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tio(1) User Commands tio(1)

NAME

tio - a serial device I/O tool

SYNOPSIS

tio [<options>] <tty-device|profile|tid>

DESCRIPTION

tio is a serial device tool which features a straightforward command-line and configuration file interface to easily connect to serial TTY devices for basic I/O operations.

OPTIONS

Set baud rate [bps] (default: 115200).

Set data bits (default: 8).

Set flow control (default: none).

Set stop bits (default: 1).

Set parity (default: none).

Note: With mark parity the parity bit is always 0. With space parity the parity bit is always 1. Not all platforms support mark and space parity.

Set output delay [ms] inserted between each sent character (default: 0).

Set output delay [ms] inserted between each sent line (default: 0).

Set the pulse duration [ms] of each serial port line using the following key value pair format in the duration field: <key>=<value>

Each key represents a serial line. The following keys are available:

Data Terminal Ready
Request To Send
Clear To Send
Data Set Ready
Data Carrier Detect
Ring Indicator

If defining more than one key value pair, the pairs must be comma separated.

The default pulse duration for each line is 100 ms.

Automatically connect to serial device according to one of the following strategies:

Automatically connect to first new appearing serial device.
Automatically connect to latest registered serial device.
Connect directly to specified TTY device.

All the listed strategies automatically reconnects according to strategy if device is not available or connection is lost.

Default value is "direct".

Exclude devices by pattern ('*' and '?' supported).

Exclude drivers by pattern ('*' and '?' supported).

Exclude topology IDs by pattern ('*' and '?' supported).

Do not reconnect.

This means that tio will exit if it fails to connect to device or an established connection is lost.

Enable local echo.

Enable line timestamp.

--timestamp-format <format>

Set timestamp format to any of the following timestamp formats:

24hour
24-hour format ("hh:mm:ss.sss")
24hour-start
24-hour format relative to start time
24hour-delta
24-hour format relative to previous timestamp
ISO8601 format ("YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss.sss")
Seconds since Unix epoch (1970-01-01)

Default format is 24hour

--timestamp-timeout <ms>

Set timestamp timeout value in milliseconds.

This value only takes effect in hex output mode where timestamps are only printed after elapsed timeout time of no output activity from tty device.

Default value is 200.

List available targets (serial devices, TIDs, configuration profiles).

Enable log to file.

The log file will be automatically named using the following format tio_TARGET_YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS.log. Target being the command line target such as tty-device, tid, or configuration profile.

The filename can be manually set using the --log-file option.

--log-file <filename>

Set log filename.

--log-directory <path>

Set log directory path in which to save automatically named log files.

--log-append

Append to log file.

--log-strip

Strip control characters and escape sequences from log.

Map (replace, translate) characters on input to the serial device or output from the serial device. The following mapping flags are supported:

Map CR to NL on input (unless IGNCR is set)
Ignore CR on input
Map FF to ESC-c on input
Map NL to CR on input
Map NL to CR-NL on input
Map MSB bit order to LSB on input
Map CR to NL on output
Map DEL to BS on output
Map NL to CR-NL on output
Map lowercase characters to uppercase on output
Map nul (zero) to send break signal on output
Ignore CR on output

If defining more than one flag, the flags must be comma separated.

Set input mode.

In normal mode input characters are sent immediately as they are typed.

In hex input mode bytes can be sent by typing the two-character hexadecimal representation of the 1 byte value, e.g.: to send 0xA you must type 0a or 0A.

In line input mode input characters are sent when you press enter. The only editing feature supported in this mode is backspace.

Default value is "normal".

Set output mode.

In hex mode each incoming byte is printed out as a 1 byte hex value.

In hexN mode, N is a number less than or equal to 4096 which defines how many hex values will be printed before a line break.

Default value is "normal".

Colorize tio text using ANSI color code value ranging from 0 to 255 or use "none" for no color or use "bold" to apply bold formatting to existing system color.

Use "list" to print a list of available ANSI color codes.

Default value is "bold".

Redirect I/O to socket.

Any input from clients connected to the socket is sent on the serial port as if entered at the terminal where tio is running (except that ctrl-t sequences are not recognized), and any input from the serial port is multiplexed to the terminal and all connected clients.

Sockets remain open while the serial port is disconnected, and writes will block.

Various socket types are supported using the following prefixes in the socket field:

Unix Domain Socket (file)
Internet Socket (network)
Internet IPv6 Socket (network)

If port is 0 or no port is provided default port 3333 is used.

At present there is a hardcoded limit of 16 clients connected at one time.

Enable RS-485 mode.

Set the RS-485 configuration using the following key or key value pair format in the configuration field:

Set logical level (0 or 1) for RTS pin when sending
Set logical level (0 or 1) for RTS pin after sending
Set RTS delay (ms) before sending
Set RTS delay (ms) after sending
Receive data even while sending data

If defining more than one key or key value pair, they must be comma separated.

--alert none|bell|blink

Set alert action on connect/disconnect.

It will sound the bell once or blink once on successful connect. Likewise it will sound the bell twice or blink twice on disconnect.

Default value is "none".

Mute tio messages.

--script <string>

Run script from string.

--script-file <filename>

Run script from file with filename.

--script-run once|always|never

Run script on connect once, always, or never.

Default value is "always".

--exec <command>

Execute shell command with I/O redirected to device

Display program version.

Display help.

KEY COMMANDS

List available key commands
Send serial break (triggers SysRq on Linux, etc.)
Show configuration (baudrate, databits, etc.)
Toggle local echo mode
Toggle log to file
Flush data I/O buffers (discard data written but not transmitted and data received but not read)
Toggle serial port line
Toggle input mode
Clear screen
Show line states (DTR, RTS, CTS, DSR, DCD, RI)
Change mapping of characters on input or output
Toggle output mode
Pulse serial port line
Quit
Run script
Execute shell command with I/O redirected to device
Show TX/RX statistics
Toggle line timestamp mode
Show version
Send file using the XMODEM-1K or XMODEM-CRC protocol (prompts for file name and protocol)
Send file using the YMODEM protocol (prompts for file name)
Send ctrl-t character

SCRIPT API

Tio suppots Lua scripting to easily automate interaction with the tty device.

In addition to the standard Lua API tio makes the following functions available:

Expect string - waits for string to match or timeout before continuing. Supports regular expressions. Special characters must be escaped with '\\'. Timeout is in milliseconds, defaults to 0 meaning it will wait forever.

Returns 1 on successful match, 0 on timeout, or -1 on error.

On successful match it also returns the match string as second return value.

Read from serial device. If timeout is 0 or not provided it will wait forever until data is ready to read.

Returns number of bytes read on success, 0 on timeout, or -1 on error.

On success, returns read string as second return value. Also emits a single timestamp to stdout and log file per options.timestamp and options.log.

Read line from serial device. If timeout is 0 or not provided it will wait forever until data is ready to read.

Returns number of bytes read on success, 0 on timeout, or -1 on error.

On success, returns the string that was read as second return value. Also emits a single timestamp to stdout and log file per options.timestamp and options.log.

Write string to serial device.

Returns number of bytes written on success or -1 on error.

Send file using x/y-modem protocol.

Protocol can be any of XMODEM_1K, XMODEM_CRC, YMODEM.

Search for serial devices.

Returns a table of number indexed tables, one for each serial device found. Each of these tables contains the serial device information accessible via the following string indexed elements "path", "tid", "uptime", "driver", "description".

Returns nil if no serial devices are found.

Set state of one or multiple tty modem lines.

Line can be any of DTR, RTS, CTS, DSR, CD, RI

State is high, low, or toggle.

Sleep for seconds.
Sleep for milliseconds.
Exit with exit code.

CONFIGURATION FILE

Options can be set via configuration file using the INI format. tio uses the configuration file first found in the following locations in the order listed:

$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/tio/config

$HOME/.config/tio/config

$HOME/.tioconfig

Labels can be used to group settings into named configuration profiles which can be activated from the command-line when starting tio.

tio will try to match the user input to a configuration profile by name or by pattern to get the TTY device and other options.

Options without any label change the default options.

Any options set via command-line will override options set in the configuration file.

The following configuration file options are available:

Pattern matching user input. This pattern can be an extended regular expression with a single group.
TTY device to open. If it contains a "%s" it is substituted with the first group match.
Set baud rate
Set data bits
Set flow control
Set stop bits
Set parity
Set output character delay
Set output line delay
Set line pulse duration
Do not reconnect
Enable log to file
Set log filename
Set log directory path in which to save automatically named log files.
Append to log file
Enable strip of control and escape sequences from log
Enable local echo
Enable line timestamp
Set timestamp format
Set timestamp timeout
Map characters on input or output
Colorize tio text using ANSI color code ranging from 0 to 255
Set input mode
Set output mode
Set socket to redirect I/O to
Set prefix ctrl key (a..z or 'none', default: t)
Enable RS-485 mode
Set RS-485 configuration
Set alert action on connect/disconnect
Mute tio messages
Run script from string
Run script from file
Run script on connect
Execute shell command with I/O redirected to device

It is possible to include the content of other configuration files using the include directive like so: "[include <file>]".

CONFIGURATION FILE EXAMPLES

[default]
baudrate = 9600
databits = 8
parity = none
stopbits = 1
color = 10
line-pulse-duration = DTR=200,RTS=400

[rpi3]
device = /dev/serial/by-id/usb-FTDI_TTL232R-3V3_FTGQVXBL-if00-port0
baudrate = 115200
color = 11

$ tio rpi3

$ tio -b 115200 -c 11 /dev/serial/by-id/usb-FTDI_TTL232R-3V3_FTGQVXBL-if00-port0

[usb-devices]
pattern = ^usb([0-9]*)
device = /dev/ttyUSB%m1
baudrate = 115200

$ tio usb12

$ tio -b 115200 /dev/ttyUSB12

$ tio -l -t usb12

EXAMPLES

$ tio /dev/ttyUSB0

$ tio -b 115200 -d 8 -f none -s 1 -p none /dev/ttyUSB0

$ tio /dev/serial/by-id/usb-FTDI_TTL232R-3V3_FTGQVXBL-if00-port0

Using serial devices by ID ensures that tio automatically reconnects to the correct serial device if it is disconnected and then reconnected.

$ tio -S unix:/tmp/tio-socket0 /dev/ttyUSB0

$ echo "ls -la" | nc -UN /tmp/tio-socket0 > /dev/null

#!/usr/bin/expect -f

set timeout -1
log_user 0

spawn nc -UN /tmp/tio-socket0
set uart $spawn_id

send -i $uart "date\n"
expect -i $uart "prompt> "
send -i $uart "ls -la\n"
expect -i $uart "prompt> "

$ tio --script 'expect("login: "); send("root\n"); expect("Password: "); send("root\n")' /dev/ttyUSB0

$ tio --socket inet:4444 /dev/ttyUSB0

$ nc -N 10.0.0.42 4444

$ echo "ls -la" | tio /dev/serial/by-id/usb-FTDI_TTL232R-3V3_FTGQVXBL-if00-port0

$ echo "*IDN?" | tio /dev/ttyACM0 --script "expect('\r\n', 1000)" --mute

$ cat data.bin | tio /dev/serial/by-id/usb-FTDI_TTL232R-3V3_FTGQVXBL-if00-port0

$ tio --rs-485 --rs-485-config=RTS_ON_SEND=1,RX_DURING_TX /dev/ttyUSB0

$ tio --script "set{DTR=high,RTS=low}; msleep(100); set{RTS=toggle}" --script-run once /dev/ttyUSB0

WEBSITE

Visit https://tio.github.io

AUTHOR

Maintained by Martin Lund <martin.lund@keep-it-simple.com>.

2024-11-30 tio 3.8