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Real-time Monitoring

Bambuddy provides live monitoring of all your connected Bambu Lab printers through WebSocket-based real-time updates.

Printers Page


Printer Status

Each printer card displays real-time information:

Connection Status

Indicator Status
Connected and communicating
Connecting or reconnecting
Disconnected or error

Temperature Readouts

Live temperature readings update every few seconds:

Sensor Description
Nozzle Current hotend temperature
Bed Heated bed temperature
Chamber Enclosure temperature (if available)

When a print is active, you'll see:

  • Progress bar - Visual completion percentage
  • Current layer - Layer X of Y
  • Time remaining - Estimated time to completion
  • Filament used - Grams consumed so far

HMS Error Monitoring

The Health Management System (HMS) monitors printer health and displays issues in real-time.

Status Indicator

The HMS indicator is always visible on printer cards:

Status Meaning Action
OK No issues detected None needed
Warning Minor issues or warnings Check when convenient
Error Serious errors Address before next print
Fatal Fatal errors Immediate attention needed

Error Details

Click the HMS indicator to see:

  • Error code and description
  • Affected component
  • Recommended action
  • Link to Bambu Lab support article

HMS Notifications

Enable HMS error notifications to get alerted immediately when issues occur. See Notifications.


WiFi Signal Strength

The printer card displays WiFi signal strength:

Icon Signal
Excellent
Good
Fair
Weak

Weak signal can cause connection drops and print monitoring issues.


Total Print Hours

Track cumulative print time for each printer:

  • Displayed on the printer card
  • Useful for maintenance scheduling
  • Helps identify heavily-used machines

MQTT Debug Logging

Built-in debugging tool for printer communication:

Starting Debug Logging

  1. Click the settings icon on a printer card
  2. Click Start MQTT Debug
  3. Messages are captured in real-time

Viewing Messages

Direction Description
Incoming Messages from printer to Bambuddy
Outgoing Commands sent to printer

Features:

  • JSON payloads - Expandable for detailed inspection
  • Filter by type - Focus on specific message types
  • Search - Find specific content
  • Auto-refresh - New messages appear automatically

Use Cases

  • Troubleshooting connection issues
  • Understanding printer behavior
  • Debugging automation problems
  • Reporting issues to developers

WebSocket Architecture

Bambuddy uses WebSocket for real-time updates:

graph LR
    A[Printer] -->|MQTT| B[Bambuddy Backend]
    B -->|WebSocket| C[Browser]
    B -->|WebSocket| D[Browser 2]
    B -->|WebSocket| E[Mobile]

How It Works

  1. Printer sends status updates via MQTT over TLS
  2. Backend processes and stores the data
  3. WebSocket broadcasts updates to all connected clients
  4. Browser updates the UI instantly

Connection Features

Feature Description
Auto-reconnect Automatically reconnects on disconnect
State sync Full state synchronized on reconnect
Delta updates Only changed data is sent
Multi-tab Multiple browser tabs supported

Performance

  • Latency: < 1 second typical
  • Bandwidth: Minimal (delta updates only)
  • Scalability: Multiple clients supported

Printer Images

Customize your printer cards with images:

  1. Click the settings icon on a printer card
  2. Upload a printer image
  3. The image displays on the card

Recommended Size

Use images around 300x200 pixels for best results.


Status Change Notifications

Configure alerts for printer events:

Event Description
Printer Offline When connection is lost
Printer Error When HMS errors occur
Print Complete When a job finishes
Print Failed When a print fails

Set up notifications


Tips

At-a-Glance Monitoring

Keep the Printers page open on a dedicated screen or tablet for constant visibility.

Camera Confirmation

Use the camera page to visually confirm print quality alongside status data.

Early Error Detection

Enable HMS error notifications to catch problems before they ruin a print.

Debug When Needed

Check MQTT debug logs if a printer behaves unexpectedly - often reveals communication issues.