SpoolBuddy

Smart filament management system for Bambu Lab 3D printers with NFC tagging and weight tracking

Features • Hardware • Quick Start • Documentation • Contributing • Discord

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Caution

This project is under heavy development and not yet ready for end users.

Hardware designs, firmware, and software are actively being developed and may change significantly. Documentation may be incomplete or outdated. If you're interested in following the progress or contributing, join our Discord!

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Why SpoolBuddy?

• Know your filament — NFC tags identify spools instantly, no more guessing
• Track remaining weight — Precision scale shows exactly how much is left
• Seamless AMS integration — Configure AMS slots directly from the display
• Works offline — Uses Developer Mode for direct printer control via local network

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✨ Features

📱 Hardware Device 7" IPS touchscreen display (800x480) Integrated precision scale (5kg capacity, 0.1g accuracy) NFC reader for spool identification WiFi connectivity to backend server Compact form factor sits under your spool 🏷️ NFC Tag Support Read NFC tags on spools Multiple tag formats supported: OpenSpool OpenTag3D SpoolEase Bambu Lab RFID (ISO 15693) Auto-detect tag format Write spool data to NTAG tags ⚖️ Weight Tracking Real-time weight display Automatic weight updates when spool placed Core weight calibration per spool type Remaining filament calculation

🖨️ Printer Integration MQTT connection to Bambu Lab printers Real-time AMS status visualization Configure AMS slots from display or web UI Support for regular AMS and AMS HT Dual-nozzle (H2D) support K-profile (pressure advance) selection 📊 Inventory Management Web-based spool catalog Filter by material, brand, color Track spool usage and remaining weight Link spools to AMS slots Import presets from Bambu Cloud 🔧 Integration Ready REST API for external tools WebSocket for real-time updates Works with Bambuddy for full print management Bambu Cloud profile sync

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🔧 Hardware

SpoolBuddy requires these components (~$100-150 total):

Component	Description
Elecrow CrowPanel 7.0" Advance	ESP32-S3 display with 800x480 IPS touchscreen
Raspberry Pi Pico	NFC bridge controller
PN5180 NFC Reader	ISO 15693 support for Bambu Lab tags (3.3V only!)
SparkFun Qwiic NAU7802	24-bit scale ADC
5kg Load Cell	Weight sensor
22AWG Silicone Wire	Wiring connections
M4x25 Screws	Mounting hardware

Warning: The PN5180 is 3.3V only — 5V will damage it! RC522 readers are not compatible.

Bill of Materials

See the Hardware page for the complete BOM with purchase links.

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🚀 Quick Start

Requirements

• Python 3.10+ (3.11/3.12 recommended)
• Node.js 18+ (for frontend development)
• Bambu Lab printer with Developer Mode enabled
• SpoolBuddy hardware device

Docker (Recommended)

mkdir spoolbuddy && cd spoolbuddy
curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/maziggy/spoolbuddy/main/docker-compose.yml
docker compose up -d

Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser.

Multi-architecture support: Pre-built images are available for linux/amd64 and linux/arm64 (Raspberry Pi 4/5).

Manual Installation

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/maziggy/spoolbuddy.git
cd spoolbuddy

# Backend setup
cd backend
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Run server
python main.py

Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser.

Frontend Development

cd frontend
npm install
npm run dev

Firmware

SpoolBuddy uses two firmware components:

Device	Format	Description
Raspberry Pi Pico	.uf2 (Arduino)	NFC bridge controller
CrowPanel 7.0"	.bin (Rust/ESP-IDF)	Display, scale, WiFi

Quick flash (pre-built):

# Pico: Hold BOOTSEL, plug USB, drag pico-nfc-bridge.uf2 to RPI-RP2 drive

# CrowPanel:
cargo install espflash
espflash flash --monitor spoolbuddy-firmware.bin

See the Firmware Guide for detailed instructions.

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🛠️ Tech Stack

Component	Technology
Backend	Python, FastAPI, SQLite
Frontend	Preact, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS
Display Firmware	Rust, ESP-IDF, LVGL
NFC Bridge	Arduino (Pico)
Communication	MQTT (TLS), WebSocket, REST

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🖨️ Supported Printers

Series	Models
H2	H2D, H2S
X1	X1, X1 Carbon
P1	P1P, P1S, P2S
A1	A1, A1 Mini

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📚 Documentation

Full documentation available at wiki.spoolbuddy.cool:

• Getting Started — Hardware setup and installation
• Hardware Required — Bill of materials
• Firmware — Flashing instructions
• Software — Backend setup

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🤝 Contributing

Contributions welcome! Here's how to help:

1. Test — Report issues with your printer model
2. Hardware — Improve enclosure designs
3. Code — Submit PRs for bugs or features
4. Document — Improve guides and documentation

# Development setup
git clone https://github.com/maziggy/spoolbuddy.git
cd spoolbuddy

# Backend
cd backend
python3 -m venv venv && source venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt
python main.py

# Frontend (separate terminal)
cd frontend && npm install && npm run dev

See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.

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📄 License

MIT License — see LICENSE for details.

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🙏 Acknowledgments

• SpoolEase by yanshay — Original embedded system inspiration
• Bambu Lab for amazing printers
• OpenSpool for NFC tag format inspiration
• Bambuddy for printer integration patterns
• The reverse engineering community for protocol documentation

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If you like SpoolBuddy and want to support it, you can buy Martin a coffee.

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Made with ❤️ for the 3D printing community

Join our Discord • Report Bug • Request Feature • Documentation