Skip to content

Klipper Integration

Overview

The Panda Breath has no native Klipper support. This module bridges the gap by exposing the device to Klipper as a standard heater_generic — the same interface used by any other chamber heater.

No custom GCode commands are added. Orca Slicer, SuperSlicer, and Klipper macros already know how to interact with a heater_generic via SET_HEATER_TEMPERATURE. The module just makes that work with the Panda Breath.

Architecture

panda_breath.py is a single Klipper extras/ file with no external Python dependencies — it uses only the standard library. A transport abstraction supports two firmware paths:

PandaBreath  (Klipper heater_generic interface)
    ├── get_temp() / set_temp() / check_busy()   ← identical either way
    └── transport ──┬── WebSocketTransport        firmware: stock
                    └── MqttTransport             firmware: esphome

Both transports run a background I/O thread that pushes state into a thread-safe queue. A Klipper reactor timer drains that queue once per second and updates the module's temperature state. This pattern keeps all Klipper state manipulation on the reactor thread while allowing blocking network I/O on the background thread.

What it does

  1. Instantiates the appropriate transport based on the firmware: config key
  2. Maintains a persistent connection, reconnecting automatically on any error
  3. Reports current temperature — stock: prefers cal_warehouse_temp (ADC-calibrated) over warehouse_temper (raw); ESPHome: reads from the MQTT climate sensor topic
  4. Implements the standard Klipper heater interface — set_temp(), get_temp(), check_busy()
  5. Enables the device when Klipper sets a non-zero target; disables it when target is 0
  6. Resends the last command on reconnect so the device is always in sync after a connection drop

What it does NOT do

  • No PANDA_BREATH_* GCode commands
  • No mode-switching (filament drying, auto mode) via GCode
  • No custom macros in the module itself — use standard Klipper macros instead

Why Always-On Mode (stock firmware)

The Panda Breath has three operating modes:

Mode Description Works with Klipper?
1 Auto Turns on when bed temp crosses a threshold — reads bed_temper from Bambu MQTT No — requires Bambu MQTT
2 Always On Heater runs while work_on: true Yes
3 Filament Drying Timed run at a target temp Yes, via commands

The device's auto mode reads bed temperature from a Bambu Lab printer via MQTT over TLS — a protocol not available on Klipper. The module therefore uses work_mode: 2 (always-on) and Klipper becomes the authority on when to turn the device on or off.

State Management

There is no confirmed "get state" command on the stock WebSocket API. The module tracks its own sent state rather than querying the device:

  • Temperature readings arrive periodically from the device's temp_task — no polling needed
  • When the connection drops and reconnects, the module resends its last desired state
  • Physical button presses on the device do not generate WebSocket messages (confirmed v0.0.0), so the module cannot detect out-of-band changes

This means Klipper is the single source of truth for desired state, which is appropriate — the slicer or macros set the target, Klipper tracks it.

Python dependencies — none

The module is implemented entirely in Python standard library:

Transport Libraries used
Stock WebSocket socket, hashlib, base64, struct, json, os
ESPHome MQTT socket, struct, json
Shared threading, collections, time, logging

No pip install, no opkg install, no firmware overlay packages. Drop the file in and restart Klipper.

Choosing a firmware path

Consideration Stock (v0.0.0) ESPHome
Device risk None — keep OEM firmware Reflash required; recovery via flash dump
Thermal runaway protection Present in v0.0.0; removed in v1.0.2 Configurable in ESPHome YAML
Fan speed control Device manages internally Configurable via ESPHome
Klipper install complexity Drop file, done Drop file + MQTT broker
GPIO verification needed No Yes — 3 pins unconfirmed

See ESPHome for the full ESPHome path documentation.