Console commands

In Smoothie, when connected to your board via Serial, in the same way that you can send Gcodes, you can also send some commands to manipulate the firmware’s behavior and get information.

Here are the different commands, grouped by module.

Not all of the console commands are documented here, feel free to add any that have been missed.

Commands are meant as shortcuts/easier to use alternatives to G/M-codes when users are interacting directly with the machine via one of the serial ports.

If you are developing a host, you should use G/M-codes to interface programmatically with the machine, as they are more consistent in their format and answers and easier to parse.

Commands on the other hand have no guarantee to have any of that, they are meant for manual use.

Pronterface requires that you prefix your commands with the @ character.

So for example if you want to use the help command, send:

@help

On other hosts you can use M1000 command

V1 Commands: The V1 firmware uses a module called SimpleShell for command handling. Commands support the traditional flat config file format.

V2 Commands: The V2 firmware uses a CommandShell module with several new commands and changes. Commands support the INI-style config format. Type cmd -h to get help on any specific command.

SimpleShell

SimpleShell is a small unix-like shell module that allows you to browse the file system (SD card or other) and act on files.

This provides a powerful command-line interface for managing files and executing commands.

CommandShell

CommandShell is the V2 equivalent of V1’s SimpleShell. It provides a unix-like shell for browsing the file system and executing commands, with several enhancements for the V2 architecture.

help

help - Give a list of commands

Here is an example output (as of March 2019):

commands:
version
mem [-v]
ls [-s]|folder
cd folder
pwd
cat file limit|[-d|10]
rm file
mv file newfile
remount
play file [-v]
progress - shows progress of current play
abort - abort currently playing file
reset - reset smoothie
dfu - enter dfu boot loader
break - break into debugger
config-get <configuration_source> <configuration_setting>
config-set <configuration_source> <configuration_setting> <value>
get pos|wcs|state|status|fk|ik
get temp bed|hotend
set_temp bed|hotend 185
switch name value
net
load file - loads a configuration override file from specified name or config-override
save file - saves a configuration override file as specified filename or as config-override
upload filename - saves a stream of text to the named file
calc_thermistor -s0 T1,R1,T2,R2,T3,R3 - calculate the Steinhart Hart coefficients for a thermistor
thermistors - print out the predefined thermistors
md5sum file - prints md5 sum of the given file

In V2, use help to see available commands, and cmd -h to get help on a specific command.

Example output:

$#
$G
$H
$I
$J
$P
$S
break
cat
cd
config-get
config-set
cp
date
dl
dfu
echo
ed
flash
get
gpio
help
load
ls
md5sum
mem
mkdir
modules
msc
mv
qspi
reset
rm
ry
switch
test
truncate
version

use cmd -h to get help on that command

Note: Smoothie also supports GRBL-like commands like ? and ! (when in grbl mode): Configuring Grbl v0.8

ls

ls

List the files in the current folder (if no folder parameter is passed) or list them in the folder passed as a parameter (can be absolute or relative).

ls [-s] folder

The -s parameter will also return the file sizes.

Examples:

ls
ls relative/path
ls /sd/absolute/path
ls -s /sd/

Example output of a ls -s /sd/ command:

config 21080
firmware.cur 284520
tt.nc 7500020
webif/
linearballbearingmount.nc 20140

ls [-1] folder

By default, V2 shows file permissions, size, timestamp, and name. The -1 parameter shows a simple listing (names only).

Examples:

ls
ls relative/path
ls /sd/absolute/path
ls -1 /sd/

Example output of ls /sd/:

drw-        0 2024-03-15 10:23 firmware/
-rw-    21080 2024-03-14 09:15 config.ini
-rw-   284520 2024-03-14 16:30 firmware.bin
-rw-  7500020 2024-03-12 14:22 tt.nc

Example output of ls -1 /sd/:

firmware/
config.ini
firmware.bin
tt.nc

cd

cd

cd folder

Change the current folder to the folder passed as a parameter (can be absolute or relative).

Examples:

cd relative/path
cd /sd/absolute/path

cat

cat

cat file limit

Outputs the content of the file given as a parameter to the standard output (limited to number of limit lines if that parameter is passed).

Examples:

cat filename
cat filename 10

play

play

play file [-v]

Executes a file line by line as if each line were received on the serial console, and sends any output to the standard output. Appending -v will print the commands executed to the console.

Examples:

play /sd/gcode_file -v
play list_of_configuration_changes

See the specific documentation at the Player page.

progress

progress

Displays the current status of execution of the play command

Example:

progress

Example output:

0 % complete, elapsed time: 31 s, est time: 326055 s

abort

abort

abort

Stops an execution of play

Stopping Smoothie

There are several different ways to stop Smoothie during operation, each with different behaviors and use cases.

Understanding these methods is important for safe operation and troubleshooting.

Stop Methods Comparison

Command	G-code	Movement	Heaters	File playing	Recoverable	Documentation
abort	M26	Stops SDCARD print immediately	Not affected	Aborts	Position maintained, file must be restarted	Player
suspend	M600	Stops once queue is empty	Turned off (if option enabled)	Paused, can be resumed	Yes, with resume or M601	Player
Kill button	M112	Stops instantly (if button), waits for buffer (if host)	Turned off	Aborted	No, position lost, home required	supported-g-codes
Control-X	-	Stops instantly, works during streaming	Turned off	Aborted	No, position lost, home required	-

Detailed Method Descriptions

Abort Command (abort / `M26`)

Stops the execution of a file being played from SDCARD.

Behavior:

Completes the current G-code
Stops immediately after that
Discards the rest of the queued commands
Attempts to maintain the correct position after the abort
Heaters remain at their current state

Use Case: Quick stop of a print job while preserving position and keeping heaters on.

Recovery: Position is maintained, but the file must be restarted from the beginning.

Documentation: Player module

Suspend Command (suspend / `M600`)

Suspends the execution of a file being played from SDCARD or being streamed from a host.

Behavior:

Stops once the movement queue is empty
All state is saved
Heaters turned off by default (configurable)
Jogging and extruding are allowed during suspension
Can be resumed with resume or M601

Use Case: Mid-print filament change or filament out detection.

Host Support: Requires upstream support. Currently Pronterface and OctoPrint support it. Other hosts need to be manually paused.

Recovery: Yes, fully recoverable with position maintained.

Documentation: Player module

Kill Button / `M112`

Emergency stop that instantly halts all operations.

Behavior:

If kill button pressed: Stops instantly
If M112 issued from host: Has to wait for the receive buffer to have room
All heaters turned off
File playing aborted
Position is lost
System enters Halt state until M999 is sent

Use Case: Emergency situations requiring immediate stop.

Recovery: No, position is lost. Homing will be required.

Documentation: Supported G-codes, Kill Button

Warning: Using the kill button or M112 will cause position loss. You must home all axes before continuing normal operation.

Control-X

Sends a control character to stop Smoothie instantly.

Behavior:

Works at any time, even when streaming
Same effect as the kill button
All heaters turned off
File playing aborted
Position is lost
System enters Halt state until M999 or $X is sent

Use Case: Emergency stop from terminal/console when streaming G-code.

Recovery: No, position is lost. Homing will be required.

Halt State

When the kill button is pressed (or there is a temperature fault, M112 is issued, a limit switch is hit, or other error), the system enters the Halt state.

Halt State Behavior

Halt State Indicators:

Play LED flashes
Any command issued from host gets a !! response (with a few exceptions)
PSU may be turned off if a PSU Switch is defined

Clearing Halt State

The Halt state can be cleared by:

Issuing M999 from the host
Holding the flashing kill button for 2 seconds
Using the LCD panel (if equipped)

Using Buttons and Sensors

Tip: All stop commands can be triggered by a button or a sensor if a Switch module is configured to do so. This allows for physical emergency stop buttons or automatic stopping based on sensor conditions.

Best Practices

For Normal Operation

Use suspend/resume (M600/M601) for planned interruptions like filament changes
Use abort when you need to stop quickly but keep heaters on

For Emergencies

Use the kill button or Control-X for immediate emergency stops
Remember that position will be lost and homing will be required

Recovery After Emergency Stop

Clear the Halt state with M999
Home all axes before attempting further movement
Check that heaters are at safe temperatures before proceeding
Verify machine state before resuming work

Config

The config module is in charge of storing and retrieving configuration values (in/from the config file, see Configuring Smoothie).

It also provides a few commands to manipulate those values.

config-get

config-get

config-get <configuration_source> <configuration_setting>

Outputs the value of this configuration setting to the standard output. The value is taken from the config file.

WARNING it is HIGHLY recommended to NOT use this command as it uses a huge amount of memory to reload the config file and may CRASH.

Use cat /sd/config instead.

<configuration_source>: This optional parameter selects where to read the value from. Valid sources are ‘local’ and ‘sd’. Leaving this parameter out will read the current live settings in use.

<configuration_setting>: This parameter selects which value should be read.

Examples:

config-get acceleration
config-get sd alpha_steps_per_mm

config-get [section name] key
config-get [section name]
config-get key

Gets configuration values from the INI-style config file. V2 uses sections (in square brackets) to organize settings.

Examples:

config-get [motion] default_acceleration
config-get [motion]
config-get default_acceleration

Example output of config-get [motion]:

[motion]
default_acceleration = 1000
default_seek_rate = 100
junction_deviation = 0.05

config-set

config-set

config-set <configuration_source> <configuration_setting> <value>

Changes the value of this configuration setting to the value passed as a parameter.

Note: This command cannot currently “insert” characters, and just replaces ones that are already present.

So if the new value has a length that would require inserting characters not to go over the end of the line, it will be refused.

This is why all the lines in your config file must have extra whitespace (which are very useful to get nicely formatted comment columns, see Configuring Smoothie).

<configuration_source>: This parameter selects where to write the value to. Valid sources are ‘firm’ and ‘sd’.

<configuration_setting>: This parameter selects which value should be set.

<value>: The value to write.

Note you need to then reset your board, either by cycling the power, or by issuing the reset command.

Configuration changes are not taken into account until the config file is read again, which happens when the board starts.

Example:

config-set sd acceleration 1000

config-set [section name] key = value
config-set [section name] key value
config-set key = value

Sets configuration values in the INI-style config file. V2 uses sections (in square brackets) to organize settings.

Note you need to reset your board after changing configuration for changes to take effect.

Examples:

config-set [motion] default_acceleration = 1500
config-set [motion] default_acceleration 1500
config-set default_acceleration = 1500

config-load

config-load

config-load load|unload|dump|checksum

load: will load the config cache - used for testing unload: will free the config cache - used for testing dump: will dump the config cache showing the checksums - used for testing checksum: will calculate and display the checksum for the given key

config-load dump

The config-load command is only available in V1. V2 handles configuration loading differently.

fire

fire

The following commands are available for testing lasers (prepend @ in pronterface or M1000 in other hosts):

fire nnn where nnn is 0-100 percentage of power (example fire 10 will turn on laser at 10%)
fire off turn off the test fire and return to automatic mode.

See the Laser module for more information.

And be very careful as this command will leave your laser on indefinitely, it is the only thing that can do that, and it is dangerous.

Host commands

These are commands designed to return information to a Host program like Smoopi. Some are instant and reply regardless of the state of the buffers.

$G return gcode state eg GC:{::nomarkdown}<gcode>G0</gcode>{:/nomarkdown} {::nomarkdown}<gcode>G54</gcode>{:/nomarkdown} {::nomarkdown}<gcode>G17</gcode>{:/nomarkdown} {::nomarkdown}<gcode>G21</gcode>{:/nomarkdown} {::nomarkdown}<gcode>G90</gcode>{:/nomarkdown} {::nomarkdown}<gcode>G94</gcode>{:/nomarkdown} {::nomarkdown}<mcode>M0</mcode>{:/nomarkdown} {::nomarkdown}<mcode>M5</mcode>{:/nomarkdown} {::nomarkdown}<mcode>M9</mcode>{:/nomarkdown} T0 F15000.0 S0.8000

$I same as $G but sends no ok and is instant

$H Home

$J Xnnn Ynnn Znnn Snnn issue jog command, axis can be XYZABC optional S is scale of max_rate

$S switches return switch state(s) for the named switches

$X release ALARM state

$# returns the WCS states and values

? instantly returns the current running state, axis positions, feedrates and temperatures eg <Idle|MPos:0.0000,0.0000,470.7656,85.1522|WPos:0.0000,0.0000,470.5656|F:15000.0,279.0|T:22.2,0.0|B:22.2,0.0>

$P probe command (V2 only) - performs probing operations

Stopping Smoothie

There are several different ways to stop Smoothie during operation, each with different behaviors and use cases.

Understanding these methods is important for safe operation and troubleshooting.

Stop Methods Comparison

Command	G-code	Movement	Heaters	File playing	Recoverable	Documentation
abort	M26	Stops SDCARD print immediately	Not affected	Aborts	Position maintained, file must be restarted	Player
suspend	M600	Stops once queue is empty	Turned off (if option enabled)	Paused, can be resumed	Yes, with resume or M601	Player
Kill button	M112	Stops instantly (if button), waits for buffer (if host)	Turned off	Aborted	No, position lost, home required	supported-g-codes
Control-X	-	Stops instantly, works during streaming	Turned off	Aborted	No, position lost, home required	-

Detailed Method Descriptions

Abort Command (abort / `M26`)

Stops the execution of a file being played from SDCARD.

Behavior:

Completes the current G-code
Stops immediately after that
Discards the rest of the queued commands
Attempts to maintain the correct position after the abort
Heaters remain at their current state

Use Case: Quick stop of a print job while preserving position and keeping heaters on.

Recovery: Position is maintained, but the file must be restarted from the beginning.

Documentation: Player module

Suspend Command (suspend / `M600`)

Suspends the execution of a file being played from SDCARD or being streamed from a host.

Behavior:

Stops once the movement queue is empty
All state is saved
Heaters turned off by default (configurable)
Jogging and extruding are allowed during suspension
Can be resumed with resume or M601

Use Case: Mid-print filament change or filament out detection.

Host Support: Requires upstream support. Currently Pronterface and OctoPrint support it. Other hosts need to be manually paused.

Recovery: Yes, fully recoverable with position maintained.

Documentation: Player module

Kill Button / `M112`

Emergency stop that instantly halts all operations.

Behavior:

If kill button pressed: Stops instantly
If M112 issued from host: Has to wait for the receive buffer to have room
All heaters turned off
File playing aborted
Position is lost
System enters Halt state until M999 is sent

Use Case: Emergency situations requiring immediate stop.

Recovery: No, position is lost. Homing will be required.

Documentation: Supported G-codes, Kill Button

Warning: Using the kill button or M112 will cause position loss. You must home all axes before continuing normal operation.

Control-X

Sends a control character to stop Smoothie instantly.

Behavior:

Works at any time, even when streaming
Same effect as the kill button
All heaters turned off
File playing aborted
Position is lost
System enters Halt state until M999 or $X is sent

Use Case: Emergency stop from terminal/console when streaming G-code.

Recovery: No, position is lost. Homing will be required.

Halt State

When the kill button is pressed (or there is a temperature fault, M112 is issued, a limit switch is hit, or other error), the system enters the Halt state.

Halt State Behavior

Halt State Indicators:

Play LED flashes
Any command issued from host gets a !! response (with a few exceptions)
PSU may be turned off if a PSU Switch is defined

Clearing Halt State

The Halt state can be cleared by:

Issuing M999 from the host
Holding the flashing kill button for 2 seconds
Using the LCD panel (if equipped)

Using Buttons and Sensors

Best Practices

For Normal Operation

Use suspend/resume (M600/M601) for planned interruptions like filament changes
Use abort when you need to stop quickly but keep heaters on

For Emergencies

Use the kill button or Control-X for immediate emergency stops
Remember that position will be lost and homing will be required

Recovery After Emergency Stop

Clear the Halt state with M999
Home all axes before attempting further movement
Check that heaters are at safe temperatures before proceeding
Verify machine state before resuming work

V2-Only Commands

The following commands are only available in V2 firmware.

cp

cp

cp source destination

Copy a file from source to destination.

Example:

cp /sd/config.ini /sd/config.bak

ry

ry

ry filename

Receive a file using YMODEM protocol. This replaces the V1 upload command.

Example:

ry /sd/newfile.gcode

dl

dl

dl filename

Fast binary download of a file. Used for high-speed file transfers.

Example:

dl /sd/firmware.bin

truncate

truncate

truncate filename size

Truncate a file to the specified size.

Example:

truncate /sd/log.txt 1000

date

date

date
date YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS

Get or set the system date and time. Without arguments, displays the current date/time. With arguments, sets the date/time.

Examples:

date
date 2024-03-15 14:30:00

gpio

gpio

gpio list
gpio set pin_name value
gpio get pin_name

Control and query GPIO pins directly.

Examples:

gpio list
gpio set PA0 1
gpio get PA0

modules

modules

modules

List all loaded modules and their status.

Example output:

Loaded modules:
  Motion - enabled
  TemperatureControl - enabled
  Laser - disabled
  Player - enabled

ed

ed

ed filename

Simple line editor for editing files directly on the SD card.

Example:

ed /sd/config.ini

flash

flash

flash

Flash new firmware from the file flashme.bin on the SD card. The board will reboot after flashing.

msc

msc

msc

Enable USB Mass Storage Class mode, allowing the SD card to be accessed as a USB drive from the host computer. This is useful for file transfers without removing the SD card.

qspi

qspi

qspi read address length
qspi write address data
qspi erase address length

Direct access to QSPI flash memory. Used for advanced operations.

The qspi command is for advanced users. Improper use can corrupt firmware or data.

get volts

In V2, the get command has an additional option:

get volts

Returns voltage readings from the board’s ADC inputs.

Example output:

VIN: 24.1V
3V3: 3.31V
VBAT: 3.12V

get temp chip

In V2, get temp has an additional option:

get temp chip

Returns the internal chip temperature sensor reading.

Example output:

Chip temperature: 42.5°C

This is a wiki! If you'd like to improve this page, you can edit it on GitHub.

Console commands

SimpleShell

CommandShell

help

ls

cd

cat

play

progress

abort

Stopping Smoothie

Stop Methods Comparison

Detailed Method Descriptions

Abort Command (abort / M26)

Suspend Command (suspend / M600)

Kill Button / M112

Control-X

Halt State

Halt State Behavior

Clearing Halt State

Using Buttons and Sensors

Best Practices

For Normal Operation

For Emergencies

Recovery After Emergency Stop

Further Reading

mem

break

net

rm

pwd

suspend

resume

thermistors

calc_thermistor

Config

config-get

config-set

config-load

fire

Host commands

Stopping Smoothie

Stopping Smoothie

Stop Methods Comparison

Detailed Method Descriptions

Abort Command (abort / M26)

Suspend Command (suspend / M600)

Kill Button / M112

Control-X

Halt State

Halt State Behavior

Clearing Halt State

Using Buttons and Sensors

Best Practices

For Normal Operation

For Emergencies

Recovery After Emergency Stop

Further Reading

V2-Only Commands

cp

ry

dl

truncate

date

gpio

modules

ed

flash

msc

qspi

get volts

get temp chip

Abort Command (abort / `M26`)

Suspend Command (suspend / `M600`)

Kill Button / `M112`

Abort Command (abort / `M26`)

Suspend Command (suspend / `M600`)

Kill Button / `M112`