tio(1)

NAME
tio - a simple serial device I/O tool

SYNOPSIS

tio [<options>] <tty-device|sub-config>

DESCRIPTION

tio is a simple 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

-b, --baudrate <bps>
    Set baud rate [bps] (default: 115200).

-d, --databits 5|6|7|8
    Set data bits (default: 8).

-f, --flow hard|soft|none
    Set flow control (default: none).

-s, --stopbits 1|2
    Set stop bits (default: 1).

-p, --parity odd|even|none
    Set parity (default: none).

-o, --output-delay <ms>
    Set output delay [ms] inserted between each sent character (default: 0).

-n, --no-autoconnect
    Disable automatic connect. By default tio automatically connects to the provided device if present. If the device is not present, it will wait for it to appear and then connect. If the connection is lost (eg. device disconnects), it will wait for the device to reappear and then reconnect. However, if the --no-autoconnect option is provided, tio will exit if the device is not present or an established connection is lost.

-e, --local-echo
    Enable local echo.

-t, --timestamp
    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

    iso8601
        ISO8601 format ("YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss.sss")

    Default format is 24hour

-L, --list-devices
    List available serial devices.

-l, --log
    Enable log to file. If no filename is provided the filename will be automatically generated.

--log-file <filename>
    Set log filename.

--log-strip
    Strip control characters and escape sequences from log.

-m, --map <flags>
    Map (replace, translate) special characters on input or output. The following mapping flags are supported:

    ICRNL
    Map CR to NL on input (unless IGNCR is set).

    IGNCR
        Ignore CR on input.

    INLCR
        Map NL to CR on input.

    INLCRNL
        Map NL to CR-NL on input.

    OCRNL
        Map CR to NL on output.

    ODELBS
        Map DEL to BS on output.

    ONLCRNL
        Map NL to CR-NL on output.

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

-x, --hexadecimal
    Enable hexadecimal mode.

-c, --color 0..255|none|list
    Colorize tio text using ANSI color code value ranging from 0 to 255 or use "none" for no color. Use "list" to print a list of available ANSI color codes. Default value is 15.

-S, --socket <socket>
    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:<filename>
    Unix Domain Socket (file)

    inet:<port>
        Internet Socket (network)

    inet6:<port>
        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.

-v, --version
    Display program version.

-h, --help
    Display help.

KEYS

In session, the following key sequences are intercepted as tio commands:

ctrl-t ?
    List available key commands

ctrl-t b
    Send serial break (triggers SysRq on Linux, etc.)

ctrl-t c
    Show configuration (baudrate, databits, etc.)

ctrl-t e
    Toggle local echo mode

ctrl-t h
    Toggle hexadecimal mode

ctrl-t l
    Clear screen

ctrl-t q
    Quit

ctrl-t s
    Show TX/RX statistics

ctrl-t t
    Send ctrl-t key code

ctrl-t L
    Show line states (DTR, RTS, CTS, DSR, DCD, RI)

ctrl-t d
    Toggle DTR

ctrl-t r
    Toggle RTS

ctrl-t v
    Show version

HEXADECIMAL MODE

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

Bytes can be sent in this mode by typing the two-character hexadecimal representation of the value, e.g.: to send 0xA you must type 0a or 0A.

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/tiorc

$HOME/.config/tio/tiorc

$HOME/.tiorc

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

tio will try to match the user input to a sub-configuration by name or by pattern to get the tty and other options.

Options without any label change the default options.

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

The following configuration file options are available:

pattern
Pattern matching user input. This pattern can be an extended regular expression with a single group.

tty tty device to open. If it contains a "%s" it is substituted with the first group match.

baudrate
    Set baud rate

databits
    Set data bits

flow
    Set flow control

stopbits
    Set stop bits

parity
    Set parity

output-delay
    Set output delay

no-autoconnect
    Disable automatic connect

log Enable log to file

log-file
    Set log filename

log-strip
    Enable strip of control and escape sequences from log

local-echo
    Enable local echo

timestamp
    Enable line timestamp

timestamp-format
    Set timestamp format

map Map special characters on input or output

color
    Colorize tio text using ANSI color code ranging from 0 to 255

hexadecimal
    Enable hexadecimal mode

socket
    Set socket to redirect I/O to

CONFIGURATION FILE EXAMPLES

To change the default configuration simply set options like so:
    # Defaults
    baudrate = 115200
    databits = 8
    parity = none
    stopbits = 1
    color = 10

Named sub-configurations can be added via labels:
    [ftdi]
    baudrate = 115200
    tty = /dev/serial/by-id/usb-FTDI_TTL232R-3V3_FTGQVXBL-if00-port0
    color = 11

Activate the sub-configuration by name:
    $ tio ftdi

Which is equivalent to:
    $ tio -b 115200 -c 11 /dev/serial/by-id/usb-FTDI_TTL232R-3V3_FTGQVXBL-if00-port0

A sub-configuration can also be activated by its pattern which supports regular expressions:
    [usb device]
    pattern = usb([0-9]*)
    baudrate = 115200
    tty = /dev/ttyUSB%s

Activate the sub-configuration by pattern match:
    $ tio usb12

Which is equivalent to:
    $ tio -b 115200 /dev/ttyUSB12

It is also possible to combine use of sub-configuration and command-line options. For example:
    $ tio -l -t usb12

EXAMPLES

Typical use is without options:
    $ tio /dev/ttyUSB0

Which corresponds to the commonly used options:
    $ tio -b 115200 -d 8 -f none -s 1 -p none /dev/ttyUSB0

It is recommended to connect serial tty devices by ID:
    $ 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 the device is disconnected and then reconnected.

Redirect serial device I/O to Unix file socket for scripting:
    $ tio -S unix:/tmp/tmux-socket0 /dev/ttyUSB0

Then, to issue a command via the file socket simply do:
    $ echo "ls -la" | nc -UN /tmp/tmux-socket0 > /dev/null

Or use the expect command to script an interaction:
    #!/usr/bin/expect -f
    set timeout -1
    log_user 0
    spawn nc -UN /tmp/tio-socket0
    set uart $spawn_id
    send -i $uart "date
    expect -i $uart "prompt> "
    send -i $uart "ls -la
    expect -i $uart "prompt> "

Redirect device I/O to network file socket for remote tty sharing:
    $ tio --socket inet:4444 /dev/ttyUSB0

Then, use netcat to connect to the shared tty session over network (assuming tio is hosted on IP 10.0.0.42):
    $ nc -N 10.0.0.42 4444

Pipe data from file to the serial device:
    $ cat data.bin | tio /dev/serial/by-id/usb-FTDI_TTL232R-3V3_FTGQVXBL-if00-port0

WEBSITE

Visit https://tio.github.io

AUTHOR

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