Cache idle LED clients to avoid repeated Arduino resets

Adalight devices trigger a ~3s bootloader reset on every serial
connection open. Add a persistent idle client cache in ProcessorManager
so calibration test toggles, static color changes, and auto-restore
reuse an existing connection instead of creating a new one each time.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>

server/src/wled_controller/api/routes/devices.py

@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ async def delete_device(
 
         # Remove from manager
         try:
-            manager.remove_device(device_id)
+            await manager.remove_device(device_id)
         except (ValueError, RuntimeError):
             pass
 
@@ -497,11 +497,7 @@ async def set_device_color(
     # If device is idle, apply the color immediately
     if color is not None and not manager.is_device_processing(device_id):
         try:
-            provider = get_provider(device.device_type)
-            await provider.set_color(
-                device.url, color,
-                led_count=device.led_count, baud_rate=device.baud_rate,
-            )
+            await manager.send_static_color(device_id, color)
         except Exception as e:
             logger.warning(f"Failed to apply static color immediately: {e}")
 

server/src/wled_controller/core/processing/processor_manager.py

@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ class ProcessorManager:
         """Initialize processor manager."""
         self._devices: Dict[str, DeviceState] = {}
         self._processors: Dict[str, TargetProcessor] = {}
+        self._idle_clients: Dict[str, object] = {}  # device_id -> cached LEDClient
         self._health_monitoring_active = False
         self._http_client: Optional[httpx.AsyncClient] = None
         self._picture_source_store = picture_source_store
@@ -181,7 +182,7 @@ class ProcessorManager:
 
         logger.info(f"Registered device {device_id} with {led_count} LEDs")
 
-    def remove_device(self, device_id: str):
+    async def remove_device(self, device_id: str):
         """Unregister a device."""
         if device_id not in self._devices:
             raise ValueError(f"Device {device_id} not found")
@@ -193,6 +194,7 @@ class ProcessorManager:
                     f"Cannot remove device {device_id}: target {proc.target_id} is using it"
                 )
 
+        await self._close_idle_client(device_id)
         self._stop_device_health_check(device_id)
         del self._devices[device_id]
         logger.info(f"Unregistered device {device_id}")
@@ -379,6 +381,10 @@ class ProcessorManager:
                         f"Device {proc.device_id} is already being processed by target {other_id}"
                     )
 
+        # Close cached idle client — processor creates its own connection
+        if isinstance(proc, WledTargetProcessor):
+            await self._close_idle_client(proc.device_id)
+
         await proc.start()
 
     async def stop_processing(self, target_id: str):
@@ -492,6 +498,42 @@ class ProcessorManager:
             ds.test_mode_active = False
             ds.test_mode_edges = {}
             await self._send_clear_pixels(device_id)
+            await self._close_idle_client(device_id)
+
+    async def _get_idle_client(self, device_id: str):
+        """Get or create a cached idle LED client for a device.
+
+        Reuses an existing connected client to avoid repeated serial
+        reconnection (which triggers Arduino bootloader reset on Adalight).
+        """
+        # Prefer a running processor's client (already connected)
+        active = self._find_active_led_client(device_id)
+        if active:
+            return active
+
+        # Reuse cached idle client if still connected
+        cached = self._idle_clients.get(device_id)
+        if cached and cached.is_connected:
+            return cached
+
+        # Create and cache a new client
+        ds = self._devices[device_id]
+        client = create_led_client(
+            ds.device_type, ds.device_url,
+            use_ddp=True, led_count=ds.led_count, baud_rate=ds.baud_rate,
+        )
+        await client.connect()
+        self._idle_clients[device_id] = client
+        return client
+
+    async def _close_idle_client(self, device_id: str) -> None:
+        """Close and remove the cached idle client for a device."""
+        client = self._idle_clients.pop(device_id, None)
+        if client:
+            try:
+                await client.close()
+            except Exception as e:
+                logger.warning(f"Error closing idle client for {device_id}: {e}")
 
     async def _send_test_pixels(self, device_id: str) -> None:
         """Build and send test pixel array for active test edges."""
@@ -513,11 +555,7 @@ class ProcessorManager:
             pixels = pixels[-offset:] + pixels[:-offset]
 
         try:
-            active_client = self._find_active_led_client(device_id)
-            if active_client:
-                await active_client.send_pixels(pixels)
-            else:
-                async with create_led_client(ds.device_type, ds.device_url, use_ddp=True, led_count=ds.led_count, baud_rate=ds.baud_rate) as client:
+            client = await self._get_idle_client(device_id)
             await client.send_pixels(pixels)
         except Exception as e:
             logger.error(f"Failed to send test pixels for {device_id}: {e}")
@@ -528,11 +566,7 @@ class ProcessorManager:
         pixels = [(0, 0, 0)] * ds.led_count
 
         try:
-            active_client = self._find_active_led_client(device_id)
-            if active_client:
-                await active_client.send_pixels(pixels)
-            else:
-                async with create_led_client(ds.device_type, ds.device_url, use_ddp=True, led_count=ds.led_count, baud_rate=ds.baud_rate) as client:
+            client = await self._get_idle_client(device_id)
             await client.send_pixels(pixels)
         except Exception as e:
             logger.error(f"Failed to clear pixels for {device_id}: {e}")
@@ -560,6 +594,19 @@ class ProcessorManager:
                 return proc.device_id
         return None
 
+    async def send_static_color(self, device_id: str, color: Tuple[int, int, int]) -> None:
+        """Send a solid color to a device via the cached idle client."""
+        import numpy as np
+        ds = self._devices.get(device_id)
+        if not ds:
+            raise ValueError(f"Device {device_id} not found")
+        try:
+            client = await self._get_idle_client(device_id)
+            frame = np.full((ds.led_count, 3), color, dtype=np.uint8)
+            await client.send_pixels(frame)
+        except Exception as e:
+            logger.error(f"Failed to send static color for {device_id}: {e}")
+
     async def _restore_device_idle_state(self, device_id: str) -> None:
         """Restore a device to its idle state when all targets stop.
 
@@ -575,23 +622,15 @@ class ProcessorManager:
             return
 
         try:
-            provider = get_provider(ds.device_type)
-
             if ds.static_color is not None:
-                await provider.set_color(
-                    ds.device_url, ds.static_color,
-                    led_count=ds.led_count, baud_rate=ds.baud_rate,
-                )
+                await self.send_static_color(device_id, ds.static_color)
                 logger.info(
                     f"Auto-restore: sent static color {ds.static_color} "
                     f"to {ds.device_type} device {device_id}"
                 )
             elif ds.device_type != "wled":
                 # Non-WLED without static color: power off (send black frame)
-                await provider.set_power(
-                    ds.device_url, False,
-                    led_count=ds.led_count, baud_rate=ds.baud_rate,
-                )
+                await self._send_clear_pixels(device_id)
                 logger.info(f"Auto-restore: powered off {ds.device_type} device {device_id}")
             else:
                 # WLED: stop() already called restore_device_state() via snapshot
@@ -617,6 +656,10 @@ class ProcessorManager:
         for device_id in self._devices:
             await self._restore_device_idle_state(device_id)
 
+        # Close any cached idle LED clients
+        for did in list(self._idle_clients):
+            await self._close_idle_client(did)
+
         # Safety net: release any remaining managed live streams
         self._live_stream_manager.release_all()