ASense

A native Linux control panel for Acer Predator, Nitro and related notebooks. It provides performance profiles, fan control, lighting, selected firmware options and live telemetry without requiring PredatorSense or NitroSense.

The Predator Helios Neo 16 PHN16-72 is the reference-tested platform. Since v0.2, ASense discovers compatible Linux, Acer WMI and HID interfaces on other models and shows only the controls found on the machine.

Features

• profile choices from live Linux kernel interfaces, with a known-command Acer Gaming-WMI fallback whose writes are verified by readback;
• firmware Auto, manual CPU/GPU and Maximum fan modes through kernel PWM or Acer Gaming-WMI;
• temperatures, load and up to eight detected fan RPM channels;
• NVIDIA load, VRAM, clocks, power, P-state and throttle telemetry;
• exact PHN16-72 Turbo GPU offsets with NVML readback and rollback;
• one-to-four-zone WMI lighting;
• ENEK5130 keyboard and cover-logo lighting with runtime-discovered zones and effects;
• battery charge limit and firmware calibration;
• USB-off charging, keyboard timeout, boot sound, LCD override and rear-logo controls when exposed by firmware;
• compact controls plus advanced graphs and hardware information;
• English, Czech and Simplified Chinese UI.

Missing capabilities are hidden independently: a notebook can have profiles and RPM without fan writes, or lighting without battery options.

Auto and Maximum do not require RPM sensors or temperature telemetry. Manual control requires readable CPU/GPU setpoints and valid CPU/GPU watchdog temperatures. An unavailable reading is displayed as unavailable, not zero. A verified firmware mode or speed setpoint does not prove the physical fan speed; tachometer readings and observed cooling remain separate evidence.

Supported hardware

Model	Profiles	Fans	Lighting	Platform
PHN16‑72	✅	✅	✅	✅
PH16‑72	🟢	🟢	🔎	🔎
PT14‑51	🟢	🟢	🔎	🔎
AN515‑58	🟢	🟢	🟡	🔎
PHN16‑71	🟢	🟢·🔎	🔎	🔎
PH16‑71	🟢	🟢·🔎	🔎	🔎
PH18‑71	🟢	🟢·🔎	🔎	🔎
PHN14‑51	🔎	🔎	🟡	🔎
PHN16S‑71	🤝	🤝	🟡	🔎
PH18‑73	🔎	🤝·🔎	🔎	🔎
AN17‑51	🔎	🔎	🤝	🔎
AN14‑41	🔎	🔎	🤝	🔎
AN16‑51	🔎	🤝·🔎	🤝	🔎
ANV15‑52	🔎	🔎	🔎	🔎
PHN16‑73	🔎	🔎	🟡	🔎
AN16S‑61	🔎	🔎	🔎	🔎
AN515‑45	🔎	🔎	🟡	🔎
AN515‑55	🔎	🔎	🟡	🔎
AN515‑56	🔎	🔎	🟡	🔎
AN515‑57	🔎	🔎	🟡	🔎
AN517‑41	🔎	🔎	🟡	🔎
PH315‑52	🔎	🔎	🟡	🔎
PH315‑53	🔎	🔎	🟡	🔎
PH315‑54	🔎	🔎	🟡	🔎
PH317‑53	🔎	🔎	🟡	🔎
PH517‑61	🔎	🔎	🟡	🔎
PT314‑51	🔎	🔎	🟡	🔎
PT315‑51	🔎	🔎	🟡	🔎
PT316‑51	🔎	🔎	🟡	🔎
PT515‑51	🔎	🔎	🟡	🔎
PT516‑52s	🔎	🔎	🟡	🔎

Legend: ✅ Reference tested · 🟢 Linux provides it · 🟡 Known Acer controller/protocol · 🔎 Enabled only when the live probe finds it · 🟢·🔎 RPM is available, fan control is probed · 🤝 Community confirmed · 🤝·🔎 Only the specifically reported fan capability is confirmed.

PHN16-72 is the full reference platform. PHN14-51 has a known three-zone WMI layout; PHN16S-71 and PHN16-73 use ENEK5130 lighting. Yellow does not force a control: it still appears only after the controller answers correctly.

Some Predator models that the in-kernel acer_wmi driver does not list yet, such as PHN16S-71, need its PredatorSense v4 support enabled explicitly. It exposes fan RPM, the CPU/GPU temperatures Manual fan mode requires, and the kernel platform profile (with performance as the firmware's Turbo mode) through the signed Ubuntu module, so it also works with Secure Boot. This was reported on PHN16S-71, board FTYPE_ARX, BIOS V1.26; it is an opt-in kernel configuration for that cohort, not an automatic setting for every Acer:

echo "options acer_wmi predator_v4=1" | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/acer-wmi-predator.conf
sudo update-initramfs -u

Reboot after changing this option. To undo it, remove that configuration file, run sudo update-initramfs -u and reboot. The option must be present in the installed kernel (modinfo acer_wmi); ASense does not replace the signed driver.

Community confirmations apply to individual capabilities and builds. PH18-73 reports Auto/Maximum without RPM, and its raw profile 0x02 remains unknown. AN17-51 has an exact static-lighting quirk; AN14-41 accepts its documented boot record without using that record for writes. AN16-51 exposes one logical global-color zone because independent zone writes are not confirmed. The fixes still need testing on the reporters' machines. See the capability evidence and remaining limits.

99 model and internal identifiers from the research inventory

The following identifiers occur in official Acer Sense packages or public hardware reports. They are useful machines to test; they are not an all-feature allow-list.

Current PredatorSense cohort

PH16-71 PH18-71 PH3D15-71 PHN16-71 PT14-51 PT16-51 PTX17-71
PH16-72 PH18-72 PHN14-51 PHN16-72 PHN18-71 PTN16-51 T7001
PH16-73 PH18-73 PHN14-71 PHN16-73 PHN18-72 PHN16S-71 PT14-52T PTN16-71

Current NitroSense cohort

AN14-41 AN16-41 AN16-42 AN16-43 AN16-51 AN16-61 AN16-72 AN16-73
AN16S-61 AN18-61 AN17-41 AN17-42 AN17-51 AN17-71 AN17-72
ANV14-61 ANV14-62 ANV14-71 ANV15-41 ANV15-42 ANV15-51 ANV15-52
ANV16-41 ANV16-42 ANV16-61 ANV16-71 ANV16-72 ANV16S-61 ANV16S-71
ANV17-41 ANV17-61

Legacy NitroSense cohort

AN515-42 AN515-43 AN515-44 AN515-45 AN515-46 AN515-47 AN515-51s
AN515-52 AN515-53 AN515-54 AN515-55 AN515-56 AN515-57 AN515-58
AN517-41 AN517-42 AN517-43 AN517-51 AN517-52 AN517-53 AN517-54
AN517-55 AN715-41 AN715-51 AN715-52

Additional Predator/Triton candidates

PH315-52 PH315-53 PH315-54 PH315-55 PH317-53 PH317-54 PH517-51
PH517-52 PH517-61 PH717-71 PH717-72 PT314-51 PT315-51 PT314-52s
PT315-52 PT316-51 PT316-51s PT515-51 PT515-52 PT516-52s PT917-71

Battery/APGE discovery can also help non-gaming Acers. Public working reports include A315-24PT, A315-44P, A315-59, A315-510P, A515-45, A515-46-R14K, A715-42G, AG15-42P, AV15-53P, EUN314A-51W, AN515-44, AN515-57, AN515-58, AN517-54, ANV15-51, AN16-43-R7N7, ANV16-42, PHN16-71, SF314-34, SF314-43, SFE16-44-R48X, SFG14-63-R6PU, SFG16-72, SFX14-71G and SFX16-61G.

The model names above do not control discovery. The live backend order is:

profiles: kernel platform_profile -> Acer Gaming-WMI -> unavailable
fans:     kernel PWM -> Acer Gaming-WMI -> RPM only
lighting: zoned WMI or a detected ENEK5130 target

Kernel-backed profile choices come from the live kernel choices interface. The Gaming-WMI fallback instead exposes the driver's bounded set of known commands; it is not a firmware-enumerated list. The probe makes this distinction explicit as profile.choices.source = kernel-platform-profile or known-gaming-wmi-commands.

The battery 80% health limit is a firmware setting, not a Linux charge threshold file. Enabling it while the battery is already above 80% does not actively discharge the battery; the effect becomes visible after normal use, when firmware prevents a subsequent charge from exceeding the limit.

Install

Ubuntu DEB (v0.4.0)

On Ubuntu 26.04 amd64, download the v0.4.0 DEB and its SHA-256 file, then verify and install them:

sha256sum --check asense-v0.4.0-ubuntu-26.04-amd64.deb.sha256
sudo apt install ./asense-v0.4.0-ubuntu-26.04-amd64.deb

The package version is 0.4.0-1~local2. It upgrades an existing DEB/PPA installation together with the daemon and DKMS source, and sorts below the PPA revision so normal APT updates can replace it automatically.

Ubuntu PPA

The ASense PPA provides 0.4.0 (0.4.0-1~ppa1~resolute1) for Ubuntu 26.04 amd64.

On Ubuntu 26.04, install ASense and receive updates through APT:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:fladirmacht/asense
sudo apt update
sudo apt install asense

APT installs the application, privileged daemon, DKMS transport and desktop integration together. Rust is not required. Remove the package with sudo apt remove asense, or remove its ASense-owned configuration and state as well with sudo apt purge asense.

Standalone release

The recommended release asset is the ubuntu-26.04-x86_64-installer ZIP. It contains prebuilt asense and asensed binaries, so Rust is not required. Ubuntu 26.04 x86_64 is the supported prebuilt baseline.

Install runtime and optional DKMS prerequisites:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install \
  build-essential dkms "linux-headers-$(uname -r)" kmod udev util-linux \
  python3 unzip mokutil desktop-file-utils \
  libgtk-3-0t64 libwebkit2gtk-4.1-0 libxdo3 libssl3t64

Download the installer ZIP and matching .zip.sha256 from the Release page, then verify and install it as the logged-in desktop user (not with sudo):

sha256sum --check asense-v0.4.0-ubuntu-26.04-x86_64-installer-*.zip.sha256
unzip asense-v0.4.0-ubuntu-26.04-x86_64-installer-*.zip
cd asense-v0.4.0-ubuntu-26.04-x86_64-installer-*/
./install.sh

The installer requests elevation only for system files, builds the optional DKMS transport when needed, configures the daemon/socket and verifies the installation. Re-running a newer installer upgrades in place.

Standalone releases can be reinstalled or upgraded in place. A Debian package can likewise be reinstalled or upgraded through APT and safely takes ownership of an older standalone installation. To avoid mixed ownership, the standalone installer and uninstaller refuse to modify an installation currently managed by dpkg. Run sudo apt purge asense before switching from the Debian package back to a standalone release; a plain apt remove deliberately leaves package state whose later purge could otherwise affect the standalone installation.

Arch Linux / AUR

The asense AUR source-package templates build ASense and its DKMS transport from the tagged source with the system Rust toolchain. First publication is pending. Check the AUR package page before using the following commands; they require a published package. Clone and install as your regular build user:

git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/asense.git
cd asense
makepkg -si
sudo asense-configure-user "$USER"

The final command explicitly selects the desktop account allowed to use the private ASense control socket; the package never guesses the packager's user. Remove it with sudo pacman -Rns asense.

Launch ASense from the application menu or run:

asense

Create a local read-only report for a GitHub issue with:

asense probe > asense-probe.json
asense probe --summary

The probe can run while the ASense window is open. The first command creates the authoritative schema-4 JSON attachment. The second prints a compact human-readable view of a fresh capture; it does not replace the JSON evidence.

The report contains model, profile, fan, known WMI and known HID capability data. It sends HELLO 2 followed by the fixed read-only DIAG PASSIVE request to the local daemon. It does not call general capability discovery, send an ENEK target selector or invoke a setter. It performs no upload. The JSON omits serials, UUIDs, hostname, user and network identity, boot and storage identity, HID serial/physical paths, journals, raw ACPI tables, absolute device paths and the process environment. Review it before sharing; the exact collection, privacy and support-state contract is documented in Probe privacy and support workflow. The current reader also accepts the original schema-3 reports; runtime control continues to negotiate HELLO 2.

Uninstall with the copy retained by the installer:

/usr/libexec/asense/uninstall.sh

Uninstall requests and verifies Auto when fan control is available and reports an absent interface separately. It removes ASense services, DKMS/HWDB/udev integration and the desktop entry. Other firmware settings (profile, lighting, charge limit and similar choices) remain configured.

Secure Boot

DKMS uses the distribution signing setup. If module loading reports Key was rejected by service, import the key path printed by DKMS (commonly /var/lib/shim-signed/mok/MOK.der) and complete MOK enrollment after reboot:

sudo mokutil --import /var/lib/shim-signed/mok/MOK.der

Build from source

Install build dependencies:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install \
  build-essential rustc cargo pkg-config git dkms \
  "linux-headers-$(uname -r)" libelf-dev \
  libgtk-3-dev libwebkit2gtk-4.1-dev libxdo-dev libssl-dev \
  desktop-file-utils python3 mokutil udev

Use the Rust toolchain installed by the operating system. ASense does not install, pin, downgrade or override it. Then run:

cargo test --locked
cargo build --release --locked --bin asensed --no-default-features
cargo build --release --locked --bin asense --features gui
./install.sh

Control behaviour

• profile and WMI settings are read back after writing;
• failed multi-step fan/profile changes use the existing rollback path;
• Manual fan mode is tied to the GUI session and returns to Auto after a disconnect;
• a confirmed Maximum request remains active after the GUI closes; daemon restart and resume reconciliation return firmware control to Auto;
• HID lighting without a getter shows State unknown after discovery and Last applied after a successful write;
• battery calibration shows only real firmware state and live battery/AC telemetry. Keep the AC adapter connected during calibration;
• NVIDIA offsets and the Predator hardware-key mapping remain exact PHN16-72 features.

The GUI is unprivileged. Hardware writes run through the root-owned, socket-activated asensed helper. ASense exposes typed profile, fan, lighting and platform operations; it does not expose a raw WMI/ACPI/EC/HID console.

Local API

The installed desktop user owns the 0600 Unix socket /run/asense-control.sock. Every UTF-8 command is newline-terminated; the first command must be HELLO 2:

python3 - <<'PY'
import socket

s = socket.socket(socket.AF_UNIX, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
s.connect("/run/asense-control.sock")
f = s.makefile("rwb", buffering=0)
for command in (b"HELLO 2\n", b"CAPS\n"):
    f.write(command)
    print(f.readline(4097).decode().rstrip())
PY

The expected replies begin with OK protocol=2 and OK caps=1; the latter is followed by capability JSON. Every reply is OK <payload> or ERR <message>.

Operation	Command
Discover	PING, CAPS, HARDWARE GET, PLATFORM GET
Profile	PROFILE <raw-token-from-CAPS>
Fans	FAN AUTO, FAN MAXIMUM, FAN MANUAL <cpu-20..100> <gpu-20..100>
Lighting	LIGHTING APPLY <device-id> <OFF|STATIC|BREATHING|NEON> <brightness-0..100> <speed-0..9> <RRGGBB> <-|RRGGBB,...>, LIGHTING POWER <device-id> <ON|OFF>
Platform toggles	PLATFORM <BATTERY_LIMIT|KEYBOARD_TIMEOUT|BOOT_SOUND|LCD_OVERRIDE> <ON|OFF>
Other platform controls	PLATFORM BATTERY_CALIBRATION <START|STOP>, PLATFORM USB_CHARGING <0|10|20|30>, PLATFORM REAR_LOGO <RRGGBB> <brightness-0..100> <ON|OFF>

Commands are limited to 192 bytes excluding the newline; response content is limited to 4096 bytes. A normal ERR rejects only that command and leaves the session usable. There is no generic raw-call command or required client library.

Development and releases

Release packaging, checksums, CI gates and reproducibility are documented in docs/RELEASING.md. Kernel-backed support follows the upstream Linux acer-wmi driver.

Donate

If ASense is useful to you, donations are optional:

• PayPal: paypal.me/fladirm (@fladirm)
• Bitcoin: bc1qqdumr0umlaak7tyrrh0jx729z272fv2jr4t5zp

See DONATE.md for the PayPal and Bitcoin QR codes.

Author and license

Fladirmacht — [email protected]

ASense is provided AS IS and is licensed GPL-2.0-only. See LICENSE. ENEK5130 wire-protocol research was independently documented by predator-sense; ASense uses its own implementation and tests.