OctoPrint External Temperature Reader Plugin

This plugin reads chamber temperature from a WirelessTag API and displays it in OctoPrint's interface.

Features

Core Functionality

Fetches temperature data from WirelessTag API endpoints
Works independently of printer connection status
Real-time temperature updates via WebSocket
Configurable polling interval (10-300 seconds) with immediate effect on change
Support for custom XML temperature paths
Clean separation of UUID and base URL configuration
Persistent temperature history across page refreshes (clears on server restart)
Server-side history storage with automatic 24-hour cleanup

Temperature Display

Navbar Display: Shows current chamber temperature in the top bar with thermometer icon
Dedicated Tab: Full-featured "Chamber Temp" tab with professional temperature monitoring interface

Chamber Temperature Tab Features

Interactive Temperature Chart
- Real-time updating graph with orange theme
- Adaptive Y-axis scaling for better visualization (no fixed zero baseline)
- Hover tooltips showing exact time and temperature
- Auto-scrolling option to follow latest data
- Time range controls (10 min to 24 hours)
- Stores up to 24 hours of temperature history
- History persists across page refreshes
Statistics Dashboard
- Large current temperature display
- Min/Max/Average temperature calculations
- Data point counter
- Connection status indicator
- Last update timestamp
Data Management
- Clear History button to reset all data
- Export to CSV for data analysis
- Automatic data trimming after 24 hours

Building the Plugin

Development Setup

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/mike-enker/octoprint-external-temp.git
cd octoprint-external-temp

Create a virtual environment (recommended):

python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: .venv\Scripts\activate

Install development dependencies:

pip install -r requirements.txt

Install plugin in development mode:

pip install -e .

Building for Distribution

Build the distribution package:

python setup.py sdist

This creates a distribution file in the dist/ directory:

OctoPrint-ExternalTempReader-1.0.0.tar.gz - Source distribution

Clean build artifacts (optional):

rm -rf build/ dist/ *.egg-info/

Installation

Method 1: Install from Distribution Package

pip install dist/OctoPrint-ExternalTempReader-1.0.0.tar.gz

Method 2: Install via OctoPrint Plugin Manager

Open OctoPrint web interface
Go to Settings → Plugin Manager
Click "Get More..." → "...from URL"
Enter: https://github.com/mike-enker/octoprint-external-temp/archive/main.zip
Click Install

Method 3: Upload Distribution File

Build the plugin as described above
In OctoPrint, go to Settings → Plugin Manager
Click "Get More..." → "...from an uploaded file"
Select the .tar.gz file from dist/
Click Install

Configuration

Navigate to OctoPrint Settings → External Temp Reader
Configure the following settings:
- WirelessTag UUID: Your sensor's UUID (e.g., 111aaab3-e991-43c7-b9a1-f999b0999f99)
- API Base URL: Usually the default is fine (https://my.wirelesstag.net/ethLogShared.asmx/GetLatestTemperatureRawDataByUUID)
- Polling Interval: How often to fetch temperature (10-300 seconds, default 60) - changes take effect immediately
- XML Temperature Path: Leave default for WirelessTag API

Getting Your WirelessTag UUID

Log into your WirelessTag account at https://my.wirelesstag.net
Navigate to your tag settings
Enable "Share" for the tag you want to monitor
Copy the UUID from the sharing URL
Enter just the UUID in the plugin settings

How It Works

The plugin:

Polls the WirelessTag API at the configured interval
Parses the XML response to extract temperature in Celsius
Stores temperature history on the server (up to 24 hours)
Sends temperature updates to the frontend via WebSocket
Displays the chamber temperature in the navbar (top bar)
Works independently of printer connection status
Loads historical data when the page is refreshed
Automatically applies setting changes without requiring restart

Where Temperature is Displayed

1. Navbar (Top Bar)

Shows "Chamber: XX.X°C" with a thermometer icon
Always visible for quick temperature monitoring
Updates in real-time as new data arrives

2. Chamber Temp Tab

Dedicated tab in OctoPrint's main interface
Professional temperature monitoring dashboard
Interactive chart with historical data
Statistics and data management tools
No interference with printer temperature displays

3. System Logs

Temperature updates are logged for debugging
Access via Settings → Logs
Filter by "external_temp_reader" for plugin-specific logs

Troubleshooting

Plugin doesn't appear in Plugin Manager

Ensure the plugin files are properly installed
Check OctoPrint logs for loading errors
Verify Python compatibility (requires Python 2.7+ or 3.x)

No temperature readings

Verify your UUID is entered correctly
Check that the tag's sharing is enabled in WirelessTag
Look in OctoPrint logs (Settings → Logs) for error messages
Test the API URL directly in a browser to ensure it returns XML data

Temperature shows as 0 or incorrect

Ensure your WirelessTag is reporting data
Check the XML path configuration if using a custom format
Verify the tag's battery level and signal strength

Temperature not showing in navbar

Clear browser cache and refresh (Ctrl+F5 or Cmd+Shift+R)
Check browser console (F12) for JavaScript errors
Verify the plugin's JavaScript file loaded correctly

Chamber Temp tab chart not displaying

Open browser console (F12 → Console)
Click on the "Chamber Temp" tab
Look for "External Temp Reader:" messages
Check for "Chart initialized successfully" or error messages
Clear browser cache if chart container is missing
Ensure JavaScript is enabled in your browser

Recent Improvements

Version 1.0.0 Features

Persistent History: Temperature history now persists across page refreshes (stored server-side)
Adaptive Chart Scaling: Y-axis automatically adjusts to show relevant temperature range
Dynamic Settings: Polling interval changes take effect immediately without restart
Improved Tooltips: Chart tooltips properly display time and temperature on hover
API Endpoint: Added REST API endpoint for fetching temperature history
Automatic Cleanup: Old temperature data (>24 hours) is automatically removed

Plugin API

The plugin provides a REST API endpoint for accessing temperature data:

GET `/api/plugin/external_temp_reader`

Returns the current temperature and historical data.

Response:

{
  "history": [
    {"time": 1725650400000, "temperature": 22.5},
    {"time": 1725650460000, "temperature": 22.6}
  ],
  "current_temp": 22.6
}

history: Array of temperature readings with timestamps (milliseconds since epoch)
current_temp: Most recent temperature reading in Celsius

API Response Format

The plugin expects XML responses in this format from WirelessTag:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<TemperatureDataPoint xmlns="http://mytaglist.com/ethLogShared">
  <time>2025-09-06T15:38:19-04:00</time>
  <temp_degC>22.487756347656251</temp_degC>
  <cap>76.46612548828125</cap>
  <lux>0</lux>
  <battery_volts>3.1466694920952931</battery_volts>
</TemperatureDataPoint>

Deployment

Publishing to PyPI (Optional)

Build the distribution:

python setup.py sdist bdist_wheel

Upload to PyPI:

twine upload dist/*

Publishing to OctoPrint Plugin Repository

Fork the OctoPrint Plugin Repository
Create a new file _plugins/external_temp_reader.md with plugin details
Submit a pull request

Creating a GitHub Release

Tag the release:

git tag -a v1.0.0 -m "Release version 1.0.0"
git push origin v1.0.0

Create release on GitHub:
- Go to your repository's Releases page
- Click "Create a new release"
- Select the tag you created
- Upload the .tar.gz and .whl files from dist/
- Add release notes

Project Structure

octoprint-external-temp/
├── .gitignore                      # Git ignore file
├── .venv/                          # Virtual environment (not in git)
├── MANIFEST.in                     # Package manifest
├── README.md                       # This file
├── requirements.txt                # Development dependencies
├── setup.py                        # Package setup script
├── dist/                          # Built distributions (not in git)
└── octoprint_external_temp_reader/ # Plugin package
    ├── __init__.py                # Plugin initialization & hooks
    ├── ExternalTempReaderPlugin.py # Main plugin code
    ├── static/                    # Static assets
    │   ├── css/
    │   │   └── external_temp_reader.css     # Styling for tab and navbar
    │   └── js/
    │       └── external_temp_reader.js      # Chart logic and UI updates
    └── templates/                 # Jinja2 templates
        ├── external_temp_reader_navbar.jinja2   # Navbar temperature display
        ├── external_temp_reader_settings.jinja2 # Settings page
        └── external_temp_reader_tab.jinja2      # Chamber temp tab

Usage Guide

Initial Setup

Install the plugin and restart OctoPrint
Navigate to Settings → External Temp Reader
Enter your WirelessTag UUID
Save settings and refresh the page

Using the Chamber Temp Tab

Click on the "Chamber Temp" tab in OctoPrint
Temperature data will begin populating the chart
Use time range buttons to zoom in/out (10 min - 24 hours)
Enable "Auto-scroll" to keep the latest data in view
Hover over the chart to see exact temperature values
Export data as CSV for external analysis

Monitoring Temperature

Quick View: Check navbar for current temperature
Detailed View: Use Chamber Temp tab for full history
Statistics: Monitor Min/Max/Average on the dashboard
Data Export: Download CSV for spreadsheet analysis

Development Tips

Watch logs during development:

tail -f ~/.octoprint/logs/octoprint.log | grep external_temp_reader

Test changes without reinstalling:
- Install in development mode (pip install -e .)
- Changes to Python files require OctoPrint restart
- Changes to JS/CSS/templates require browser cache clear (Ctrl+F5)
Debug JavaScript:
- Open browser console (F12)
- Look for "External Temp Reader:" messages
- Check for chart initialization logs
Debug Chart Issues:
- Verify Flot library is loaded: $.plot in console
- Check chart container exists: $("#chamber-temperature-chart").length
- Look for JavaScript errors in console
Version bumping:
- Update version in setup.py
- Update version in octoprint_external_temp_reader/__init__.py
- Tag the release in git

Technical Details

API Integration

Uses WirelessTag's public API endpoint for shared tags
Polls data at configurable intervals (default: 60 seconds)
Parses XML response with namespace handling
Extracts temperature from temp_degC field

Frontend Architecture

KnockoutJS for data binding (OctoPrint standard)
Flot library for chart rendering
WebSocket for real-time updates
Custom CSS for consistent theming

Data Storage

In-memory storage of temperature history
Maximum 2,880 data points (24 hours at 30-second intervals)
Automatic cleanup of old data
No database required

License

Apache 2.0

Author

Mike ([email protected])

Acknowledgments

OctoPrint community for plugin development resources
WirelessTag for providing public API access
Flot charts library for visualization

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 10 Commits
octoprint_external_temp_reader		octoprint_external_temp_reader
.gitignore		.gitignore
MANIFEST.in		MANIFEST.in
README.md		README.md
build.sh		build.sh
requirements.txt		requirements.txt
setup.py		setup.py

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