Adventurer 5M Series

Adventurer 5M Series

The Adventurer 5M series (5M and 5M Pro) represents FlashForge's modern printer lineup with HTTP REST API as the primary control interface.

Protocol Architecture

Protocol	Port	Purpose
HTTP REST	8898	Primary control and status
TCP Control	8899	Low-level G/M code fallback
Camera HTTP	8080	MJPEG video streaming (Pro only)

Firmware Coverage

Primary validated firmware: 3.2.7

Authentication

All HTTP endpoints require authentication:

{
  "serialNumber": "SNADVA5MXXXXX",
  "checkCode": "12345"
}

See Authentication for complete details.

HTTP API Endpoints

Core Endpoints

Endpoint	Method	Description
/detail	POST	Comprehensive printer status
/product	POST	Feature availability flags
/control	POST	Send control commands
/gcodeList	POST	List recent files
/gcodeThumb	POST	Get file thumbnail
/printGcode	POST	Start local file print
/uploadGcode	POST	Upload and optionally print file

Additional Endpoints

Endpoint	Method	Description
/checkCode	POST	Validate credentials
/notifyWanBind	POST	Cloud binding notification
/getThum	GET	Get thumbnail image

Control Commands

The /control endpoint accepts various command payloads.

Standard Commands

Command	Description	Parameters
lightControl_cmd	LED on/off	status: "open"/"close"
jobCtl_cmd	Job control	action: "pause"/"continue"/"cancel"
printerCtl_cmd	Print settings	speed, zAxisCompensation, chamberFan, coolingFan, coolingLeftFan (int %; fan sentinel -200=no change)
temperatureCtl_cmd	Temperature control	rightNozzle, leftNozzle, platform, chamber (int; -100=off, -200=no change)
stateCtrl_cmd	State control	action: "setClearPlatform"
reName_cmd	Rename printer	name: string
delayClose_cmd	Auto shutdown	automaticShutdown: "open"/"close", shutdownAfterTime: int (minutes)
calibration_cmd	Calibration	Various

Note: temperatureCtl_cmd is accepted by the firmware over HTTP, but on the base Adventurer 5M, nozzle/bed temperatures are typically driven over TCP via M-codes (M104/M140); reserve temperatureCtl_cmd for HTTP-only models. Note: For printerCtl_cmd, chamberFan and coolingFan are fan-speed percentages where the sentinel -200 means "no change" (omit the field or send -200 to leave a fan unchanged). coolingLeftFan targets the left part-cooling fan on dual-fan setups (e.g. 5M Pro / AD5X); single-fan machines ignore it.

Example: Pause Print

POST http://10.0.0.42:8898/control
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "serialNumber": "SNADVA5MXXXXX",
  "checkCode": "12345",
  "payload": {
    "cmd": "jobCtl_cmd",
    "args": {
      "jobID": "",
      "action": "pause"
    }
  }
}

Example: Set Print Speed

POST http://10.0.0.42:8898/control
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "serialNumber": "SNADVA5MXXXXX",
  "checkCode": "12345",
  "payload": {
    "cmd": "printerCtl_cmd",
    "args": {
      "speed": 120
    }
  }
}

Note: Only include fields you want to change. Omitted fields are ignored. Do not send 0 or default values for fields you do not intend to change.

Model Differences

Adventurer 5M (Base Model)

Feature	Status
HTTP API	Yes
TCP Fallback	Yes
Built-in Camera	No
Factory LEDs	No
Air Filtration	No
TVOC Sensor	No

Adventurer 5M Pro

Feature	Status
HTTP API	Yes
TCP Fallback	Yes
Built-in Camera	Yes (port 8080)
Factory LEDs	Yes
Air Filtration	Yes (internal + external)
TVOC Sensor	Yes

See 5M Pro Features for Pro-specific documentation.

Feature Detection

Using /product Endpoint

POST http://10.0.0.42:8898/product
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "serialNumber": "SNADVA5MXXXXX",
  "checkCode": "12345"
}

Response:

{
  "code": 0,
  "message": "Success",
  "product": {
    "internalFanCtrlState": 1,    // Pro: filtration available
    "externalFanCtrlState": 1,    // Pro: exhaust available
    "lightCtrlState": 1,          // LEDs available
    "nozzleTempCtrlState": 1,
    "chamberTempCtrlState": 1,    // Pro: heated chamber available
    "platformTempCtrlState": 1
  }
}

Detecting Capabilities — the reliable approach:

The /product *CtrlState flags (internalFanCtrlState, externalFanCtrlState, lightCtrlState, chamberTempCtrlState, etc.) are not a reliable source of truth for which hardware is present. Across models and firmware versions FlashForge firmware may report 1 for absent hardware (over-report) or 0 for hardware that is actually present (under-report). Do not use them to decide whether a feature exists.

Use this approach instead:

1. Identify the model from /detail pid. It is a hex string — parse it base-16 to a decimal, then look it up in the Printer PIDs table.
2. Map that model to its capabilities using a hardcoded Capability Matrix.
3. Treat the /product *CtrlState flags as a secondary hint only — never the source of truth.

pid_hex = detail.pid              # e.g. "0024"
pid    = int(pid_hex, 16)         # 36 -> Adventurer 5M Pro
caps   = CAPABILITY_MATRIX[pid]   # { filtration: true, camera: true, led: true, ... }
# /product CtrlState is only a corroborating hint, not authoritative

Known quirks (hints, not detection methods):

• Aftermarket LEDs: if lightCtrlState reads 0 yet lightControl_cmd still toggles the light, the machine has aftermarket LEDs installed.
• Filtration hint: if you do inspect fan state, filtration requires both internalFanCtrlState and externalFanCtrlState to read 1 (AND, not OR) — and even a matching pair is only a hint, not proof.

Using /detail Endpoint

Check these fields:

• cameraStreamUrl: Present on Pro, absent on base 5M
• tvoc: Reports values on Pro, absent on base 5M
• name or firmwareVersion: May contain "Pro" identifier (less reliable)

File Operations

Upload File

POST http://10.0.0.42:8898/uploadGcode
Content-Type: multipart/form-data
serialNumber: SNADVA5MXXXXX
checkCode: 12345
fileSize: 1234567
printNow: "false"
levelingBeforePrint: "true"

[gcodeFile form data with binary content]

Print Local File

The request body format changed at firmware 3.1.3. Firmware 3.1.3 and newer (including 3.2.7, which these specs target) requires the extended body — sending the legacy minimal body will be rejected or misbehave on 3.1.3+. Send the request body that matches the printer's firmware version.

Pre-3.1.3 (legacy) — minimal body:

POST http://10.0.0.42:8898/printGcode
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "serialNumber": "SNADVA5MXXXXX",
  "checkCode": "12345",
  "fileName": "Benchy.gcode",
  "levelingBeforePrint": true
}

3.1.3+ (modern, current) — extended body:

For single-color / non-material-station prints the extra fields are sent disabled (empty):

POST http://10.0.0.42:8898/printGcode
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "serialNumber": "SNADVA5MXXXXX",
  "checkCode": "12345",
  "fileName": "Benchy.gcode",
  "levelingBeforePrint": true,
  "flowCalibration": false,
  "useMatlStation": false,
  "gcodeToolCnt": 0,
  "materialMappings": []
}

TCP Fallback

For operations not available via HTTP, use TCP port 8899:

When to Use TCP

• Direct G-code commands (motion, positioning)
• Homing operations
• Manual extrusion
• Low-level status queries
• Debugging/troubleshooting

Example: Home Axes via TCP

Connect to 10.0.0.42:8899
Send: ~M601 S1
Send: ~G28
Send: ~M602
Close connection

Recommended Client Strategy

1. Initialize with HTTP

1. Discover printer via UDP
2. Authenticate with /detail to verify credentials
3. Query /product for feature detection
4. Cache feature flags for session

2. Use HTTP for Status

Poll /detail every 1-2 seconds for:

• Print progress
• Temperatures
• Machine state
• Job information

3. Use HTTP for Control

All standard user actions via /control:

• Start/pause/cancel prints
• Temperature changes
• LED control
• Settings adjustments

4. Reserve TCP for Advanced

Use TCP only when HTTP is insufficient:

• Direct motion control
• Homing sequences
• Manual extrusion

Status Monitoring

/detail Response Fields

Field	Type	Description
status	string	Machine state
printProgress	float	Progress (0.0-1.0)
printLayer	int	Current layer
printFileName	string	Active file name
platTemp	float	Bed temperature
platTargetTemp	float	Bed target
leftTemp/rightTemp	float	Extruder temperatures
lightStatus	string	LED state
tvoc	int	TVOC level (Pro only)

State Values

Status	Description
ready	Idle, ready for jobs
busy	Performing operation
heating	Warming up
printing	Actively printing
pausing	Transitioning to pause
paused	Job paused
cancel	Job cancelled
completed	Job finished
error	Error state

Aftermarket Upgrades

The 5M base model supports aftermarket additions:

Camera Installation

• OEM or third-party cameras can be installed
• Camera becomes available on port 8080
• May require enabling in printer settings

LED Installation

• Aftermarket LEDs can be controlled via lightControl_cmd
• Works even if lightCtrlState reports 0
• Use standard LED control commands

Common Issues

Authentication Failure

• Verify serialNumber and checkCode from printer settings
• Check for typos in credentials
• Ensure headers are correct for /uploadGcode

Command Not Working

• Check /product for feature availability
• Verify printer is in correct state (not busy/printing)
• Some commands only work when idle

File Upload Issues

• Include all required headers
• Verify file size matches actual file
• Ensure multipart boundary is correct