RPI vcgencmd usage

Verified commands
Command outputs are from firmware version 362371.

 

Shows a list of possible commands.

root@raspberrypi:~# vcgencmd commands commands="vcos, ap_output_control, ap_output_post_processing, vchi_test_init, vchi_test_exit, pm_set_policy, pm_get_status, pm_show_stats, pm_start_logging, pm_stop_logging, version, commands, set_vll_dir, led_control, set_backlight, set_logging, get_lcd_info, set_bus_arbiter_mode, cache_flush, otp_dump, codec_enabled, measure_clock, measure_volts, measure_temp, get_config, hdmi_ntsc_freqs, render_bar, disk_notify, inuse_notify, sus_suspend, sus_status, sus_is_enabled, sus_stop_test_thread, egl_platform_switch, mem_validate, mem_oom, mem_reloc_stats, file, vctest_memmap, vctest_start, vctest_stop, vctest_set, vctest_get"

 

Shows clock frequency, clock can be one of arm, core, h264, isp, v3d, uart, pwm, emmc, pixel, vec, hdmi, dpi.

root@raspberrypi:~# \ > for src in arm core h264 isp v3d uart pwm emmc pixel vec hdmi dpi ; do \ >    echo -e "$src:\t$(vcgencmd measure_clock $src)" ; \ > done arm:   frequency(45)=700000000 core:  frequency(1)=250000000 h264:  frequency(28)=0 isp:   frequency(42)=250000000 v3d:   frequency(43)=250000000 uart:  frequency(22)=3000000 pwm:   frequency(25)=0 emmc:  frequency(47)=100000000 pixel: frequency(29)=154000000 vec:   frequency(10)=0 hdmi:  frequency(9)=163682000 dpi:   frequency(4)=0

 

Shows voltage. id can be one of core, sdram_c, sdram_i, sdram_p, and defaults to core if not specified.

root@raspberrypi:~# \ > for id in core sdram_c sdram_i sdram_p ; do \ >    echo -e "$id:\t$(vcgencmd measure_volts $id)" ; \ > done core:  volt=1.20V sdram_c:       volt=1.20V sdram_i:       volt=1.20V sdram_p:       volt=1.23V

 

Shows core temperature of BCM2835 SoC.

root@raspberrypi:~# vcgencmd measure_temp temp=42.8'C

 

Shows if the specified codec is enabled, codec can be one of H264, MPG2, WVC1, MPG4, MJPG, WMV9. Please note this was run on a Pi with the MPG2 and VC1 licences enabled.

root@raspberrypi:~# \ > for codec in H264 MPG2 WVC1 MPG4 MJPG WMV9 ; do \ >    echo -e "$codec:\t$(vcgencmd codec_enabled $codec)" ; \ > done H264:  H264=enabled MPG2:  MPG2=enabled WVC1:  WVC1=enabled MPG4:  MPG4=enabled MJPG:  MJPG=enabled WMV9:  WMV9=enabled

If you also follow the instructions in this Forum post then the codec options for VP6 and VP8 (WEBM) also work, this is experimental and unsupported at present so any changes are at your own risk.

  Shows how many memory is used by the CPU (arm) and GPU. root@raspberrypi:~# vcgencmd get_mem arm && vcgencmd get_mem gpu arm=448M gpu=64M

 

Shows the firmware version

root@raspberrypi:~# vcgencmd version Jan 13 2013 16:24:29 Copyright (c) 2012 Broadcom version 362371 (release)

Parameters and function of other commands are not known.