Provided by: picocom_1.7-2build0.14.04.1_amd64 
NAME
picocom - minimal dumb-terminal emulation program
SYNOPSIS
picocom [ options ] device
DESCRIPTION
As its name suggests, picocom is a minimal dumb-terminal emulation program. It is, in
principle, very much like minicom(1) , only it's "pico" instead of "mini"! It was designed
to serve as a simple, manual, modem configuration, testing, and debugging tool. It has
also served (quite well) as a low-tech "terminal-window" to allow operator intervention in
PPP connection scripts (something like the ms-windows "open terminal window before / after
dialing" feature). It could also prove useful in many other similar tasks.
When picocom starts it opens the terminal (serial device) given as its non-option
argument. Unless the --noinit option is given, it configures the device to the settings
specified by the option-arguments (or to some default settings), and sets it to "raw"
mode. If --noinit is given, the initialization and configuration is skipped; the device is
just opened. Following this, picocom sets the standard-input and standard-output to raw
mode. Having done so, it goes in a loop where it listens for input from stdin, or from the
serial port. Input from the serial port is copied to the standard output while input from
the standard input is copied to the serial port. picocom also scans its input stream for
a user-specified control character, called the "escape character" (being by default "C-
a"). If the escape character is seen, then instead of sending it to the serial-device, the
program enters "command mode" and waits for the next character (which is called the
"function character"). Depending on the value of the function character, picocom performs
one of the operations described in the "Commands" section below.
COMMANDS
Commands are given to picocom by first keying the "espace character" which by default is
"C-a" (see "Options" below on how to change it), and then keying one for the function
(command) characters shown here.
[escape character]
Send the escape character to the serial port and return to "transparent" mode. This
means that if the escape character ("C-a", by default) is typed twice, the program
sends the escape character to the serial port, and remains in transparent mode. This is
a new behavior implemented in v1.4. Previously picocom used to ignore the escape-
character when it was entered as a function character.
C-x
Exit the program: if the "--noreset" option was not given then the serial port is reset
to its original settings before exiting; if it was given the serial port is not reset.
C-q
Quit the program *without* reseting the serial port, regardless of the "--noreset"
option.
C-p
Pulse the DTR line. Lower it for 1 sec, and then raise it again.
C-t
Toggle the DTR line. If DTR is up, then lower it. If it is down, then raise it.
C-backslash
Generate a break sequence on the serial line. A break sequence is usually generated by
marking (driving to logical one) the serial Tx line for an amount of time coresponding
to several character durations.
C-u
Baud up. Increase the baud-rate. The list of baud-rates stepped-through by this command
is: 300, 600, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600, 115200.
C-d
Baud down. Decrease the baud-rate. The list of baud-rates stepped-through by this
command is the same as for the "baud-up" command.
C-f
Cycle through flow-control settings (RTS/CTS, XON/XOFF, none).
C-y
Cycle through parity settings (even, odd, none).
C-b
Cycle through databits-number settings (5, 6, 7, 8).
C-c
Toggle local-echo mode.
C-v
Show program options (like baud rate, data bits, etc). Only the options that can be
modified online (through commands) are shown, not those that can only be set at the
command-line.
C-s
Send (upload) a file (see "Sending and Receiving Files" below)
C-r
Receive (download) a file (see "Sending and Receiving Files" below)
After performing one of the above operations the program leaves the command mode and
enters transparent mode. Example: To increase the baud-rate by two steps, you have to
type:
C-a, C-u, C-a, C-u
assuming of-course that "C-a" is the escape character.
SENDING AND RECEIVING FILES
picocom can send and receive files over the serial port using external programs that
implement the respective protocols. In Linux typical programs for this purpose are:
— rx(1) - receive using the X-MODEM protocol
— rb(1) - receive using the Y-MODEM protocol
— rz(1) - receive using the Z-MODEM protocol
— sx(1) - send using the X-MODEM protocol
— sb(1) - send using the Y-MODEM protocol
— sz(1) - send using the Z-MODEM protocol
— ascii-xfr(1) - receive or transmit ASCII files
The name of, and the command-line options to, the program to be used for transmitting
files are given by the "--send-cmd" option. Similarly the program to receive files, and
its argumets, are given by the "--receive-cmd" option. For example, in order to start a
picocom session that uses "sz" to transmit files, and "rz" to receive, you have to say
something like this:
picocom --send-cmd "sz -vv" --receive-cmd "rz -vv"
During the picocom session, if you key the "send" or "receive" commands (e.g. by pressing
C-a, C-s, or C-a, C-r) you will be prompted for a filename. At this prompt you can enter
one or more file-names, and any additional arguments to the transmission or reception
program. After that, picocom will start the the external program as specified by the
"--send-cmd", or "--receive-cmd" option, and with any filenames and additional arguments
you may have supplied. The standard input and output of the external program will be
connected to the serial port. The standard error of the external program will be connected
to the terminal which---while the program is running---will revert to canonical mode.
Pressing 'C-c' while the external program is running will prematurely terminate it, and
return control to picocom
INPUT, OUTPUT, AND ECHO MAPPING
Using the "--imap", "--omap", and "--emap" options you can make picocom map (tranlate,
replace) certain special characters after being read from the serial port (with --imap ),
before being written to the serial port (with --omap ), and before being locally echoed to
the terminal (standard output) if local echo is enabled (with --emap ). These mapping
options take, each, a single argument which is a comma-separated list of one or more of
the following identifiers:
— crlf: map CR to LF
— crcrlf: map CR to CR + LF
— igncr: ignore CR
— lfcr: map LF to CR
— lfcrlf: map LF to CR + LF
— ignlf: ignore LF
— bsdel: map BS --> DEL
— delbs: map DEL --> BS
For example the command:
picocom --omap crlf,delbs --imap inglf,bsdel --emap crcrlf ...
will: Replace every CR (carriage return, 0x0d) caracter with LF (line feed, 0x0a) and
every DEL (delete, 0x7f) character with BS (backspace, 0x08) before writing it to the
serial port. Ignore (not write to the terminal) every LF character read from the serial
port and replace every BS character read from the serial port with DEL. Replace every CR
character with CR and LF when echoing to the terminal (if local-echo is enabled).
OPTIONS
picocom accepts the following command-line options
--baud | -b
Defines the baud-rate to set the serial-port (terminal) to.
--flow | -f
Defines the flow-control mode to set the serial-port to. Must be one of:
— ´x' for xon/xoff (software) mode
— ´h' for hardware flow control (RTS/CTS)
— ´n' for no flow control
(Default: 'n')
--parity | -p
Defines the parity mode to set the serial-port to. Must be one of:
— ´o' for odd parity mode.
— ´e' for even parity mode.
— ´n' for no parity, mode.
(Default: 'n')
--databits | -d
Defines the number of data bits in every character. Must be one of: 5, 6, 7, 8
(Default: 8)
--esacpe | -e
Defines the character that will make picocom enter command-mode (see description
above). If 'x' is given, then C-x will make picocom enter command mode.
(Default: 'a')
--echo | -c
Enable local echo. Every character being read from the terminal (standard input) is
echoed to the terminal (standard output) subject to the echo-mapping configuration (see
--emap option.
(Default: Disabled)
--noinit | -i
If given, picocom will not initialize, reset, or otherwise meddle with the serial port
at start-up. It will just open it. This is useful, for example, for connecting picocom
to already-connected modems, or already configured ports without terminating the
connection, or altering the settings. If required serial port parameters can then be
adjusted at run-time by commands.
--noreset | -r
If given, picocom will not *reset* the serial port when exiting. It will just close the
filedes and do nothing more. This is useful, for example, for leaving modems connected
when exiting picocom picocom using the "Quit" command (instead of "Exit"), which never
resets the serial port. If "--noreset" is given then "Quit" and "Exit" behave
essentially the same.
--nolock | -l
If given, picocom will *not* attempt to lock the serial port before opening it.
Normally picocom attempts to get a UUCP-style lock-file (e.g. "/var/lock/LCK..ttyS0")
before opening the port. Failing to do so, results in the program exiting after
emitting an error-message. It is possible that your picocom binary is compiled without
this option.
--send-cmd | -s
Specifies the external program (and any arguments to it) that will be used for
transmitting files.
Default: "sz -vv"
--receive-cmd | -v
Specifies the external program (and any arguments to it) that will be used for
receiving files.
(Default: "rz -vv")
--imap
Specifies the input character map (i.e. special characters to be replaced when read
from the serial port). Example: "--imap crlf,delbs"
(Defaul: Empty)
--omap
Specifies the output character map (i.e. special characters to be replaced before being
written to serial port). Example: "--omap crcrlf,bsdel"
(Defaul: Empty)
--emap
Specifies the local-echo character map (i.e. special characters to be replaced before
being echoed-back to the terminal, if local-echo is enabled). Example: "--emap
crcrlf,bsdel"
(Defaul: delbs,crcrlf)
--help | -h
Print a short help message describing the command-line options.
AUTHOR
picocom was written by Nick Patavalis (npat@efault.net)
AVAILABILITY
The latest version of "picocom" can be downloaded from: http://code.google.com/p/picocom/
picocom(8)