Use Node to power TCL light strands through Arduino over the serial port.

serialTCLLights.js

var SerialPort = require("serialport2").SerialPort;
var _ = require("underscore");
var port = new SerialPort();
var t = true;
var f = false;
var stringInput = 'OX';
var colors = {
  red: [0xFF, 0x00, 0x00],
	orange:[0xFF, 0x2B, 0x00],
	yellow: [0xFF, 0xFF, 0x00],
	green: [0x00, 0xFF, 0x00],
	teal: [0x00, 0xFF, 0xFF],
	blue: [0x00, 0x00, 0xFF],
	violet: [0xFF, 0x00, 0xFF],
	
	white: [0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF],
	black: [0x00, 0x00, 0x00],
};

var hLetters = {
	A: [
		[f,t,t,t,t],
		[t,f,t,f,f],
		[t,f,t,f,f],
		[f,t,t,t,t]
	],
	B: [
		[t,t,t,t,t],
		[t,f,t,f,t],
		[t,f,t,f,t],
		[f,t,f,t,f]
	],
	C: [
		[f,t,t,t,f],
		[t,f,f,f,t],
		[t,f,f,f,t],
		[f,t,f,t,f]
	],
	D: [
		[t,t,t,t,t],
		[t,f,f,f,t],
		[t,f,f,f,t],
		[f,t,t,t,f]
	],
	E: [
		[t,t,t,t,t],
		[t,f,t,f,t],
		[t,f,t,f,t],
		[t,f,f,f,t]
	],
	F: [
		[t,t,t,t,t],
		[f,f,t,f,t],
		[f,f,t,f,t],
		[f,f,f,f,t]
	],
	G: [
		[f,t,t,t,f],
		[t,f,f,f,t],
		[t,f,t,f,t],
		[t,f,t,f,t],
		[f,t,t,f,t]
	],
	H: [
		[t,t,t,t,t],
		[f,f,t,f,f],
		[f,f,t,f,f],
		[t,t,t,t,t]
	],
	I: [
		[t,f,f,f,t],
		[t,t,t,t,t],
		[t,f,f,f,t],
	],
	J: [
		[f,t,f,f,f],
		[t,f,f,f,f],
		[t,f,f,f,f],
		[f,t,t,t,t]
	],
	K: [
		[t,t,t,t,t],
		[f,f,t,f,f],
		[f,t,f,t,f],
		[t,f,f,f,t]
	],
	L: [
		[t,t,t,t,t],
		[t,f,f,f,f],
		[t,f,f,f,f],
		[t,f,f,f,f],
		[t,f,f,f,f]
	],
	M: [
		[t,t,t,t,f],
		[f,f,f,f,t],
		[t,t,t,t,f],
		[f,f,f,f,t],
		[t,t,t,t,f]
	],
	N: [
		[t,t,t,t,t],
		[f,f,f,t,f],
		[f,f,t,f,f],
		[f,t,f,f,f],
		[t,t,t,t,t]
	],
	O: [
		[f,t,t,t,f],
		[t,f,f,f,t],
		[t,f,f,f,t],
		[t,f,f,f,t],
		[f,t,t,t,f]
	],
	P: [
		[t,t,t,t,f],
		[f,f,t,f,t],
		[f,f,t,f,t],
		[f,f,f,t,f]

	],
	Q: [
		[f,t,t,t,f],
		[t,f,f,f,t],
		[t,f,f,f,t],
		[f,t,f,f,t],
		[t,f,t,t,f]
	],
	R: [
		[t,t,t,t,f],
		[f,f,t,f,t],
		[f,t,t,f,t],
		[t,f,f,t,f]
	],
	S: [
		[t,f,f,t,f],
		[t,f,t,f,t],
		[t,f,t,f,t],
		[f,t,f,f,t]
	],
	T: [
		[f,f,f,f,t],
		[f,f,f,f,t],
		[t,t,t,t,t],
		[f,f,f,f,t],
		[f,f,f,f,t],
	],
	U: [
		[f,t,t,t,t],
		[t,f,f,f,f],
		[t,f,f,f,f],
		[f,t,t,t,t]
	],
	V: [
		[f,f,t,t,t],
		[f,t,f,f,f],
		[t,f,f,f,f],
		[f,t,f,f,f],
		[f,f,t,t,t]
	],
	W: [
		[f,t,t,t,t],
		[t,f,f,f,f],
		[f,t,t,t,t],
		[t,f,f,f,f],
		[f,t,t,t,t]
	],
	X: [
		[t,f,f,f,t],
		[f,t,f,t,f],
		[f,f,t,f,f],
		[f,t,f,t,f],
		[t,f,f,f,t],
	],
	Y: [
		[f,f,f,f,t],
		[f,f,f,t,f],
		[t,t,t,f,f],
		[f,f,f,t,f],
		[f,f,f,f,t]
	],
	Z: [
		[t,f,f,f,t],
		[t,t,f,f,t],
		[t,f,t,f,t],
		[t,f,f,t,t],
		[t,f,f,f,t]
	],
	' ': [
		[f,f,f,f,f],
		[f,f,f,f,f],
		[f,f,f,f,f],
	]

};

// Give a text string, or array of chars, 
//[colors.color], 
//[column characters will start from (index begins with 1)]
//returns an array of bytes: triplets = RGB pixel values
var mapHLetters = function(hLetterArray, color, columnStart){
	var fixedLetterArray = [],
		pixelArray = [],
		idx = 0; 
	color = color || colors.white;
	columnStart = columnStart || 1;

	_.each(hLetterArray, function(va, ke){
		var letterMap = hLetters[va];
		_.each(letterMap, function(val, key) {
			var flipVal = _.clone(val);
			flipVal.reverse();
			if (columnStart % 2 == 1){
				fixedLetterArray.push(val);
			}
			else {
				fixedLetterArray.push(flipVal);
			}
			columnStart++;
		} );
		//blank column kern
		fixedLetterArray.push([false,false,false,false,false]);
		columnStart++;

	});

	fixedLetterArray = _.flatten(fixedLetterArray, false);
	_.map(fixedLetterArray, function(va, ke){
		if (va == false){
			pixelArray.push(colors.black);
		}
		else {
			pixelArray.push(color);
		}
	});

	return _.flatten(pixelArray, false);
};

// Give a byte array of triplets, (like the return from mapHletters)
// [delay] 
// [number of times to show] 0 for infinite, default = 1
// writes bytes to serial port.
var scroll = function(byteArray, delay, repeat){
	var arrayOfArrays = [],
		tinyArray = [],
		countToThree = 0,
		smallArray = [],
		countToFive = 0,
		repeat = repeat || 1,
		delay = delay || 500,
		columnCount;
	console.log(JSON.stringify(byteArray));

	//split array into arrays of five triplets (3D array)
	_.each(byteArray, function(v,k){
		myByte = byteArray.shift();
		countToFive = countToFive % 5;
		countToThree = countToThree % 3; 
		if (countToThree == 0) {
			tinyArray = [myByte];
		}
		else {
			tinyArray.push(myByte);
		}
		if (countToThree == 2){
			if (countToFive == 0){
				smallArray = [tinyArray];
			}
			else {
				smallArray.push(tinyArray);
			}
			countToFive++;
		}
		if (countToFive == 4){
			arrayOfArrays.push(smallArray);
		}
		countToThree++;
	});
	columnCount = arrayOfArrays.length;

	function writeAndMove(cols, array, dlay, rept){
		var pixels = _.flatten(arrayOfArrays, true).lenth,
			columnCount = cols,
			arrayOfArrays = array,
			delay = dlay,
			repeat = rept;
		port.write("DATA " + pixels + "\n");
		port.write(_.flatten(arrayOfArrays, false));
		setTimeout(writeAndMove(columnCount, arrayOfArrays, delay, repeat), dlay);
	}

	writeAndMove(columnCount, arrayOfArrays, delay, repeat);

};


//--------------------



port.on('data', function(data) {
  console.log(data.toString());
});

port.on('error', function(err) {
  console.log(err);
});

port.open('COM4', {
  baudRate: 115200,
  dataBits: 8,
  parity: 'none',
  stopBits: 1
}, function(err) {
  port.write("CHECK\n");
  scroll(mapHLetters(stringInput, [0x21, 0x22, 0x23]));
  // port.write("DATA "+ writeMe.length / 3 +"\n");
  // port.write(writeMe);
  port.write("\n");
  port.close();
});