diff --git a/hardware/Arduino/35-arduino.html b/hardware/Arduino/35-arduino.html
index ee7a420f..d958b89c 100644
--- a/hardware/Arduino/35-arduino.html
+++ b/hardware/Arduino/35-arduino.html
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
         <select type="text" id="node-input-state" style="width: 150px;">
             <option value="INPUT" data-i18n="arduino.state.in.digital"></option>
             <option value="ANALOG" data-i18n="arduino.state.in.analogue"></option>
+            <option value="STRING" data-i18n="arduino.state.in.string"></option>
         </select>
     </div>
     <div class="form-row">
@@ -83,6 +84,7 @@
             <option value="OUTPUT" data-i18n="arduino.state.out.digital"></option>
             <option value="PWM" data-i18n="arduino.state.out.analogue"></option>
             <option value="SERVO" data-i18n="arduino.state.out.servo"></option>
+            <option value="STRING" data-i18n="arduino.state.out.string"></option>
         </select>
     </div>
     <div class="form-row">
@@ -106,7 +108,7 @@
         color:"#3fadb5",
         defaults: {
             name: {value:""},
-            pin: {value:"",required:true},
+            pin: {value:"",required:false},
             state: {value:"",required:true},
             arduino: {type:"arduino-board"}
         },
diff --git a/hardware/Arduino/35-arduino.js b/hardware/Arduino/35-arduino.js
index e16a31ad..9a5ecf59 100644
--- a/hardware/Arduino/35-arduino.js
+++ b/hardware/Arduino/35-arduino.js
@@ -102,6 +102,13 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
                         node.send(msg);
                     });
                 }
+                if (node.state == "STRING") {
+                    node.board.on('sysex', function(e) {
+                        var string = new Buffer(e.data.slice(0, -1)).toString("utf8").replace(/\0/g, "");
+                        var msg = {payload:string, topic:"string"};
+                        node.send(msg);
+                    });
+                }
             });
         }
         else {
@@ -127,9 +134,10 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
             node.board.on('connect', function() {
                 node.status({fill:"green",shape:"dot",text:"node-red:common.status.connected"});
                 //console.log("o",node.state,node.pin);
-                node.board.pinMode(node.pin, node.state);
+                
                 node.on("input", function(msg) {
                     if (node.state === "OUTPUT") {
+			node.board.pinMode(node.pin, node.state);
                         if ((msg.payload === true)||(msg.payload.toString() == "1")||(msg.payload.toString().toLowerCase() == "on")) {
                             node.board.digitalWrite(node.pin, true);
                         }
@@ -138,12 +146,14 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
                         }
                     }
                     if (node.state === "PWM") {
+			node.board.pinMode(node.pin, node.state);
                         msg.payload = parseInt((msg.payload * 1) + 0.5);
                         if ((msg.payload >= 0) && (msg.payload <= 255)) {
                             node.board.analogWrite(node.pin, msg.payload);
                         }
                     }
                     if (node.state === "SERVO") {
+			node.board.pinMode(node.pin, node.state);
                         msg.payload = parseInt((msg.payload * 1) + 0.5);
                         if ((msg.payload >= 0) && (msg.payload <= 180)) {
                             node.board.servoWrite(node.pin, msg.payload);
@@ -152,6 +162,16 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
                     if (node.state === "SYSEX") {
                         node.board.sysex(msg.payload);
                     }
+                    if (node.state === "STRING") {
+                        var bytes = new Buffer(msg.payload.toString(), "utf8");
+                        var data = [];
+                        for (var i = 0, length = bytes.length; i < length; i++) {
+                            data.push(bytes[i] & 0x7F);
+                            data.push((bytes[i] >> 7) & 0x7F);
+                        }
+                        data.push(0);
+                        node.board.sysex(0x71, data);
+                    }
                 });
             });
         }
diff --git a/hardware/Arduino/locales/en-US/35-arduino.json b/hardware/Arduino/locales/en-US/35-arduino.json
index 5cb66418..b1cbe233 100644
--- a/hardware/Arduino/locales/en-US/35-arduino.json
+++ b/hardware/Arduino/locales/en-US/35-arduino.json
@@ -18,12 +18,14 @@
         "state": {
             "in": {
                 "digital": "Digital pin",
-                "analogue": "Analogue pin"
+                "analogue": "Analogue pin",
+		"string": "String"
             },
             "out": {
                 "digital": "Digital (0/1)",
                 "analogue": "Analogue (0-255)",
-                "servo": "Servo (0-180)"
+                "servo": "Servo (0-180)",
+		"string": "String"
             }
         },
         "tip": {
@@ -35,4 +37,4 @@
             "devnotfound": "device __dev__ not found. Trying to find board."
         }
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}