LedFX MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables AI assistants to interact with and control a local LedFX instance.

Overview

This MCP server provides a bridge between AI assistants (like Claude) and LedFX, allowing you to control your LED lighting setup through natural language. The server exposes LedFX's functionality as MCP tools that AI assistants can use to:

• Query device and virtual information
• List and manage LED devices and virtuals
• Apply effects to virtuals (virtual LED strips)
• Manage and activate scenes
• Create custom palettes and playlists
• Get AI-powered effect recommendations
• Get system information

Features

• 🎨 Control LED effects through natural language
• 🔧 Manage multiple LED devices and virtuals
• 🎭 Activate pre-configured scenes
• 📊 Query device and system information
• 🔒 Type-safe TypeScript implementation
• 🏗️ Built following software design best practices
• 🎨 LedFX colors & gradients via /api/colors (builtin + user-defined)
• 🗂️ Palette management stored as user gradients in LedFX
• 🤖 AI-powered scene creation from natural language descriptions
• 📝 Playlist support for scene sequences
• 💡 Effect recommendations based on mood and description
• 📚 LedFX feature explanations - learn about any LedFX concept
• 🔄 Correct API implementation - uses virtuals (not devices) for effects

Design Principles

This project follows principles from:

Grokking Simplicity

• Separation of Concerns: Actions (I/O operations) are clearly separated from calculations (pure functions)
• Stratified Design: Clear abstraction layers (tools → client → API)
• Immutability: Data transformations use pure functions where possible

A Philosophy of Software Design

• Deep Modules: Complex LedFX API interactions hidden behind simple interfaces
• Information Hiding: Implementation details abstracted from callers
• Minimize Complexity: Each module has a single, focused responsibility

✅ Implementation Status

Current Status: Implemented with Comprehensive Test Suite

This MCP server is implemented against current LedFX APIs and validated with automated tests plus continuous integration checks. The implementation fixes critical API issues (virtuals vs devices) and adds advanced features like palette management, natural language scene creation, and AI-powered recommendations.

Important Notes

1. API Corrections Applied: Effects are correctly applied to virtuals (not devices), matching current LedFX API behavior
2. Comprehensive Testing: 34 tests covering unit and E2E scenarios - all passing
3. CI/CD Pipeline: GitHub Actions workflow with lint, build, test, and coverage jobs
4. Production Ready: Fully documented with installation guide, usage examples, and architecture docs

Documentation

• API Specification - Complete LedFX API reference
• Test Specification - Comprehensive test plans
• Implementation Notes - Design decisions and technical notes
• References - LedFX resources and links
• Installation Guide - Step-by-step setup instructions
• Usage Guide - How to use all features

Status: Ready for production use with LedFX 2.1.4+

Prerequisites

• Node.js 24 or 25
• A running LedFX instance (default: localhost:8888)
• An MCP-compatible AI assistant (e.g., Claude Desktop)

Running LedFX for Testing

Using Docker (Recommended):

# Using docker-compose (included in this repository)
docker-compose up -d

# Or using docker run
docker run -d --name ledfx -p 8888:8888 ledfxorg/ledfx:latest

Using pip:

pip install ledfx
ledfx --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8888

See the official LedFX links in REFERENCES.md for current installation docs.

Installation

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/abossard/ledfx-mcp.git
cd ledfx-mcp

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build and run in one command
npm run dev

Configuration

The server connects to LedFX using the following environment variables:

• LEDFX_HOST: LedFX server host (default: localhost)
• LEDFX_PORT: LedFX server port (default: 8888)

You can set these in your MCP client configuration or as environment variables.

Usage

Claude Desktop Configuration

Add the following to your Claude Desktop configuration file:

• Claude Desktop launches this MCP server over stdio.
• Use Node.js 24 or 25.
• The path must be absolute when using node with dist/index.js.

MacOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json Windows: %APPDATA%/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ledfx": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/ledfx-mcp/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "LEDFX_HOST": "localhost",
        "LEDFX_PORT": "8888"
      }
    }
  }
}

Auto-recompile on every start (recommended for development):

Using npm run start ensures the TypeScript source is recompiled (prestart hook) each time the MCP client launches the server, so you never run stale code:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ledfx": {
      "command": "npm",
      "args": ["run", "start", "--prefix", "/absolute/path/to/ledfx-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "LEDFX_HOST": "localhost",
        "LEDFX_PORT": "8888"
      }
    }
  }
}

If you prefer to run from Git without a local build, use npx as the command:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ledfx": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["github:abossard/ledfx-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "LEDFX_HOST": "localhost",
        "LEDFX_PORT": "8888"
      }
    }
  }
}

Example Interactions

Once configured, you can interact with your LedFX setup through natural language:

Basic Operations:

• "List all my LED virtuals"
• "Activate the rainbow effect on my desk light virtual"
• "Show me all available scenes"
• "Clear effects from all virtuals"

Natural Language Scene Creation:

• "Create a calm ocean scene with slow blue waves"
• "Make an energetic party scene with fast rainbow colors"
• "Create a romantic scene with dim pink and purple gradients"
• "Build a focus scene with steady white light at medium brightness"

Color and Palette Management:

• "List all LedFX colors and gradients"
• "Get color or gradient 'sunset'"
• "Create a user color 'my-magenta' = #FF00FF"
• "Create a new palette called 'Sunset Vibes' with #FFA500, #FF69B4, #800080"
• "Save a playlist of my party scenes"

Effect Recommendations:

• "Recommend effects for a relaxing evening"
• "What effects work well with music?"
• "Suggest something energetic for a party"

Learning LedFX:

• "Explain what virtuals are in LedFX"
• "What's the difference between devices and virtuals?"
• "How do audio-reactive effects work?"
• "Tell me about WLED devices"
• "List all available effect types"

Available Tools

The server exposes 85+ MCP tools organized into categories:

Core Management

Tool	Description
ledfx_get_info	Get LedFX server information (version, features)
ledfx_list_devices	List all physical LED devices
ledfx_get_device	Get details about a specific device
ledfx_list_virtuals	List all virtual LED strips (includes global paused state)
ledfx_get_virtual	Get details about a specific virtual
ledfx_activate_virtual	Activate/deactivate a virtual
ledfx_update_virtual_config	Update virtual config (transitions, brightness, frequency range, matrix)
ledfx_find_devices	Trigger network device discovery
ledfx_get_paused_state	Check if all virtuals are globally paused
ledfx_toggle_pause_all	Toggle global pause on all virtuals
ledfx_get_global_brightness	Get global brightness value (0-1)
ledfx_set_global_brightness	Set global brightness for all virtuals
ledfx_set_startup_scene	Set scene to activate on LedFX startup
ledfx_send_notification	Send notification to LedFX frontend UI

Effect Control (CORRECTED - uses virtuals)

Tool	Description
ledfx_set_effect	Apply an effect to a virtual (not device)
ledfx_update_effect	Update effect configuration
ledfx_clear_effect	Remove effects from a virtual
ledfx_get_effect_schemas	Get schemas for all effect types

Scene Management

Tool	Description
ledfx_list_scenes	List all available scenes
ledfx_activate_scene	Activate a pre-configured scene
ledfx_create_scene	Create new scene from current config
ledfx_delete_scene	Delete a saved scene
ledfx_create_scene_from_description	AI-powered scene creation from natural language

Palette Management (LedFX /api/colors)

Tool	Description
ledfx_list_palettes	List all palettes stored as user gradients
ledfx_create_palette	Create/update a palette (stored as user gradient)
ledfx_get_palette	Get palette by name
ledfx_delete_palette	Delete a palette by name

Playlist Management

Tool	Description
ledfx_list_playlists	List all playlists
ledfx_create_playlist	Create scene sequence playlist
ledfx_get_playlist	Get specific playlist
ledfx_delete_playlist	Delete a playlist

Color Management (LedFX /api/colors)

Tool	Description
ledfx_list_colors	List all colors and gradients from LedFX
ledfx_get_color_or_gradient	Get a specific color or gradient by ID
ledfx_upsert_color_or_gradient	Create/update a user color or gradient
ledfx_delete_color_or_gradient	Delete a user color or gradient
ledfx_delete_user_gradients	Delete all user-defined gradients (includes palettes)

AI Features

Tool	Description
ledfx_recommend_effects	Get effect recommendations based on mood/description
ledfx_explain_feature	Get detailed explanation of any LedFX feature
ledfx_list_features	List all explainable features
ledfx_list_effect_types	List all effect types with descriptions

Preset Management

Tool	Description
ledfx_get_presets	Get presets for a virtual's effect
ledfx_apply_preset	Apply a preset to a virtual
ledfx_save_preset	Save current effect as a user preset
ledfx_delete_preset	Delete a preset for a virtual

Audio Management

Tool	Description
ledfx_list_audio_devices	List audio input devices
ledfx_set_audio_device	Set active audio device

Development

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build the project
npm run build

# Build and run in one command
npm run dev

# Watch mode for development
npm run watch

# Build and run in one command
npm run dev

# Lint the code
npm run lint

# Fix linting issues
npm run lint:fix

Project Structure

ledfx-mcp/
├── src/
│   ├── index.ts         # Main server entry point
│   ├── ledfx-client.ts  # LedFX API client
│   └── tools.ts         # MCP tool definitions and handlers
├── docs/                # Comprehensive documentation
│   ├── API_SPECIFICATION.md      # LedFX API reference
│   ├── TEST_SPECIFICATION.md     # Test plans and requirements
│   ├── IMPLEMENTATION_NOTES.md   # Known issues and fixes needed
│   └── REFERENCES.md             # LedFX resources and links
├── dist/                # Compiled JavaScript (generated)
├── docker-compose.yml   # Docker setup for testing
├── package.json         # Project configuration
├── tsconfig.json        # TypeScript configuration
└── README.md           # This file

Documentation

Comprehensive documentation is available in the docs/ directory:

API Specification

docs/API_SPECIFICATION.md

Complete reference for LedFX REST API endpoints (verified against LedFX 2.1.4 and upstream source):

• All endpoint paths, methods, and parameters
• Data model and orchestration caveats (virtuals, presets, scenes, playlists, blender)
• API behavior quirks and compatibility notes

Test Specification

docs/TEST_SPECIFICATION.md

Comprehensive test requirements and test cases:

• Unit test cases for all components
• Integration test scenarios
• End-to-end workflows
• Performance test criteria
• Compatibility test matrix
• Mock strategies and test fixtures
• Docker-based test environment setup

Implementation Notes

docs/IMPLEMENTATION_NOTES.md

Critical analysis of current implementation vs actual API:

• Known issues and bugs (devices vs virtuals confusion)
• Required fixes before production use
• Missing features and functionality gaps
• Recommended implementation phases
• Migration path for future versions

References

docs/REFERENCES.md

Concise source index for API verification:

• Official LedFX documentation links
• Release/version links
• Upstream source files used to validate API behavior

Architecture

The server is organized into three main layers:

1. MCP Server Layer (index.ts): Handles MCP protocol communication
2. Tools Layer (tools.ts): Defines available tools and routes requests
3. Client Layer (ledfx-client.ts): Abstracts LedFX HTTP API interactions

This layered architecture ensures:

• Clear separation of concerns
• Easy testing and maintenance
• Extensibility for new features

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please ensure your code:

• Follows the existing code style
• Includes appropriate comments
• Passes linting (npm run lint)
• Builds successfully (npm run build)

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details

Resources

• LedFX Documentation
• Model Context Protocol
• MCP TypeScript SDK

Troubleshooting

Server won't connect to LedFX

• Ensure LedFX is running and accessible at the configured host/port
• Check firewall settings
• Verify the LEDFX_HOST and LEDFX_PORT environment variables

Tools not appearing in Claude

• Restart Claude Desktop after configuration changes
• Verify the path to dist/index.js is absolute
• Check Claude Desktop logs for errors

Support

For issues and questions:

• GitHub Issues
• LedFX Community