Man page 1 : hcitool

hcitool - configure Bluetooth connections

hcitool [-h]

hcitool [-i <hciX>] [command [command parameters]]

hcitool is used to configure Bluetooth connections and send some special command to Bluetooth devices. If no

command is given, or if the option

-h is used,

hcitool prints some usage information and exits.

• -h
      Gives a list of possible commands
• -i <hciX>
      The command is applied to device .I hciX , which must be the name of an installed Bluetooth device. If not specified, the command will be sent to the first available Bluetooth device.

• dev
      Display local devices
• inq
      Inquire remote devices. For each discovered device, Bluetooth device address, clock offset and class are printed.
• scan
      Inquire remote devices. For each discovered device, device name are printed.
• name <bdaddr>
      Print device name of remote device with Bluetooth address bdaddr .
• info <bdaddr>
      Print device name, version and supported features of remote device with Bluetooth address bdaddr .
• spinq
      Start periodic inquiry process. No inquiry results are printed.
• epinq
      Exit periodic inquiry process.
• cmd <ogf> <ocf> [parameters]
      Submit an arbitrary HCI command to local device. ogf , ocf and parameters are hexadecimal bytes.
• con
      Display active baseband connections
• cc [--role=m|s] [--pkt-type=<ptype>] <bdaddr>
      Create baseband connection to remote device with Bluetooth address bdaddr . Option .I --pkt-type specifies a list of allowed packet types. .I <ptype> is a comma-separated list of packet types, where the possible packet types are

R DM1 ,

R DM3 ,

R DM5 ,

R DH1 ,

R DH3 ,

R DH5 ,

R HV1 ,

R HV2 ,

R HV3 . Default is to allow all packet types. Option .I --role can have value .I m (do not allow role switch, stay master) or .I s (allow role switch, become slave if the peer asks to become master). Default is m .

• dc <bdaddr> [reason]
      Delete baseband connection from remote device with Bluetooth address bdaddr . The reason can be one of the Bluetooth HCI error codes. Default is 19 for user ended connections. The value must be given in decimal.
• sr <bdaddr> <role>
      Switch role for the baseband connection from the remote device to

R master or

R slave .

• cpt <bdaddr> <packet types>
      Change packet types for baseband connection to device with Bluetooth address bdaddr . .I packet types is a comma-separated list of packet types, where the possible packet types are

R DM1 ,

R DM3 ,

R DM5 ,

R DH1 ,

R DH3 ,

R DH5 ,

R HV1 ,

R HV2 ,

R HV3 .

• rssi <bdaddr>
      Display received signal strength information for the connection to the device with Bluetooth address bdaddr .
• lq <bdaddr>
      Display link quality for the connection to the device with Bluetooth address bdaddr .
• tpl <bdaddr> [type]
      Display transmit power level for the connection to the device with Bluetooth address bdaddr . The type can be

R 0 for the current transmit power level (which is default) or

R 1 for the maximum transmit power level.

• afh <bdaddr>
      Display AFH channel map for the connection to the device with Bluetooth address bdaddr .
• lp <bdaddr> [value]
      With no value , displays link policy settings for the connection to the device with Bluetooth address bdaddr . If value is given, sets the link policy settings for that connection to value . Possible values are RSWITCH, HOLD, SNIFF and PARK.
• lst <bdaddr> [value]
      With no value , displays link supervision timeout for the connection to the device with Bluetooth address bdaddr . If .I value is given, sets the link supervision timeout for that connection to .I value slots, or to infinite if .I value is 0.
• auth <bdaddr>
      Request authentication for the device with Bluetooth address bdaddr .
• enc <bdaddr> [encrypt enable]
      Enable or disable the encryption for the device with Bluetooth address bdaddr .
• key <bdaddr>
      Change the connection link key for the device with Bluetooth address bdaddr .
• clkoff <bdaddr>
      Read the clock offset for the device with Bluetooth address bdaddr .
• clock [bdaddr] [which clock]
      Read the clock for the device with Bluetooth address bdaddr . The clock can be

R 0 for the local clock or

R 1 for the piconet clock (which is default).

Written by Maxim Krasnyansky <> and Marcel Holtmann <>

man page by Fabrizio Gennari <>