feat: birdnet-go, mqtt-notifications, on-air, pomodoro-timer ask for the screen in-process

plugins.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "version": "1.0.0",
-  "last_updated": "2026-10-04",
+  "last_updated": "2026-10-05",
   "plugins": [
     {
       "id": "cricket-scoreboard",
@@ -436,12 +436,11 @@
       "plugin_path": "plugins/birdnet-go",
       "stars": 0,
       "downloads": 0,
-      "last_updated": "2026-10-02",
+      "last_updated": "2026-10-05",
       "verified": true,
       "screenshot": "",
-      "latest_version": "1.2.8",
-      "ledmatrix_min_version": "2.0.0",
-      "commit": "886d2038d22a35c962beac0ea261543339cffec9"
+      "latest_version": "1.2.9",
+      "ledmatrix_min_version": "2.0.0"
     },
     {
       "id": "leaderboard",
@@ -574,12 +573,11 @@
       "plugin_path": "plugins/mqtt-notifications",
       "stars": 0,
       "downloads": 0,
-      "last_updated": "2026-10-02",
+      "last_updated": "2026-10-05",
       "verified": true,
       "screenshot": "",
-      "latest_version": "1.2.8",
-      "ledmatrix_min_version": "2.0.0",
-      "commit": "886d2038d22a35c962beac0ea261543339cffec9"
+      "latest_version": "1.2.9",
+      "ledmatrix_min_version": "2.0.0"
     },
     {
       "id": "music",
@@ -654,13 +652,12 @@
       "plugin_path": "plugins/on-air",
       "stars": 0,
       "downloads": 0,
-      "last_updated": "2026-10-02",
+      "last_updated": "2026-10-05",
       "verified": true,
       "screenshot": "",
-      "latest_version": "1.2.14",
+      "latest_version": "1.2.15",
       "icon": "fa-circle-dot",
-      "ledmatrix_min_version": "2.0.0",
-      "commit": "886d2038d22a35c962beac0ea261543339cffec9"
+      "ledmatrix_min_version": "2.0.0"
     },
     {
       "id": "nfl-draft",
@@ -1289,13 +1286,12 @@
       "plugin_path": "plugins/pomodoro-timer",
       "stars": 0,
       "downloads": 0,
-      "last_updated": "2026-10-02",
+      "last_updated": "2026-10-05",
       "verified": true,
       "screenshot": "",
-      "latest_version": "1.3.10",
+      "latest_version": "1.3.11",
       "icon": "fa-hourglass-half",
-      "ledmatrix_min_version": "2.0.0",
-      "commit": "886d2038d22a35c962beac0ea261543339cffec9"
+      "ledmatrix_min_version": "2.0.0"
     },
     {
       "id": "sleeper-fantasy",

plugins/birdnet-go/manager.py

@@ -448,21 +448,40 @@ def _on_mqtt_message(self, client, userdata, msg):  # pylint: disable=unused-arg
 
     def _trigger_on_demand(self, detection: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
         try:
-            request_payload = {
-                'request_id': str(uuid.uuid4()),
-                'action': 'start',
-                'plugin_id': self.plugin_id,
-                'mode': DETECTION_MODE,
-                'duration': self.interrupt_duration,
-                'pinned': False,
-                'timestamp': time.time(),
-            }
             self._on_demand_until = time.time() + self.interrupt_duration
-            self.cache_manager.set('display_on_demand_request', request_payload)
+            if not self._request_on_demand_in_process():
+                # A core without request_on_demand() (3.8.0 and older), or no
+                # display in this process: the mailbox, as before.
+                self.cache_manager.set('display_on_demand_request', {
+                    'request_id': str(uuid.uuid4()),
+                    'action': 'start',
+                    'plugin_id': self.plugin_id,
+                    'mode': DETECTION_MODE,
+                    'duration': self.interrupt_duration,
+                    'pinned': False,
+                    'timestamp': time.time(),
+                })
             self.logger.info("Triggered on-demand display for %s", detection['common_name'])
         except Exception as e:
             self.logger.error("Error triggering on-demand display: %s", e, exc_info=True)
 
+    def _request_on_demand_in_process(self) -> bool:
+        """Ask the core for the screen directly, where it has the API.
+
+        BasePlugin.request_on_demand() reaches the display within a frame,
+        from this (MQTT or poll) thread; the file mailbox is read once a
+        second and is going away. False on a core without it, or when it
+        answers None (no display in this process), so the caller writes the
+        mailbox.
+        """
+        if hasattr(self, 'request_on_demand'):
+            try:
+                return bool(self.request_on_demand(
+                    mode=DETECTION_MODE, duration=self.interrupt_duration, pinned=False))
+            except Exception as e:
+                self.logger.debug("In-process on-demand request failed: %s", e)
+        return False
+
     def _connect_mqtt(self) -> bool:
         try:
             # _mqtt_loop tears the previous client down (_teardown_client)

plugins/birdnet-go/manifest.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "id": "birdnet-go",
   "name": "BirdNET-Go",
-  "version": "1.2.8",
+  "version": "1.2.9",
   "author": "ChuckBuilds",
   "description": "Show what BirdNET-Go is hearing. One screen cycles a different species each turn \u2014 name, confidence, how many times it has been heard today, and a photo \u2014 and a second shows today's stats: species count, total detections and the most-heard species. Polls the BirdNET-Go REST API, with optional MQTT for instant pop-ups.",
   "category": "integration",
@@ -21,6 +21,12 @@
   "entry_point": "manager.py",
   "class_name": "BirdNetGoPlugin",
   "versions": [
+    {
+      "released": "2026-10-05",
+      "version": "1.2.9",
+      "changelog": "A detection reaches the panel within a frame on LEDMatrix cores that have BasePlugin.request_on_demand(): the plugin asks the display directly instead of writing the display_on_demand_request cache file, which the display reads only once a second while its control socket is up and which a future core removes. On older cores, or when no display answers, it writes the file as before.",
+      "ledmatrix_min_version": "2.0.0"
+    },
     {
       "released": "2026-10-02",
       "version": "1.2.8",

plugins/birdnet-go/test_on_demand_api.py

@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""A detection takes the screen through the core's in-process API when the
+core has one, and through the file mailbox otherwise.
+
+BasePlugin.request_on_demand() reaches the display within a frame; the
+``display_on_demand_request`` mailbox is read once a second and is going
+away. The plugin writes the mailbox on a core without the method, and when
+it answers None (no display in this process, e.g. the web interface).
+
+Run with the core on PYTHONPATH:
+    PYTHONPATH=/path/to/LEDMatrix python <thisfile>
+"""
+import logging
+import os
+import sys
+
+sys.path.insert(0, os.path.dirname(__file__))
+try:
+    from src.plugin_system.plugin_manager import PluginManager
+except ImportError:
+    print("SKIP: LEDMatrix core not on PYTHONPATH")
+    sys.exit(2)
+from manager import BirdNetGoPlugin, DETECTION_MODE  # noqa: E402
+
+failures = []
+
+
+def check(label, ok):
+    print(("PASS " if ok else "FAIL ") + label)
+    if not ok:
+        failures.append(label)
+
+
+class Cache:
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.store = {}
+
+    def set(self, key, data, ttl=None):
+        self.store[key] = data
+
+
+def display_process_manager(seen):
+    """The core's PluginManager as the display wires it; None on a core
+    without the in-process API."""
+    if not hasattr(PluginManager, "set_on_demand_handler"):
+        return None
+    manager = PluginManager.__new__(PluginManager)
+    manager.logger = logging.getLogger("test-plugin-manager")
+    manager.set_on_demand_handler(lambda request: seen.append(request) or True)
+    return manager
+
+
+def make(plugin_manager):
+    p = object.__new__(BirdNetGoPlugin)
+    p.plugin_id = "birdnet-go"
+    p.logger = logging.getLogger("test-birdnet-go")
+    p.cache_manager = Cache()
+    p.plugin_manager = plugin_manager
+    p.interrupt_duration = 12.0
+    p._on_demand_until = 0.0
+    return p
+
+
+DETECTION = {"common_name": "American Robin"}
+
+# No display in this process, or a core without the API: the mailbox.
+p = make(None)
+p._trigger_on_demand(DETECTION)
+request = p.cache_manager.store.get("display_on_demand_request")
+check("without a display to ask, the start goes to the mailbox",
+      isinstance(request, dict) and request.get("action") == "start"
+      and request.get("plugin_id") == "birdnet-go"
+      and request.get("mode") == DETECTION_MODE and request.get("duration") == 12.0)
+check("the interrupt window is set", p._on_demand_until > 0)
+
+seen = []
+manager = display_process_manager(seen)
+if manager is None:
+    print("SKIP-PART: this core has no BasePlugin.request_on_demand()")
+else:
+    p = make(manager)
+    p._trigger_on_demand(DETECTION)
+    check("with the core API, no mailbox write",
+          "display_on_demand_request" not in p.cache_manager.store)
+    check("the start reaches the display",
+          len(seen) == 1 and seen[0]["action"] == "start"
+          and seen[0]["plugin_id"] == "birdnet-go" and seen[0]["mode"] == DETECTION_MODE
+          and seen[0]["duration"] == 12.0 and seen[0]["pinned"] is False
+          and seen[0]["source"] == "plugin")
+    check("the interrupt window is set", p._on_demand_until > 0)
+
+    # A display whose queue is full answers None: the mailbox again.
+    manager.set_on_demand_handler(lambda request: False)
+    p = make(manager)
+    p._trigger_on_demand(DETECTION)
+    check("a refused request falls back to the mailbox",
+          (p.cache_manager.store.get("display_on_demand_request") or {}).get("action")
+          == "start")
+
+print("%d failed" % len(failures))
+sys.exit(1 if failures else 0)

plugins/mqtt-notifications/manager.py

@@ -333,30 +333,49 @@ def _on_mqtt_message(self, client, userdata, msg):  # pylint: disable=unused-arg
             self.logger.error(f"Error processing MQTT message: {e}", exc_info=True)
 
     def _trigger_on_demand_display(self, message: Dict[str, Any]):
-        """Trigger on-demand display via cache manager."""
+        """Store the message, then ask the core to show it now."""
         try:
-            request_id = str(uuid.uuid4())
-            request_payload = {
-                'request_id': request_id,
-                'action': 'start',
-                'plugin_id': self.plugin_id,
-                'mode': 'mqtt_notification',
-                'duration': message.get('duration', self.default_duration),
-                'pinned': False,
-                'timestamp': time.time()
-            }
-
+            duration = message.get('duration', self.default_duration)
+
             # Store message in cache for display method
             self.cache_manager.set(f'{self.plugin_id}_current_message', message, ttl=3600)
-
-            # Trigger on-demand display
-            self.cache_manager.set('display_on_demand_request', request_payload)
+
+            if not self._request_on_demand_in_process(duration):
+                # A core without request_on_demand() (3.8.0 and older), or
+                # no display in this process: the mailbox, as before.
+                self.cache_manager.set('display_on_demand_request', {
+                    'request_id': str(uuid.uuid4()),
+                    'action': 'start',
+                    'plugin_id': self.plugin_id,
+                    'mode': 'mqtt_notification',
+                    'duration': duration,
+                    'pinned': False,
+                    'timestamp': time.time()
+                })
 
             self.logger.info("Triggered on-demand display for %s notification", message['type'])
 
         except Exception as e:
             self.logger.error(f"Error triggering on-demand display: {e}", exc_info=True)
 
+    def _request_on_demand_in_process(self, duration: Any) -> bool:
+        """Ask the core for the screen directly, where it has the API.
+
+        BasePlugin.request_on_demand() reaches the display within a frame,
+        from this MQTT thread; the file mailbox is read once a second and is
+        going away. False on a core without it, when it answers None (no
+        display in this process), or when it refuses the message's duration
+        (a string from the JSON, say, which the mailbox path parses as it
+        always has), so the caller writes the mailbox.
+        """
+        if hasattr(self, 'request_on_demand'):
+            try:
+                return bool(self.request_on_demand(
+                    mode='mqtt_notification', duration=duration, pinned=False))
+            except Exception as e:
+                self.logger.debug("In-process on-demand request failed: %s", e)
+        return False
+
     def _connect_mqtt(self):
         """Connect to MQTT broker."""
         try:

plugins/mqtt-notifications/manifest.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "id": "mqtt-notifications",
   "name": "MQTT Notifications",
-  "version": "1.2.8",
+  "version": "1.2.9",
   "author": "ChuckBuilds",
   "description": "Display text or images from HomeAssistant via MQTT. Supports dynamic MQTT topics with wildcard support for flexible notification handling that interrupts the normal display rotation.",
   "category": "integration",
@@ -18,6 +18,12 @@
   "entry_point": "manager.py",
   "class_name": "MQTTNotificationsPlugin",
   "versions": [
+    {
+      "released": "2026-10-05",
+      "version": "1.2.9",
+      "changelog": "A notification reaches the panel within a frame on LEDMatrix cores that have BasePlugin.request_on_demand(): the plugin asks the display directly from its MQTT thread instead of writing the display_on_demand_request cache file, which the display reads only once a second while its control socket is up and which a future core removes. On older cores, when no display answers, or for a duration the core refuses (a string), it writes the file as before.",
+      "ledmatrix_min_version": "2.0.0"
+    },
     {
       "released": "2026-10-02",
       "version": "1.2.8",

plugins/mqtt-notifications/test_on_demand_trigger.py

@@ -64,5 +64,42 @@ def set(self, *args, **kwargs):
 check("the message is stored for display()",
       p.cache_manager.store.get("mqtt-notifications_current_message", {}).get("text") == "Door open")
 
+
+# A core with BasePlugin.request_on_demand() takes the request in-process: it
+# reaches the display within a frame, and nothing goes to the mailbox (read
+# once a second, and going away). Without a display in this process (above,
+# no plugin_manager) or on an older core, the mailbox, as before.
+from src.plugin_system.plugin_manager import PluginManager  # noqa: E402
+
+if not hasattr(PluginManager, "set_on_demand_handler"):
+    print("SKIP-PART: this core has no BasePlugin.request_on_demand()")
+else:
+    seen = []
+    manager = PluginManager.__new__(PluginManager)
+    manager.logger = logging.getLogger("test-plugin-manager")
+    manager.set_on_demand_handler(lambda request: seen.append(request) or True)
+    p.cache_manager = SignatureCheckedCache()
+    p.plugin_manager = manager
+    p._trigger_on_demand_display({"type": "text", "text": "Door open", "duration": 7})
+    check("with the core API, no mailbox write",
+          "display_on_demand_request" not in p.cache_manager.store)
+    check("the start reaches the display",
+          len(seen) == 1 and seen[0]["action"] == "start"
+          and seen[0]["plugin_id"] == "mqtt-notifications"
+          and seen[0]["mode"] == "mqtt_notification" and seen[0]["duration"] == 7.0
+          and seen[0]["source"] == "plugin")
+    check("the message is still stored for display()",
+          p.cache_manager.store.get("mqtt-notifications_current_message", {}).get("text")
+          == "Door open")
+
+    # A duration the API refuses (a string from the JSON) keeps the old path,
+    # which parses it as it always has.
+    seen.clear()
+    p.cache_manager = SignatureCheckedCache()
+    p._trigger_on_demand_display({"type": "text", "text": "Hi", "duration": "15"})
+    check("a string duration falls back to the mailbox",
+          not seen and p.cache_manager.store.get("display_on_demand_request", {})
+          .get("duration") == "15")
+
 print("%d failed" % len(failures))
 sys.exit(1 if failures else 0)