BCMXCP(8)

📦
version 2.8.5 · 18 versions
, in fedora 43, fedora 44

💖 BCMXCP(8) — the NUT Manual's own ✨ bcmxcp ✨ page 💖

okay bestie, sit down, hydrate, because we're about to talk about the bcmxcp driver — that's the one for UPSes that speak the serial BCM/XCP protocol. it lives in section 8 of the NUT Manual, hence the whole BCMXCP(8) situation. no cap, this one's a banger.

🌸 NAME 🌸

bcmxcp — the driver for UPSes that support the serial BCM/XCP protocol. that's it, that's the whole identity. iconic.

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

bcmxcp -h

bcmxcp -a UPS_NAME [OPTIONS]
heads up, bestie 🫶 — this man page is only about the hardware-specific stuff for the bcmxcp driver. for all the core driver tea, go read nutupsdrv(8). this page is not gonna hold your hand through the basics, it's giving ✨specialist✨.

🦋 SUPPORTED HARDWARE 🦋

this driver should recognize, like, all serial BCM/XCP-compatible UPSes. literally all of them, bestie. it was developed and tested on Powerware PW5115 and PW9120 hardware — those are the OGs it grew up with.

if your UPS has a USB connection instead, you're in the wrong group chat — go check out the bcmxcp_usb(8) driver documentation. different vibe, same family. 💅

🎀 EXTRA ARGUMENTS 🎀

this driver supports the following optional settings in ups.conf(5). yes, optional. no pressure. but they're kinda cute:

  • shutdown_delay=delay — the number of seconds the UPS should wait between receiving the shutdown command (upsdrvctl shutdown) and actually shutting off. it's the "5 more minutes mom" setting fr fr. ⏰
  • baud_rate=rate — communication speed for the UPS. if this is set to 9600, it tries to connect to the UPS at 9600bps. if it fails to communicate, it will go into baud-hunting. and baud-hunting is exactly what it sounds like: it starts at 1200 and goes up to 19200. if it succeeds, it tell you the speed it connected with (yes, "tell" — that's what the original says, and we're keeping it 💀). if not included in the config, it defaults to baud-hunting. the UPS equivalent of scrolling through every setting until something works. main character energy honestly.

🌈 DEFAULT VALUES FOR THE EXTRA ARGUMENTS 🌈

so if you just. don't say anything. here's what you get:

  • shutdown_delay = 120
  • baud_rate = none

that's the baseline, bestie. that's the starting outfit. 👑

💅 INSTANT COMMANDS 💅

this driver supports the following Instant Commands — think of them as the driver's little quick-reply options:

  • shutdown.return — turn off the load and return when power is back. leaving on read, basically. 🔌
  • shutdown.stayoff — turn off the load and remain off. not leaving on read. blocked. no response. 💀
  • test.battery.start — start a battery test. vibe check for your battery. ✨
  • outlet.n.shutdown.return — turn off the load on outlet n and return when power is back. (n is the outlet number reported by the upsc command.) yes, it's per-outlet, we love a targeted approach 🎯

🧚 TODO LIST 🧚

stuff that's not done yet. we're manifesting:

  • Report UPS statistics information — BCM/XCP supports reporting of UPS statistics data. so like. it's right there. someday. 🙈
  • Change settings — access the config register to change settings. the config register is just sitting there waiting to be accessed, bestie.

😭 BUGS 😭

None known.

(not a single one. flawless. we love to see it. no notes. 💖)

👑 AUTHOR 👑

Tore Ørpetveit <tore@orpetveit.net>

the legend. the icon. the moment. thank you for your service 🫡

🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

The core driver:

The USB BCM/XCP driver:

Internet resources:

The NUT (Network UPS Tools) home page: https://www.networkupstools.org/historic/v2.8.5/

and that's the whole page, bestie! 🎀 this was Network UPS Tools 2.8.5, dated 10/07/2026 — so if you're reading this from the future, hey, you're doing amazing, and your UPS is probably still fine. slay. 💜✨

📦 where this page comes from