BridgeBox Overview¶
BridgeBox lets the AFC-Klipper-Add-On drive stock Bambu Lab AMS units. It plugs into the AMS bus in the place of a Bambu printer and talks to the units over their own connection, while AFC handles loading, unloading, tool changes, spool data and drying from Klipper.
Nothing on the AMS needs to change. There is no board to replace, no custom AMS firmware to flash and no case to open. To use an AMS with a Bambu printer again, unplug it from the BridgeBox and plug it back into the printer.
Supported units¶
| Unit | Lanes | On a BridgeBox | Dryer |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMS 1 | 4 | Up to 4 boxed units per BridgeBox | No |
| AMS 2 Pro | 4 | Up to 4 boxed units per BridgeBox | Yes, up to 65 °C |
| AMS HT | 1 | Up to 8 per BridgeBox | Yes, up to 85 °C |
| AMS Lite | 4 | One, on a BridgeBox of its own | No |
A single BridgeBox runs up to four boxed units (AMS 1 and AMS 2 Pro in any mix) plus eight AMS HT units, for a total of 24 lanes. That limit comes from how Bambu addresses units on the bus, not from AFC. You can add a second BridgeBox to the same printer if you need more lanes or a second extruder.
AMS Lite
The AMS Lite has no buffer and no dryer, so it runs on a BridgeBox of its own. See AMS Lite for how it works and what is different about it.
How it works¶
- BridgeBox plugs into the four-pin socket on the AMS filament buffer, where the Bambu printer's cable normally goes. It is the master of the RS-485 bus, the same as a Bambu printer would be.
- Klipper talks to BridgeBox over USB or WiFi. BridgeBox is not a Klipper
[mcu]and needs no Klipper firmware. - AFC builds a unit, lanes and a hub for every AMS on the bus from a single
[AFC_BridgeBox]section. Units can be plugged in or pulled out while Klipper runs, and their lanes andT#come and go by themselves. - Each AMS feeds filament until the extruder's toolhead sensor sees it, then hands over to the extruder.
What BridgeBox supports¶
Automatic filament changes¶
Print with multiple colors or materials. AFC handles loading, unloading and changes between lanes, the same as with any other AFC unit.
RFID spool detection¶
Insert a spool with a Bambu tag and the AMS reads its material, color and temperatures. With Spoolman 0.27 or newer, each tag is linked to its spool so the spool is found again in whichever bay it goes into. See Spools, RFID and Spoolman.
Remaining filament¶
On the boxed units, a spool with a genuine Bambu tag can be measured to estimate how much filament is left. The result shows up in Spoolman and in your printer's web interface.
Drying¶
On the AMS 2 Pro and the AMS HT, start and stop drying from Klipper and watch temperature and humidity. See Drying.
Error detection and recovery¶
AFC detects failed loads and jams, retries when it can and pauses the print when it can't. If the BridgeBox link drops during a print, AFC pauses the print after 5 seconds of silence; a load in progress rides out 12 seconds.
When filament runs out, AFC can pause the print or switch to a runout lane, as with any other AFC unit.
Hot-swap¶
Plug a unit in while Klipper runs and it claims a bay, with its lanes and T# showing up right away. Each unit
remembers its bay, so it comes back on the same lanes and T# after a restart. See
Bays, Lanes and Hot-Swap.
What you'll need¶
- A Klipper printer running the AFC-Klipper-Add-On.
- A BridgeBox and a 24 V power supply for it. See Hardware and Wiring.
- One or more Bambu AMS units with their stock buffer and cables.
- A toolhead filament sensor on the extruder the AMS feeds, or the AMS buffer standing in for one (see Configuration).
- Optionally, Spoolman 0.27 or newer for spool tracking.