Hi @pud,
I believe I have been the only person so far who has been integrated the STAR autoload module, and would love to work together with you on improving it! 
I have updated it quite a bit a couple of weeks ago:
- forum announcement: STAR Autoload & 1D Barcode Reading Upgrade
- new STAR autoload+1D barcode scanner docs tutorial: Using the autoload & 1D barcode reader — PyLabRobot documentation
Answers to your questions from my knowledge:
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No. As long as you don’t use “set” commands to modify the STAR’s memory you can do basically anything - the embedded systems engineers who built this machine have done an incredible job at securing it from self-harm via absurd input parameters. The only thing to keep an eye out and do carefully is physical stuff: e.g. don’t move the carrier out onto the autoload belt and then tell the autoload sled to move through the carrier
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implemented in basic form in PLR:main line 7405 - though modifying acceleration is not yet, and would be a great addition:
you can just add the parameters into the send_command as Rick has described above and submit a PR
(Note the extra safety I added into this command which I found alternative solutions lack
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As Rick mentioned: no, that is all done automatically by PLR.
)