Feature #6 - Automatic Temperature Management for MMU Operations

Problem: Manual MMU operations (LOAD/UNLOAD/EJECT) could fail due to cold extruder, requiring user to manually heat before operations.

Solution: Implemented intelligent temperature management that:

• Automatically checks extruder temperature before filament operations
• Uses gate-specific temperature from RFID tag when available
• Falls back to material-based defaults (PLA=210°C, PETG=240°C, etc.)
• Heats extruder and waits for gate-specific temperature before proceeding
• Provides real-time heating progress in Fluidd console
• Prevents "Extruder must heat up first" errors

Temperature Priority Chain:

1. RFID tag min temperature (from ACE hardware)
2. Material-based default (hardcoded mapping)
3. min_extrude_temp fallback (170°C)

Files Modified: mmu_ace.py (+93 lines in _ensure_extruder_temp)

Console Feedback Example:

Heating extruder to 210°C (gate 1 requires 210°C)...
Waiting for extruder to reach 210°C (current: 145.3°C)...
Heating... 165.2°C / 210°C (10s elapsed)
Extruder ready: 212.1°C
MMU_LOAD: Loading 100mm from gate 1 (index 1) at 25mm/s

Safety Features:

• 5-minute timeout with error message
• Progress updates every 10 seconds
• M104 S{temp} command to set target
• Adaptive polling (slower when far, faster when close)

Feature #7 - Min/Max Temperature Support for Happy Hare Widget

Problem: Fluidd MMU widget needs temperature range information per gate. Previously only single temperature value was provided.

Solution: Extended MMU status with full temperature range:

• gate_temperature_min: Minimum safe temperature from RFID tag
• gate_temperature_max: Maximum recommended temperature from RFID tag
• gate_temperature: Default/display temperature (uses min or material default)

Implementation:

# MmuAceGate class extensions
temperature: int = -1          # Default/display
temperature_min: int = -1      # RFID min
temperature_max: int = -1      # RFID max

# RFID extraction
if temp_data and isinstance(temp_data, dict) and "min" in temp_data:
    gate.temperature_min = temp_data.get("min", -1)
    gate.temperature_max = temp_data.get("max", -1)
    gate.temperature = gate.temperature_min  # Use min as default
elif material:
    gate.temperature = get_material_temperature(material)
    gate.temperature_min = -1  # No range for defaults
    gate.temperature_max = -1

Files Modified: mmu_ace.py (+3 fields in MmuAceGate, +2 arrays in MmuStatus)

Benefits:

• Fluidd can display full temperature ranges per gate
• Better temperature control with RFID filament tags
• Fallback to single-value defaults still works
• Backward compatible (0 used when no range available)

Feature #8 - Comprehensive GoKlipper G-Code Documentation

Problem: ACE G-code commands were undocumented. Behavior was unknown. Parameters and requirements unclear.

Solution: Created complete 827-line reference documentation via systematic testing:

• Tested every discovered G-code command with real hardware
• Documented parameters, behavior, requirements, and limitations
• Recorded actual console output and error conditions
• Identified critical safety requirements and command sequences

Documentation: docs/GOKLIPPER_ACE_GCODE_COMMANDS.md

Testing Methodology:

• Hardware: Anycubic Color Engine Pro (4 slots)
• Firmware: GoKlipper V1.3.863
• Date: 2025-11-26
• Method: Manual testing with real-time observation and parameter variations

Key Findings:

• FEED_FILAMENT always loads complete Bowden distance (~300-400mm)
• LENGTH parameter only affects final extrusion, not load distance
• UNWIND_FILAMENT completely ignores LENGTH parameter
• All commands are synchronous/blocking (return "ok" when complete)
• No automatic unload - must call UNWIND before FEED to prevent blockage
• System loses loaded filament state after restart

Command Coverage:

• ✅ Fully Tested (11 commands): FEED, UNWIND, EXTRUDE, SET_CURRENT, UNWIND_ALL, ACE_INFO, ACE_STATUS, TEST_HUB, CUT, FILAMENT_TRACKER_TEST, etc.
• ⚠️ Context-Dependent (2): REFILL_FILAMENT, RUNOUT_PAUSE (require active print)
• ❌ Not Functional (2): CLEAN_PIPE (GoKlipper bug), UNWIND_CUT_FILAMENT

Feature #9 - Happy Hare GUI Integration Fixes

Problem: Fluidd MMU widget showed wrong button states and couldn't load filaments:

• Load button remained disabled even when filament was unloaded
• Status showed filament as loaded (filament_pos=10) when actually unloaded
• GUI called MMU_LOAD without GATE parameter after MMU_SELECT
• Gate selection was immediately deselected by status updates

Root Causes Identified:

1. get_status() Bug: Method recalculated filament_pos from gate availability instead of using actual tracked position

# BEFORE (WRONG):
if current_gate.status == GATE_AVAILABLE:
    filament_pos = FILAMENT_POS_LOADED  # Always shows loaded!

# AFTER (CORRECT):
filament_pos = self.ace.filament.pos  # Use actual tracked state

2. MMU_LOAD Missing Default: Happy Hare calls MMU_LOAD without parameters after MMU_SELECT

Solutions Implemented:

1. Fixed get_status() Filament Position:

   • Uses self.ace.filament.pos directly (set by SELECT/LOAD/UNLOAD)
   • No longer overwrites with calculated value
   • Respects manual status updates and ACE Hub synchronization

2. MMU_LOAD Now Uses Selected Gate:

   # If no GATE parameter, use currently selected gate
   if gate < 0:
       gate = self.ace.gate

3. Set is_homed=True:

   • Enables Load/Unload buttons in GUI
   • ACE selector is virtual, always "homed"

4. Proper filament_pos Updates:

   • MMU_SELECT → sets filament_pos = UNLOADED
   • MMU_LOAD → sets filament_pos = LOADED
   • MMU_UNLOAD → sets filament_pos = UNLOADED

5. ACE Hub Synchronization:

   • Only syncs when physical state conflicts with MMU state
   • Doesn't interfere with manual gate selection
   • Resets status when ACE Hub shows empty but MMU thinks loaded

Files Modified: mmu_ace.py (+67 lines in status logic and command handlers)

Testing:

• ✅ Load button becomes available after unload
• ✅ Unload button available when filament loaded
• ✅ Gate selection persists correctly
• ✅ MMU_SELECT + MMU_LOAD sequence works from GUI
• ✅ Status correctly reflects LOADED vs UNLOADED state
• ✅ User confirmed: "alles klar läuft nun alles"

Feature #10 - Performance Optimizations & Auto-Unload on Gate Change

Problem: System had performance bottlenecks on low-end hardware (Rockchip RK3328) and required manual unload before loading different gate.

Solution: Implemented comprehensive performance optimizations and smart filament management:

Performance Improvements (70% CPU reduction estimated):

1. Adaptive Temperature Polling:

   • Far from target (>50°C diff): 5s intervals
   • Medium distance (10-50°C diff): 2s intervals
   • Close to target (<10°C diff): 0.5s intervals
   • Reduces API calls from 150 to ~50-75 during heating (67% reduction)

2. Gate Lookup Caching:

   • O(1) cached lookups instead of O(n) linear search
   • Cache invalidation on unit changes
   • Affects all status updates (max 3/sec)

3. LRU Cache with Size Limit:

   • Temperature cache limited to 16 entries (2x max gates)
   • LRU eviction prevents memory leak
   • Prevents unbounded growth with frequent spool changes

4. Parallel RFID Fetching:

   • All temperature data fetched concurrently using asyncio.gather()
   • Startup time: 2-4 seconds → ~0.5 seconds (4-8x faster)
   • Applies to both initial load and status updates

Smart Filament Management:

• Automatic unload of loaded gate when loading different gate
• Tracks loaded_gate separately from selected gate
• Button state logic: Load when gate != loaded_gate, Unload when gate == loaded_gate

Implementation Details:

# Added tracking field
class MmuAce:
    loaded_gate: int = TOOL_GATE_UNKNOWN  # Track physical filament state

# Auto-unload before loading new gate
if self.ace.loaded_gate != TOOL_GATE_UNKNOWN and self.ace.loaded_gate != gate:
    # Unload old gate first
    await self._on_gcode_mmu_unload({"GATE": str(self.ace.loaded_gate)}, None)
    # Then continue with new gate load

# Button state calculation in get_status()
if self.ace.loaded_gate != TOOL_GATE_UNKNOWN and self.ace.loaded_gate == self.ace.gate:
    filament_pos = FILAMENT_POS_LOADED  # Show Unload button
else:
    filament_pos = FILAMENT_POS_UNLOADED  # Show Load button

Files Modified: mmu_ace.py (+27 lines, modified caching and gate logic)

User Experience:

Scenario: Gate 0 loaded, switch to Gate 1 and click Load

Before:
- Error: "Gate 0 is already loaded. Unload it first."
- User must manually unload Gate 0
- Then load Gate 1

After:
- "Gate 0 is currently loaded. Unloading it first..."
- [Automatic unload of Gate 0]
- "Unload complete. Now loading gate 1..."
- [Automatic load of Gate 1]

Performance Metrics (Estimated):

• Startup time: 2-4s → ~0.5s (4-8x faster)
• Status update CPU: ~10ms → ~2-3ms (70% reduction)
• Temperature wait API calls: 150 → 50-75 (67% reduction)
• Memory: Unbounded → <2KB bounded cache

Testing:

• ✅ Auto-unload sequence (Gate 0 → Gate 1)
• ✅ Button states update correctly (Load/Unload)
• ✅ Performance improvements active on Rockchip RK3328
• ✅ No regressions in Happy Hare GUI integration

Additional Improvements

MMU_LOAD/UNLOAD/EJECT Commands

Now include automatic temperature management:

• Check and heat extruder before operation
• Wait for proper temperature with progress updates
• Abort if heating fails or times out
• User-friendly console feedback

MMU_UNLOAD Without GATE Parameter

• Uses UNWIND_ALL_FILAMENT to unload all gates
• Heats to highest minimum temperature of all loaded filaments
• Critical for Kobra 3: no cutter, unloads by heat only
• Example: If Gate 0 needs 190°C and Gate 2 needs 240°C, heats to 240°C

Status Integration

Complete temperature information in MMU status:

{
  "gate_temperature": [210, 240, 0, 0],      # Display temps
  "gate_temperature_min": [200, 230, 0, 0],  # Min from RFID
  "gate_temperature_max": [220, 260, 0, 0],  # Max from RFID
}

Testing Updates

Newly Tested ✅

• Automatic temperature management (heating and waiting)
• MMU_LOAD with cold extruder (auto-heats correctly)
• MMU_UNLOAD with temperature check
• MMU_UNLOAD without GATE parameter (highest temp logic)
• Temperature polling and timeout handling
• Min/max temperature extraction from RFID
• Temperature range display in Fluidd
• Happy Hare GUI Load/Unload buttons
• Gate selection and loading via GUI
• Status synchronization with ACE Hub
• filament_pos state tracking
• Auto-unload on gate change
• Performance optimizations on Rockchip RK3328
• Adaptive temperature polling
• Parallel RFID fetching

RFID Detection

• Gate 0: rfid=2 (detected), temperatures 190-230°C
• Gate 1: rfid=2 (detected), temperatures 190-230°C
• Temperature data correctly cached with LRU eviction
• Physical spool movement helps RFID detection

Configuration

Temperature Defaults (Hardcoded Fallback)

temps = {
    "PLA": 210,
    "PETG": 240,
    "ABS": 250,
    "ASA": 250,
    "TPU": 230,
    "NYLON": 250,
    "PC": 270,
    "PP": 220,
}

GoKlipper Settings (printer.cfg)

[extruder]
min_extrude_temp: 170  # Minimum temperature for extrusion operations

Known Issues

Issue #1 - Adaptive Polling May Feel Slow

Description: 5s polling intervals when far from target (>50°C difference).

Impact: Minimal - progress updates still shown every 10s independent of polling.

Mitigation: Configurable intervals if needed (currently hardcoded).

Deployment

No changes to deployment procedure. Same files:

/useremain/rinkhals/20251020_01/home/rinkhals/apps/40-moonraker/mmu_ace.py
/useremain/rinkhals/20251020_01/home/rinkhals/apps/40-moonraker/kobra.py
/useremain/rinkhals/20251020_01/docs/GOKLIPPER_ACE_GCODE_COMMANDS.md

Always use stop/start (not restart) and clear cache:

./app.sh stop
rm -rf __pycache__
./app.sh start

Files Changed Summary

mmu_ace.py (+320 insertions, -26 deletions):

• _ensure_extruder_temp() method (+93 lines) - automatic temperature management with adaptive polling
• _get_filament_temperature_info() method (+47 lines) - RFID API calls with time-based cache
• _get_gate_by_index() method (+24 lines) - O(1) cached gate lookup
• Temperature min/max support in MmuAceGate (+3 fields)
• Temperature min/max arrays in MmuStatus (+2 fields)
• Fixed get_status() filament_pos calculation based on loaded_gate (+10 lines)
• MMU_LOAD auto-unload logic (+12 lines)
• MMU_LOAD/UNLOAD loaded_gate tracking (+3 lines)
• MMU_UNLOAD highest temperature logic for UNWIND_ALL (+40 lines)
• Set is_homed=True to enable GUI buttons (+1 line)
• filament_pos updates in MMU_SELECT/LOAD/UNLOAD (+9 lines)
• ACE Hub synchronization logic (+26 lines)
• Parallel RFID fetch with asyncio.gather() (+30 lines)
• LRU cache with OrderedDict and size limit (+20 lines)

docs/GOKLIPPER_ACE_GCODE_COMMANDS.md (+827 lines, NEW):

• Complete G-code command reference
• Systematic testing results and observations
• Parameter documentation with examples
• Critical implementation notes and safety requirements

Total Changes: +1147 lines, -26 deletions across 2 files