Command Reference

pcu-cli is the command-line tool for reading and configuring In-CarPC vehicle PCs. This page lists every command that ships in the release build, with the exact output each one produces. For flags, JSON output, and scripting, see Scripting and Automation.

Running pcu-cli

Run a command as pcu-cli <command>. Hardware commands need elevated access:

• Windows: run status, ign, and dio from an elevated (Administrator) terminal. help, version, and driver work without elevation. Without Administrator rights, a hardware command stops with a terse error:

  ERROR: This program must be run as Administrator.
  Hardware access requires elevated privileges (PawnIO kernel driver).

• Linux: run with sudo, or set up unprivileged access once with pcu-setup.sh. See Install on Linux. SMBus platforms (CQ20) use the i2c group; port-I/O platforms (CQ40) need CAP_SYS_RAWIO.

Run with no arguments to open an interactive numbered menu, which is handy when launching by double-click:

$ pcu-cli
Commands:
  [1] Status        All available readings
  [2] Ignition      Timer configuration
  [3] Digital I/O   DI/DO read and control
  [4] Driver        PawnIO driver management
  [h] Help          Show CLI usage
  [0] Exit

Select:

A short banner is printed above the menu. The [4] Driver entry appears on Windows only. Passing flags but no command (for example pcu-cli --json) runs status.

status

Read-only overview of the connected hardware. On a CQ20 this includes the MCU identity and the ignition timer summary.

Command	Description
pcu-cli status	Show platform, MCU identity, and all current hardware readings.

$ pcu-cli status
pcu v1.0.0  - In-CarPC CQ20 Status
----------------------------------------
  Platform            : In-CarPC CQ20 (Intel Atom x6425E)
  MCU Identity        : CQ20 MCU
  Hardware Rev        : DTB-IGN-MCU VER:10
  Firmware            : 12

  MCU Firmware        : 12
  Ignition Mode       : On
  Anti-Crank Delay    : 6s           anti-crank filter before DC power
  Boot Delay          : 4s           DC rails stable before power button
  Shutdown Delay      : 5m           IGN off to ACPI shutdown command
  Force Off Timeout   : 2m           hard power cut if OS hangs

The firmware version appears twice: once in the platform block and again in the MCU readings. That is expected.

ign

Read and write the four ignition power-sequencing timers. Available on the CQ20 only.

Older models: use CQUtils for now

pcu is new, and we are still backporting support for older In-CarPC models, including ignition management. More models will be supported soon. If your machine is not yet supported, use the CQUtils program preinstalled on the desktop in the meantime. Not sure which applies to your machine? Contact In-CarPC support.

Command	Description
pcu-cli ign	Show all ignition timer values.
pcu-cli ign get <timer>	Read one timer. Shorthand: pcu-cli ign <timer>.
pcu-cli ign set <timer> <seconds>	Write one timer (asks to confirm).

The timer names are ign-on-delay, sw-on-delay, sw-off-delay, and pw-off-delay. See Ignition Timers for each timer’s range, default, and what it controls.

$ pcu-cli ign
pcu v1.0.0  - In-CarPC CQ20 Ignition
----------------------------------------
  MCU Firmware        : 12
  Ignition Mode       : On
  Anti-Crank Delay    : 6s               IGN on to DC power
  Boot Delay          : 4s               DC on to power button
  Shutdown Delay      : 300s (5m)        IGN off to ACPI shutdown
  Force Off Timeout   : 120s (2m)        Hard power cut if OS hangs

Read one timer. The get keyword is optional, so pcu-cli ign sw-off-delay reads the same value:

$ pcu-cli ign get sw-off-delay
  Shutdown Delay: 300s (5m)

Writing a timer asks for confirmation, then reads the value back and reports it as verified:

$ pcu-cli ign set sw-off-delay 120
Write Shutdown Delay = 120s (2m)? [y/N] y
  Shutdown Delay: 120s (2m) - verified

A value outside the timer’s range is rejected before anything is written, and the tool shows the default and recommended range (exit code 1):

$ pcu-cli ign set sw-off-delay 9000
ERROR: Shutdown Delay must be 3-7200s. Got: 9000
  Default: 300s (5m)  |  Recommended: 30-300s

On a platform without ignition timers (for example a CQ40), the command reports that the feature is unavailable and exits with code 2:

$ pcu-cli ign
ERROR: Ignition timers are not available on In-CarPC CQ40 series.

dio

Monitor digital inputs and the ignition line, and switch digital outputs. Available on the CQ40 series only.

Older models: use CQUtils for now

pcu is new, and we are still backporting support for older In-CarPC models, including digital I/O. More models will be supported soon. If your machine is not yet supported, use the CQUtils program preinstalled on the desktop in the meantime. Not sure which applies to your machine? Contact In-CarPC support.

Channel	Direction	Description
di1, di2	Input (read-only)	Digital inputs.
do1, do2	Output (read/write)	Digital outputs.
ign	Input (read-only)	Ignition / accessory sense line.

Command	Description
pcu-cli dio	Show all digital inputs, outputs, and the ignition line.
pcu-cli dio get <channel>	Read one channel. Shorthand: pcu-cli dio di1.
`pcu-cli dio set <do#> <0	1>`

$ pcu-cli dio
pcu v1.0.0  - In-CarPC CQ40 series Digital I/O
----------------------------------------
  DI1                 : Low
  DI2                 : Low
  DO1                 : Low
  DO2                 : Low
  Ignition (IGN)      : On

  Note: outputs reset to off on reboot or power loss; the state is not saved.

Read one channel. The channel keyword is optional, so pcu-cli dio di1 reads the same value:

$ pcu-cli dio get di1
  DI1: Low

Setting an output warns that outputs drive real hardware, asks to confirm, then reads the state back:

$ pcu-cli dio set do1 1
WARNING: digital outputs drive connected hardware (relays / switches / lamps).
Set DO1 = High? [y/N] y
  DO1: High - verified

Note

Output state is not saved across a restart. On reboot or power loss the outputs return to off. To assert an output at startup, run pcu-cli dio set from a boot script. See Digital I/O.

On a platform without digital I/O (for example a CQ20), the command reports that the feature is unavailable and exits with code 2:

$ pcu-cli dio
ERROR: Digital I/O is not available on In-CarPC CQ20.

driver

Manage the PawnIO kernel driver. Windows only. See Install on Windows for the full driver setup.

Command	Description
pcu-cli driver [status|install|uninstall]	Check, install, or remove the PawnIO driver.

With no sub-command, pcu-cli driver shows status:

$ pcu-cli driver status
  PawnIO driver: v2.2.0 (2026-03-15)
  SmbusI801 module: 2025-05-05
  Status: Installed

On Linux there is no PawnIO driver; the kernel i2c-dev module is used instead, so the command exits with code 2:

$ pcu-cli driver status
PawnIO is a Windows-only driver. Linux uses the kernel i2c-dev module.

The --json and --quiet flags have no effect on driver; its output is always the text form shown above.

version and help

Command	Description
pcu-cli version	Show version, driver, and supported platforms.
pcu-cli --version, pcu-cli -V	Same as version. Runs without elevation.
pcu-cli help	Show command help, timer ranges, flags, and exit codes.

version prints the tool version and build stamp, the driver and module versions (Windows), and the supported-platform list with validated configurations. Add --json for a machine-readable form; see Scripting and Automation. help prints the full command reference, including each timer’s range, default, and recommended range.

Confirmation prompts

Commands that change hardware ask before writing:

• pcu-cli ign set <timer> <seconds> prompts Write <timer> = <value>? [y/N].
• pcu-cli dio set <do#> <0|1> warns about connected hardware, then prompts Set <channel> = <High|Low>? [y/N].
• pcu-cli driver install / uninstall prompt before running the installer.

Answering anything other than y aborts with exit code 1. Prompts are printed to stderr, so they never mix into piped output. For ign set and dio set, a prompt is skipped when you pass --yes (or -y), when you pass --quiet, or when input is redirected from a pipe or file. For driver install / uninstall, only --yes (or -y) or redirected input skips the prompt; --quiet has no effect on driver. See the redirected-input caution on the scripting page before automating writes.

Exit codes

Code	Meaning
0	Success.
1	Error, including a rejected value, an aborted confirmation, or a write that did not read back as expected.
2	Feature not available on this platform or build.