flows, while the Realix Core Service continues to handle all hardware interaction.
Communication between both systems runs over MQTT, with inputs, sensors, and RFID events published as topics and output or effect commands received in the same way.
This approach allows escape-room builders to keep using their familiar Node-RED setups, for example, their own DMX or Hue nodes, while gaining access to Realix’s professional hardware environment. Particularly interesting are the RFID Pods connected to the SBUS network, which provide highly stable tag detection without the typical issues seen with generic USB or serial readers.
A bridge between two ecosystems
The Node-RED connector expands the Realix ecosystem by creating a bridge between two established approaches:
the reliability and device integration of Realix, and the existing Node-RED environments already used by many escape-room designers. It makes Realix’s control layer including all auto-discoverable components and smart devices available for any Node-RED-based logic.
Example MQTT topic structure
The Node-RED connector will communicate through MQTT, the lightweight messaging protocol widely used for IoT systems.
In this integration, the Realix Core Service acts as an MQTT client that publishes events and accepts commands.
All topics are organized under the prefix erc/, giving a clear namespace inside the broker.
| Function | Topic example | Direction | Payload example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Input change | erc/input/entry_start_button | to Node-RED | { "value": 1 } |
| Output command | erc/output/cabinet_lock_1/setactive | from Node-RED | { } |
| RFID tag detected | erc/rfid/tarrot_card_reader_1 | to Node-RED | { "tag": "Tarrot Card 4" } |
| Sensor value | erc/sensor/rotary_sensor | to Node-RED | { "value": 3 } |
| Effect or media trigger | erc/effect/start | from Node-RED | { "sequence": "Showcase Intro" } |
| Service status | erc/status | to Node-RED | { "state": "Configured" } |
Note: The table above only illustrates what to expect. The exact topics and message structure may still change in the final version.
Interested and want to know more?
If you are interested and want to know more about this development please contact [email protected] .