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Tyler edited this page Apr 14, 2026 · 7 revisions

DryDock Wiki

Welcome to the official DryDock documentation. This wiki covers everything you need to know to build, install, configure, and use the DryDock filament storage and inventory system.

Overview

DryDock is an open-source smart filament management system for 3D printing. It combines a physical hardware unit with a web-based dashboard to provide real-time insight into the condition of your filament and dry storage environment.

Hardware Architecture

The system relies on an ESP32 microcontroller to continuously process data from three integrated sensors:

  • NAU7802 24-bit ADC & Load Cell: Weighs filament spools with high precision.
  • AM2320 Temperature & Humidity Sensors (x2): Monitors conditions inside the dry box versus the ambient room environment. The differential indicates the remaining effectiveness of the desiccant.
  • MFRC522 RFID Reader: Scans NFC tags attached to spools for precise, automated identification.

Software Architecture

The ESP32 transmits data over Wi-Fi to a Python/Flask backend, typically hosted on a Raspberry Pi or another network-accessible Linux machine. This backend logs the data, serves the web dashboard, and integrates seamlessly with Spoolman to keep your filament inventory automatically updated.

Key Features

  • Differential Humidity Monitoring: Compares internal and external humidity to assess desiccant health, triggering alerts when the differential drops below your defined threshold.
  • Automatic Spool Weighing: Utilizes a high-resolution 24-bit ADC and a 5kg load cell for accurate remaining filament calculations.
  • RFID Spool Identification: Tap an NFC-tagged spool to automatically link the physical weight to the correct digital profile.
  • Spoolman Integration: Pushes weight updates directly to your Spoolman database after every scan cycle.
  • Historical Analytics: Visualizes sensor data trends over the last hour, 24 hours, or 7 days.
  • Guided Calibration: Features a built-in UI wizard for taring the scale and calculating multipliers using a known reference weight.
  • Automated Maintenance: Includes scheduled SQLite database backups and automatic sensor log pruning to maintain performance.
  • Firmware Generator: Automatically compiles a .ino firmware file pre-configured with your Wi-Fi credentials and server address directly from the web UI.

Documentation Directory

Section Description
Hardware Setup Bill of materials, wiring diagrams, and pin assignments.
Software Installation Guide to installing the Python backend on a Linux host.
Firmware Setup Generating and flashing the ESP32 microcontroller.
Configuration Environment variables, system settings, and Spoolman API setup.
Using DryDock Dashboard navigation, spool scanning workflows, and scale calibration.
API Reference Complete documentation for the REST API endpoints.
Troubleshooting Common issues, diagnostic steps, and solutions.

Quick Start Guide

  1. Assemble Hardware: Follow the Hardware Setup guide to wire the sensors to the ESP32.
  2. Deploy Backend: Clone the repository to your host and execute install.sh per the Software Installation instructions.
  3. Generate Firmware: Access the web dashboard to input your network details and generate your custom DryDock.ino file.
  4. Flash ESP32: Upload the generated firmware to your microcontroller using the Firmware Setup guide.
  5. Calibrate: Navigate to the Calibration tab in the dashboard to tare your scale and set the reference weight.
  6. Initialize: Tag your spools and begin scanning.

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