In January, BigTreeTech announced its new Bambu Lab-compatible parts and accessories line. The Panda Series started strong with one of its debut products, the Panda Touch, promising quick and convenient access and control of multiple Bambu Lab printers all in a compact, 5-inch touchscreen display unit; a solid upgrade on the oft-criticized display and controls present on the P-series machines.

Shortly after the announcement, however, it was revealed that all it would take to limit the Touch’s ability to control core functions of the printer is a firmware update improving the printer’s encryption (not an unreasonable security measure) – removing a significant reason you might want one. This revelation, acknowledged by BigTreeTech in a product update video on YouTube (embedded below), gives the appearance of BigTreeTech jumping the gun with the Touch.

Bambu Lab has hinted at API access and SDKs for third-party developers before, saying they are “already on our roadmap” in a blog post about firmware. Both would pave the way for third-party accessories that play nicely with the hardware at a standard within the company’s control, which seems to be an overarching concern for them. When exactly API access would come is not clear, though it’s not a stretch of logic to assume it won’t be soon, given the Panda Touch’s existence in the form that it currently is.

There has been no direct acknowledgment from Bambu Lab about the Panda Touch and any such firmware update that would, ostensibly, close the door. Looking at past announcements of collaborative third-party hardware, Bambu Lab acknowledges “responsible partners” and indicates thorough lab testing to ensure compatibility. The lack of such a post from Bambu Lab for the Panda Series and, specifically, Panda Touch hints at a disconnect between the companies on this line of products.

Whenever the update does release, it’ll be up to the user to choose to update. In its video, BigTreeTech states they are monitoring releases closely to best advise users and that the option to not update and retain the full functionality of the Panda Touch is always an option.

But Wait, There’s More

Intriguingly, details of further functionality not initially revealed about the Panda Touch, plus mention of an all-new product to complement and enhance the existing system, are buried in the video.

For one, it happens that the Panda Touch is one version of a family of control screen devices, with a “sister” Klipper Touch product in the pipeline that will offer similar functionality for any 3D printer. The underlying hardware is said to be the same, meaning it’ll be possible to flash the Panda Touch and turn it functionally into the Klipper Touch.

Additionally, there is mention of a new product, the Panda Power, described as an outlet switch of sorts. Sitting between the printer’s plug and the electrical outlet, it lets you remotely control switching the printer on or off (something the Panda Touch cannot do alone). According to the update video, the Panda Power will also offer data about the printer’s power consumption, a granular level of detail that we imagine will matter to those commercializing the use of their printers and counting the pennies involved.

Not the smoothest of introductions for BigTreeTech’s bold new line of Panda Series accessories. We’ll follow along and bring any news and updates as we hear them.

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