EC_PROBE(1)

💖 EC_PROBE(1) — ec_probe 💖

okay so this is the General Commands Manual, section 1, and we're talking about ec_probe, the probing tool for the embedded controller. Bestie, it's giving hardware-whisperer energy, iykyk, and I am obsessed. Slay. ✨💅

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🌸 NAME 🌸

ec_probe — probing tool for the embedded controller. 🫶

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

Probing tool for the embedded controller. That's literally the whole description, no cap. Periodt. fr fr. 😭💖

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

ec_probe {read | write | read_bit | write_bit | dump | load | monitor |
evaluate | watch | acpi_call | graph | shell} [OPTIONS]

🔥 OPTIONS 🔥

• -h, --help — Show help message and exit. 🫶
• --version — Show program's version number and exit. ⭐
• -e, --embedded-controller={ec_sys,acpi_ec,dev_port} — Select the implementation used to access the embedded controller. 👑
  • ec_sys: Use the ec_sys kernel module. 🧩
  • acpi_ec: Use the acpi_ec kernel module. ⚡
  • dev_port: Access the embedded controller via /dev/port. 🚪

🎀 COMMANDS 🎀

• dump [OPTIONS] — Dump all EC registers. 🗂️
  • -c, --color — Force colored output. 🌈
  • -C, --no-color — Disable colored output. 🚫
• load FILE — Load a previously made dump into the embedded controller. 💾
• read [OPTIONS] REGISTER — Reads REGISTER from the embedded controller and prints out the value. 🔎
  • -w, --word — If given, the value of REGISTER and the value of REGISTER + 1 is read and combined into a single value. 🫱
  • -f, --format FORMAT — Specify output format of value. 🎨
    • b, B: Print value in binary.
    • d, D: Print value in decimal.
    • x, X: Print value in hexadecimal.
  • -m, --map FILE — Specify a map file (generated by nbfc acpi-dump map) that is used for resolving register names. 🗺️
• write [OPTIONS] REGISTER VALUE — Writes VALUE to REGISTER of the embedded controller. ✍️
  • -w, --word — If given, VALUE is written into a combined register of REGISTER and REGISTER + 1. 🫱
  • -m, --map FILE — Specify a map file (generated by nbfc acpi-dump map) that is used for resolving register names. 🗺️
• read_bit [OPTIONS] REGISTER BIT-OFFSET — Reads the bit at BIT-OFFSET from REGISTER and prints its value. 🔢
  • BIT-OFFSET is the zero-based bit offset (0–7). 🎯
  • -m, --map FILE — Specify a map file (generated by nbfc acpi-dump map) that is used for resolving register names. 🗺️
• write_bit [OPTIONS] REGISTER BIT-OFFSET VALUE — Writes VALUE to the bit at BIT-OFFSET of REGISTER. 🎯
  • BIT-OFFSET is the zero-based bit offset (0–7). 🔢
  • -d, --dry — If given, shows what would be written without modifying the register. 🙈
  • -m, --map FILE — Specify a map file (generated by nbfc acpi-dump map) that is used for resolving register names. 🗺️
• monitor [OPTIONS] — Monitor all embedded controller registers for changes. 👀
  • -i, --interval SECONDS — Sets the update interval in seconds. ⏱️
  • -t, --timespan SECONDS — Sets how many seconds the program will run. ⏳
  • -r, --report FILE — Save the monitored results to a CSV file. 📄
  • -c, --clearly — With -r|--report: Blanks out consecutive duplicate readings when writing to the CSV file. 🧼
  • -d, --decimal — With -r|--report: Output register readings in decimal format instead of hexadecimal format. 🔟
  • -C, --cpu — Record CPU temperatures. 🌡️
    • A tool such as stress or stress-ng should be used to generate CPU load. 🔥
  • -G, --gpu — Record GPU temperatures. 🎮
    • A tool such as stress-ng should be used to generate GPU load. 🔥
• evaluate [OPTIONS] FILE — Evaluate a report previously made by ec_probe monitor --report FILE. 🧠
  • This command calculates the correlation between register readings and CPU/GPU temperature. 📊
  • Note that the correlation may be reversed, meaning that higher register values can correspond to lower temperatures, and vice versa. 🔄
  • The ec_probe monitor --report command must be run with -C|--cpu or -G|--gpu or both. ✅
  • The ec_probe monitor --report command must not be run with -c|--clearly. 🚫
  • -d, --decimal — Read register values as decimal numbers. 🔢
• watch [OPTIONS] — Monitor all embedded controller registers for changes (alternative version). 👁️
  • -i, --interval SECONDS — Sets the update interval in seconds. ⏱️
  • -t, --timespan SECONDS — Sets how many seconds the program will run. ⏳
• acpi_call [OPTIONS] METHOD [ARGUMENT...] — Call an ACPI Method. 📞
  • The maximum number of arguments is 8. 8️⃣
  • Example:

ec_probe acpi_call '\_SB.PCI0.LPCB.EC0.SFSD' 0xFF

• -d, --dry — Print the ACPI command without executing it. 🖨️
• -m, --map FILE — Specify a map file (generated by nbfc acpi-dump map) that is used for resolving abbreviated method names. 🗺️

• graph [OPTIONS] FILE — Visualize recordings made by ec_probe monitor --report. 📈
  • The ec_probe monitor --report command must not be run with -c|--clearly. 🚫
  • -d, --decimal — Read register values as decimal numbers. 🔢
  • --register-color COLOR — Draw the register line in COLOR (default: blue). 💙
  • --cpu-color COLOR — Draw the CPU temperature line in COLOR (default: red). ❤️
  • --gpu-color COLOR — Draw the GPU temperature line in COLOR (default: magenta). 💜
• shell — Read commands from STDIN. 🐚

All input values are interpreted as decimal numbers by default. Use the "0x" prefix for hexadecimal values and "0b" for binary values. 🔢✨

💀 EXIT STATUS 💀

• 0 — Everything fine. ✅
• 1 — Generic error. 😬
• 2 — Command-line error. 🚧
• 3 — Initialization error. 🧨
• 5 — Fatal error (memory allocation failure). 💥

🐛 BUGS 🐛

Report bugs to https://github.com/nbfc-linux/nbfc-linux. 🫶

👑 AUTHOR 👑

Benjamin Abendroth (braph93@gmx.de). 💌

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

nbfc(1), nbfc_service(1), nbfc_service.json(5), fancontrol(1). ✨

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that's the whole manual, bestie — Notebook FanControl 0.5.4, APRIL 2026, EC_PROBE(1), signing off. 💖🎀