• USB
  • Intermediate
  • 5 min
  • Serial CLI

Recipe · Intermediate · USB

How to send USB system control actions

Use the USB sysctrl command to emulate hardware control button actions on a connected host.

USB HID keyboard and mouse controls.
A practical ESP32 Bit Pirate recipe based on documented firmware commands.
Step 1

Commands

Run this sequence from the CLI. Adjust pins, addresses or filenames to match your own setup.

Result

What it means

The command verifies a different HID class path than normal keyboard text or mouse movement.

Troubleshooting

  • Re-enter the selected mode setup if pins changed.
  • Confirm the target shares ground with the ESP32 Bit Pirate.
  • Start with short commands before using longer capture or bridge sessions.

Next steps

  • Use keyboard HID for text input tests.
  • Use gamepad HID for controller input tests.
  • Reset USB before switching to storage or adapter modes.

USB system control FAQ

What are USB system control actions?

They are HID-style consumer or system-control events sent over native USB, such as actions commonly mapped to media, power or system keys depending on the host.

Why should I test system control carefully?

These actions can affect the host immediately. Test only on your own machine, use a harmless action first, and avoid sending sleep, power or lock events during active work.

What kind of HID report is system control?

System control actions are USB HID reports for host-level keys such as sleep, wake or media-style controls, depending on what the operating system accepts.

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