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Build Guide: BoxTurtle AFC Mount

Mount the NFC reader alongside an AFC BoxTurtle lane so spools are scanned automatically when loaded.

Concept

The NFC antenna is positioned next to the BoxTurtle lane entry. When a spool with an NFC tag is loaded into the lane, the scanner reads the tag and assigns it to that lane via the middleware.

Parts Needed

  • ESP32 board (WROOM, S3-Zero, or S3-DevKitC)
  • NFC reader (PN5180 recommended for best range)
  • Mounting hardware (bracket or tray)
  • USB cable for power

Middleware Configuration

The middleware action depends on your scanner setup:

  • One scanner per lane — use afc_lane with a target for each lane. The scanner auto-assigns the scanned spool to its lane.
  • One shared scanner — use afc_stage. Scan a spool on the shared scanner, then load it into any lane. The middleware assigns the spool when AFC detects the lane load.
# Per-lane scanner example
scanners:
  abc123:
    action: afc_lane
    target: lane1

# Shared scanner example
scanners:
  abc123:
    action: afc_stage

See Middleware Setup for full configuration and all action types.

Available Mounts

Mount NFC Reader Author
PN532 Tray PN532 LinuxGangster

See Community Mods for all designs, or contribute your own.