brewpi/components/pid/TODO.md

# components/pid design backlog

Findings from a design review, refreshed against the current state of
`master` after the Kalman-filter removal and Smith-predictor rewrite (see
git history for `temp_controller.py`/`temp_controller_smith.py`).

- [x] **FSM thresholds aren't configurable.** Moved into an optional
  `TempCtrl.Thresholds` config section (`HoldIdle`, `HoldHeat`,
  `IdleHeat`, `IdleHold`, `HeatHold`, `HeatIdle`), merged over
  `DEFAULT_THRESHOLDS` (now in `temp_controller_base.py`, formerly
  `tc_constants.py`) so existing configs without the section keep
  working unchanged.

- [x] **matplotlib imported at module level in production code.**
  `temp_controller.py`, `temp_controller_smith.py`, and `kalman.py`
  used to `from matplotlib.pyplot import ...` just to support their
  `__main__` self-test plots. The plotting demos (and `kalman_eval.py`)
  moved to `scripts/demos/pid/demo_*.py`; production modules no longer
  import matplotlib.

- [x] **Three Kalman filters share one tuning.** No longer applicable:
  `temp_controller_smith.py` was rewritten to drop Kalman filtering
  entirely (see below), so there's no shared tuning to split anymore.

- [x] **`Pid.scale()` is a gain-scheduling hack, not anti-windup.**
  Fixed: removed `Pid.scale()`/`self.k` entirely. `Pid.process(err, d,
  scale=1.0)` now takes the gain multiplier as a plain per-call
  argument instead of mutable state, so there's nothing to go stale
  across a `reset()`. `temp_controller*.py` compute `hold_scale =
  1.0/heatrate_soll_set if heatrate_soll_set > 0 else 1.0` themselves
  and pass it through `process_pid(theta_err, heatrate_err,
  hold_scale)` — the overshoot-compensation scheduling logic now lives
  entirely in the temp controller, not the generic `Pid` block.

- [ ] **No automated tests.** `tests/components/pid/` was added once
  (stdlib `unittest`, no pytest) covering FSM transitions, anti-windup
  clamping, and Kalman convergence, but was removed again before the
  Kalman-filter removal/Smith rewrite, so none of the current
  `temp_controller*.py` behavior (backward-difference + low-pass
  filtered heat rate, the two-model Smith correction) has test
  coverage. This drives a physical heater — worth re-adding.

- [ ] **`set_model_power` isn't defined on every controller, but
  `brewpi.py` wires it unconditionally.** `brewpi.py` always does
  `heater.set_on_changed("power_set", tc.set_model_power)` regardless
  of `Controller.pid_type`. Only `temp_controller_smith.py` (the Smith
  predictor) defines `set_model_power`; `temp_controller.py` (`"Normal"`)
  does not, so starting the server with `"pid_type": "Normal"` crashes
  at wiring time with `AttributeError: 'TempController' object has no
  attribute 'set_model_power'`. Either add a no-op `set_model_power` to
  `TempControllerBase`, or only wire it when the configured controller
  actually exposes a model to feed.

- [ ] **Config access is unchecked `dict[key]` everywhere.**
  `params['Hold']`, `params['Td']`, etc., throughout, with no schema
  validation at load time. We already hit this bug class once
  (`config.json.sim`'s `gain`/`Model` nesting mismatch). A small
  schema/dataclass validation layer at config-load would surface
  errors immediately instead of mid-`__init__` — and would have caught
  the dead `TempCtrl.Kalman` / `Model.kn` / `Plant.kn` keys that used
  to sit unused in `config-sim.json.tpl`/`.sim` (since deleted), and the
  `Model.gain`/`Plant.gain` keys that did the same in `config.json.sim`
  before that file was removed entirely — `Pot` dropped `gain`
  entirely, see `components/plant/TODO.md`.

- [ ] **`pid_heat` can wind up during a `HOLD`-state disturbance with no
  anti-windup engagement.** A cold-water disturbance while holding drove
  `pid_heat`'s integral term up without ever saturating `y` (peaked at
  `y≈0.74` of the `1.0` ceiling), so the existing back-calculation
  anti-windup (`Pid.process()`, `pid.py:45-48`) never triggered — the FSM
  never even left `HOLD` (`diff` stayed under `HoldHeat=1.0`). The
  resulting overshoot took ~35s+ to unwind naturally. A flat `yi_max`
  clamp was considered and rejected: sustaining a genuine 1.5 K/min ramp
  needs `y≈0.7-0.75` from `yi` alone at steady state, the same range the
  disturbance itself peaked at, so no single clamp value can suppress the
  windup without also capping legitimate ramps. An FSM-gating alternative
  (freeze the loop's output in `HOLD` unless engaged) was also superseded.
  Current plan: rename `pid_hold`/`pid_heat`/`pid_cool` to `pid_outer`/
  `pid_inner`/`pid_inner_cool` (matching what actually runs when), and
  split the inner loop's config into `Inner.Heat`/`Inner.Hold`/
  `Inner.Cool` so the *same* PID instance gets a tight `yi_max` only while
  `HOLD` is driving it and stays unclamped for real `HEAT` ramps — no
  freeze/thaw, bumpless transfer preserved for free. See
  `docs/overshoot_hold_windup.md` for the full writeup and test plan. This
  is also a breaking config change (`Hold`/`Heat`/`Cool` → `Outer`/
  `Inner.*`) — every deployed `config.json` needs migrating, not just the
  repo templates.

- [ ] **`kalman.py` is now dead code in production.** Neither
  `temp_controller.py` nor `temp_controller_smith.py` uses `Kalman`
  anymore; the only remaining references are
  `scripts/demos/pid/demo_kalman.py` and `demo_kalman_eval.py`. Decide
  whether to keep it as a documented standalone filtering example or
  delete it along with the demos.