Flipper Zero Control Skill
Control a Flipper Zero hardware hacking tool via USB serial CLI or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) — no Android device or intermediary app required. Direct machine-to-Flipper communication with full access to SubGHz, IR, NFC, RFID, BadUSB, GPIO, file system, screen capture, and input control.
Inspired by V3SP3R but without the Android dependency. Four Python scripts, two transports, complete Flipper control from your desk.
Requirements
- Flipper Zero with USB-C cable and/or Bluetooth enabled
- Firmware: Tested with Momentum (mntm-008). Should work with official and other community firmwares.
- Python 3.10+ with a virtual environment
- Python packages:
pyserial,bleak,protobuf,grpcio-tools,Pillow - macOS or Linux (BLE via bleak works on both; Windows may need adjustments)
- Optional: External CC1101 module (e.g., Rabbit Labs Flux Capacitor) for amplified SubGHz
Quick Setup
# Create a dedicated Python environment
python3 -m venv ~/flipper-env
~/flipper-env/bin/pip install pyserial bleak protobuf grpcio-tools PillowTransport Comparison
| Feature | USB (flipper_cli.py) | BLE (flipper_ble.py) |
|---|---|---|
| SubGHz RX/TX | ✅ Full CLI access | ❌ Not in Protobuf RPC |
| File system | ✅ Text-based | ✅ Structured protobuf |
| GPIO | ✅ Basic | ✅ Full (pin mode, OTG) |
| Device info | ✅ | ✅ |
| App launch | ❌ | ✅ |
| LED/Vibro | ✅ Direct | ✅ Via alert |
| Screen capture | ❌ | ✅ PNG + ASCII art |
| D-pad input | ❌ | ✅ Full navigation |
| Wireless | ❌ | ✅ |
| Latency | ~50ms | ~200ms |
Recommendation: Use USB for SubGHz/IR operations and raw CLI access. Use BLE for wireless file management, GPIO, app control, screen streaming, and input automation.
Scripts
flipper_cli.py — USB Serial CLI
Direct plaintext CLI over USB. Best for SubGHz and IR operations.
~/flipper-env/bin/python3 scripts/flipper_cli.py <command> [args...]Commands:
flipper_cli.py info # Device info + storage
flipper_cli.py detect # Quick connection check
flipper_cli.py storage list /ext/subghz # List directory
flipper_cli.py storage read /ext/file.sub # Read file contents
flipper_cli.py storage write /ext/path "data" # Write file
flipper_cli.py storage mkdir /ext/new_dir # Create directory
flipper_cli.py storage remove /ext/old_file # Delete (⚠️ HIGH RISK)
flipper_cli.py storage info /ext # Storage stats
flipper_cli.py subghz rx 433920000 0 10 # Listen 433.92MHz, internal, 10sec
flipper_cli.py subghz rx 433920000 1 15 # Listen with external CC1101, 15sec
flipper_cli.py subghz tx AABBCC 433920000 400 3 1 # Transmit (⚠️ HIGH RISK)
flipper_cli.py subghz tx_from_file /ext/subghz/file.sub 1 0 # Transmit .sub (⚠️ HIGH RISK)
flipper_cli.py subghz rx_raw 433920000 10 # Raw capture
flipper_cli.py scan_subghz 433920000 30 1 # Scan for 30sec with external
flipper_cli.py ir tx /ext/infrared/remote.ir # Transmit IR
flipper_cli.py gpio set PA7 1 # Set GPIO pin
flipper_cli.py led b 255 # Set blue LED (r|g|b|bl channel)
flipper_cli.py led off # All LEDs off
flipper_cli.py vibro 1 # Vibration on
flipper_cli.py power 5v 1 # Enable 5V GPIO (external modules)
flipper_cli.py raw "any flipper cli command" # Raw passthroughEnvironment:
FLIPPER_PORT— Serial port override (default: auto-detect/dev/cu.usbmodemflip_*)FLIPPER_BAUD— Baud rate (default: 230400)
flipper_ble.py — BLE Protobuf RPC
Wireless control via Flipper's BLE serial service and Protobuf RPC protocol.
~/flipper-env/bin/python3 scripts/flipper_ble.py <command> [args...]Commands:
flipper_ble.py scan # Find Flipper devices
flipper_ble.py ping # Connection test
flipper_ble.py info # Full device info
flipper_ble.py power_info # Battery/power status
flipper_ble.py protobuf_version # Protocol version
flipper_ble.py alert # LED + vibro + sound alert
flipper_ble.py datetime # Get date/time
flipper_ble.py storage list /ext/subghz # List directory
flipper_ble.py storage read /ext/file.txt # Read file
flipper_ble.py storage write /ext/path local.txt # Upload file
flipper_ble.py storage mkdir /ext/new_dir # Create directory
flipper_ble.py storage delete /ext/file # Delete (⚠️ HIGH RISK)
flipper_ble.py storage info /ext # Storage stats
flipper_ble.py storage md5 /ext/file # File checksum
flipper_ble.py storage rename /ext/old /ext/new # Rename/move
flipper_ble.py gpio read PA7 # Read GPIO pin
flipper_ble.py gpio write PA7 1 # Write GPIO pin
flipper_ble.py gpio mode PA7 output # Set pin mode
flipper_ble.py gpio otg on # Enable 5V OTG power
flipper_ble.py app start SubGHz # Launch Flipper app
flipper_ble.py app exit # Exit current app
flipper_ble.py reboot # Reboot (⚠️ HIGH RISK)Environment:
FLIPPER_BLE_ADDRESS— Skip scan, connect directly to addressFLIPPER_BLE_NAME— Device name to search for (default: auto-detect)
Note: BLE requires USB cable to be unplugged — Flipper can't do both simultaneously.
flipper_screen.py — Screen Capture & Input
Captures the Flipper's 128×64 monochrome display and provides D-pad navigation over BLE.
~/flipper-env/bin/python3 scripts/flipper_screen.py <command> [args...]Commands:
flipper_screen.py screenshot [output.png] # 4x scaled PNG (Flipper orange on black)
flipper_screen.py ascii # Unicode half-block ASCII art
flipper_screen.py press <key> [short|long] # Button: up/down/left/right/ok/back
flipper_screen.py navigate ok down down ok # Key sequence
flipper_screen.py watch 10 [output_dir] # Stream frames for N seconds
flipper_screen.py app_control SubGHz wait:1 screenshot # Launch app + actionsActions for app_control and navigate:
- Button names:
up,down,left,right,ok,back - Long press:
ok:long,back:long - Wait:
wait:1.0(seconds) - Screenshot:
screenshotorascii
flipper_subghz_ble.py — SubGHz over BLE
Performs SubGHz operations wirelessly by launching the SubGHz app, navigating menus via button presses, and reading results from screen captures.
~/flipper-env/bin/python3 scripts/flipper_subghz_ble.py <command> [args...]Commands:
flipper_subghz_ble.py read [duration_sec] # Read mode (protocol decoder)
flipper_subghz_ble.py read_raw [duration_sec] # Read RAW mode
flipper_subghz_ble.py frequency_analyzer [dur] # Frequency Analyzer
flipper_subghz_ble.py saved # Browse saved signals
flipper_subghz_ble.py transmit <filename> # Open saved file (⚠️ HIGH RISK)
flipper_subghz_ble.py status # Screenshot current screenNote: Results are visual (PNG/ASCII screenshots) rather than parsed data. For structured SubGHz data, use USB transport.
Risk Classification
Every command is risk-classified following a safety model:
| Risk | Actions | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Low | Read-only: info, list, read, scan, bt info | Execute freely |
| Medium | Write, mkdir, copy, IR, NFC/RFID emulate, GPIO | Execute with note |
| High | Delete, SubGHz transmit, power off/reboot | Confirm with user first |
Rule: NEVER execute HIGH risk commands without explicit user confirmation.
Protobuf Definitions
The scripts/proto/ directory contains compiled Python protobuf modules from the Flipper Zero protobuf repo. To regenerate:
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/flipperdevices/flipperzero-protobuf.git
cd flipperzero-protobuf
python3 -m grpc_tools.protoc --proto_path=. --python_out=<output_dir> \
flipper.proto storage.proto system.proto gpio.proto \
application.proto gui.proto property.proto desktop.protoExternal CC1101 Module Support
If you have an external CC1101 module (like the Rabbit Labs Flux Capacitor):
- Use
device=1in any SubGHz command for the external module - Use
gpio otg on(BLE) orpower 5v 1(USB) to power it via GPIO - Always use an antenna — transmitting without one damages the module
- The external module typically offers better range and sensitivity
Troubleshooting
- USB port not found: Check
ls /dev/cu.usbmodem*— Flipper may need reconnect - BLE device not found: Wake the Flipper (press any button), ensure BLE is ON in Settings
- BLE drops after use: Normal — Flipper sleeps after idle. Just reconnect.
- Timeout/no response: Flipper might be in an app — press Back to return to CLI
- Screen capture empty: Display only sends frames on change; static screens won't produce new frames
- SubGHz no packets: Normal if nothing is transmitting nearby. Try pressing a remote during a scan.