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Installation & Setup

This page walks through installing PandaBreath and bringing it up safely for the first time. The core principle: validate in observe-only mode before you ever let the plugin write to the device.

Requirements

  • OctoPrint 1.10 or newer.
  • A BIQU Panda Breath chamber heater reachable on your network.
  • For MQTT control: device firmware V1.0.4 or newer (see MQTT).

Install

Install from the plugin's release archive:

  1. In OctoPrint, open Settings → Plugin Manager → Get More….
  2. Choose …from URL and paste the latest release ZIP URL, or upload a downloaded ZIP under …from an uploaded file.
  3. Restart OctoPrint when prompted.

Releases are published at https://github.com/Ajimaru/OctoPrint-PandaBreath/releases.

First-time validation workflow

Do not skip this. It confirms the plugin reads your specific device correctly before any write command can reach the heater.

1. Enter the connection details

Open Settings → PandaBreath and set:

  • Transport: client (unless you run a Bambu-emulation setup).
  • Client host: the Panda Breath device IP or hostname.

Leave observe-only enabled (the default).

2. Confirm telemetry

Watch the sidebar and tab status. You should see:

  • Connection: online.
  • Chamber and Target temperatures updating.
  • Paired printer showing a printer_state (binding → bound).

If you enabled the frame-history debug panel, confirm frames are flowing.

Use the logs

OctoPrint's log (and the optional persistent frame log) will show the bind sequence and any protocol errors. Resolve connection issues here, in observe-only, where nothing can be written.

The chamber will not heat unless the paired printer is bound (printer_state 3). If the status shows binding or unreachable, fix the pairing first — see the printer-link barrier.

4. Enable write control

Only once telemetry is stable and the printer is bound:

  1. Disable observe-only.
  2. Start with a conservative target well under your max_temp.
  3. Verify the heater responds and the chamber tracks the target.

5. (Optional) Enable automation and MQTT

With write control validated, you can enable:

  • G-code integration (M141/M191) — see Configuration.
  • Auto on/off around prints.
  • The MQTT bridge — see MQTT.

TLS setups

If your device or network requires wss://, enable TLS and provide the CA/cert/key paths under TLS settings. Use tls_insecure only for short-lived testing, never in production.

Uninstall

Remove the plugin from Settings → Plugin Manager and restart OctoPrint. The plugin stores no device state outside OctoPrint's own settings.

See also: Configuration · Safety · Troubleshooting