HiveMQ integrates with Node-RED

Overview

HiveMQ and Node-RED are frequently deployed together in IoT architectures. HiveMQ handles device connectivity and message brokering, while Node-RED provides visual flow-based programming for data processing and integration.

Integration architecture

Node-RED includes a built-in MQTT input node that connects to HiveMQ as a client. The typical data flow is:

1. Sensors publish to HiveMQ on topics like factory/line1/temperature
2. Node-RED subscribes to factory/line1/# via the MQTT input node
3. Node-RED processes messages (transform, filter, enrich)
4. Node-RED outputs to InfluxDB, databases, or external APIs

Configuration

In Node-RED's MQTT input node, configure:

• Server: HiveMQ broker address (or broker.hivemq.com for testing)
• Port: 1883 (MQTT) or 8883 (MQTT over TLS)
• Client ID: Unique identifier
• Topic: Subscription pattern (can use wildcards like + and #)

Use cases

• Manufacturing: PLC data via HiveMQ → Node-RED → MES/ERP systems
• Smart buildings: Sensor data aggregation and alerting
• Asset tracking: GPS data processing and geofencing

Tradeoffs

• Node-RED maintains a persistent connection to HiveMQ; consider connection pooling for many Node-RED instances
• For high-throughput scenarios, consider using Node-RED's batching capabilities
• HiveMQ's WebSocket support allows Node-RED dashboards to subscribe directly from browsers