The config.

txt file

What is config.txt?
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The Raspberry Pi uses a configuration file instead of the BIOS you would expect to find on a
conventional PC. The system configuration parameters, which would traditionally be edited and
stored using a BIOS, are stored instead in an optional text file named config.txt. This is read by
the GPU before the ARM CPU and Linux are initialised. It must therefore be located on the first
(boot) partition of your SD card, alongside bootcode.bin and start.elf. This file is normally
accessible as /boot/config.txt from Linux, and must be edited as the root user. From
Windows or OS X it is visible as a file in the only accessible part of the card. If you need to apply
some of the config settings below, but you don’t have a config.txt on your boot partition yet,
simply create it as a new text file.

Any changes will only take effect after you have rebooted your Raspberry Pi. After Linux has
booted, you can view the current active settings using the following commands:

vcgencmd get_config <config>: this displays a specific config value, e.g. vcgencmd
get_config arm_freq.

vcgencmd get_config int: this lists all the integer config options that are set (non-zero).

vcgencmd get_config str: this lists all the string config options that are set (non-null).

NOTE

There are some config settings that cannot be retrieved using vcgencmd.

File Format
The config.txt file is read by the early-stage boot firmware, so it has a very simple file format.
The format is a single property=value statement on each line, where value is either an integer
or a string. Comments may be added, or existing config values may be commented out and
disabled, by starting a line with the # character.

There is a 98-character line length limit (previously 78) for entries - any characters past this limit
will be ignored.

Here is an example file:

# Enable audio (loads snd_bcm2835)

dtparam=audio=on

# Automatically load overlays for detected cameras

camera_auto_detect=1

# Automatically load overlays for detected DSI displays

display_auto_detect=1

# Enable DRM VC4 V3D driver

dtoverlay=vc4-kms-v3d
max_framebuffers=2

# Disable compensation for displays with overscan

disable_overscan=1

Advanced Features

include

Causes the content of the specified file to be inserted into the current file.
For example, adding the line include extraconfig.txt to config.txt will include the content of
extraconfig.txt file in the config.txt file.

NOTE

Include directives are not supported by the bootcode.bin or EEPROM bootloaders.

Settings which are handled by the bootloader and so which will only take effect if they are
specified in config.txt (rather than any additional included file) are:

bootcode_delay,
gpu_mem, gpu_mem_256, gpu_mem_512, gpu_mem_1024,
total_mem,
sdram_freq,
start_x, start_debug, start_file, fixup_file,
uart_2ndstage.

Conditional Filtering

Conditional filters are covered in the conditionals section.

autoboot.txt
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autoboot.txt is an optional configuration file that can be used to specify the boot_partition
number. This is sometimes used with NOOBS to bypass the boot menu selection and boot a
specific partition.

This can also be used in conjunction with the tryboot feature to implement A/B booting for OS
upgrades.

autoboot.txt is limited to 512 bytes and supports the [all], [none] and [tryboot] conditional
filters.

See also TRYBOOT boot flow.

boot_partition
Specifies the partition number for booting unless the partition number was already specified as
parameter to the reboot command (e.g. sudo reboot 2).

The [tryboot] filter

This filter passes if the system was booted with the tryboot flag set.

sudo reboot "0 tryboot"

tryboot_a_b
Set this property to 1 to load the normal config.txt and boot.img files instead of tryboot.txt
and tryboot.img when the tryboot flag is set. This enables the tryboot switch to be made at
the partition level rather than the file-level without having to modify configuration files in the A/B
partitions.

Example update flow for A/B booting

The following pseudo code shows how an hypothetical OS Update Service could use tryboot +
autoboot.txt to perform an fail-safe OS upgrade.

Initial autoboot.txt
 [all]
tryboot_a_b=1
boot_partition=2
[tryboot]
boot_partition=3

Installing the update

System is powered on and boots to partition 2 by default.

An Update Service downloads the next version of the OS to partition 3.

The update is tested by rebooting to tryboot mode reboot "0 tryboot" where 0 means
the default partition.

Committing or cancelling the update

System boots from partition 3 because the [tryboot] filter evaluates to true in tryboot
mode.

If tryboot is active (/proc/device-tree/chosen/bootloader/tryboot == 1)

If the current boot partition (/proc/device-tree/chosen/bootloader/partition)

matches the boot_partition in the [tryboot] section of autoboot.txt

The Update Service validates the system to verify that the update was
successful.

If the update was successful

Replace autoboot.txt swapping the boot_partition configuration.

Normal reboot - partition 3 is now the default boot partition.

Else

Update Service marks the update as failed e.g. it removes the update
files.

Normal reboot - partition 2 is still the default boot partition because the
tryboot flag is automatically cleared.

End if

End If

End If

Updated autoboot.txt

[all]
tryboot_a_b=1
boot_partition=3
[tryboot]
boot_partition=2

Notes * It’s not mandatory to reboot after updating autoboot.txt. However, the Update Service
must be careful to avoid overwriting the current partition since autoboot.txt has already been
modified to commit the last update.. * See also: Device-tree parameters.

Common Options
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Common Display Options

disable_overscan

The default value for disable_overscan is 0 which gives default values of overscan for the left,
right, top, and bottom edges of 48 for HD CEA modes, 32 for SD CEA modes, and 0 for DMT
modes.
Set disable_overscan to 1 to disable the default values of overscan that are set by the firmware.

hdmi_enable_4kp60 (Raspberry Pi 4 Only)

By default, when connected to a 4K monitor, the Raspberry Pi 4B, 400 and CM4 will select a
30Hz refresh rate. Use this option to allow selection of 60Hz refresh rates.

IMPORTANT

It is not possible to output 4Kp60 on both micro HDMI ports simultaneously.

WARNING

Setting hdmi_enable_4kp60 will increase power consumption and the temperature of your
Raspberry Pi.

Common Hardware Configuration Options

camera_auto_detect

With this setting enabled (set to 1), the firmware will automatically load overlays for cameras
that it recognises.

IMPORTANT

New Raspberry Pi OS images from Bullseye onwards come with this setting by default.

display_auto_detect

With this setting enabled (set to 1), the firmware will automatically load overlays for displays
that it recognises.

IMPORTANT

New Raspberry Pi OS images from Bullseye onwards come with this setting by default.

dtoverlay

The dtoverlay option requests the firmware to load a named Device Tree overlay - a
configuration file that can enable kernel support for built-in and external hardware. For example,
dtoverlay=vc4-kms-v3d loads an overlay that enables the kernel graphics driver.

As a special case, if called with no value - dtoverlay= - it marks the end of a list of overlay
parameters. If used before any other dtoverlay or dtparam setting it prevents the loading of any
HAT overlay.

For more details, see DTBs, overlays and config.txt.

dtparam

Device Tree configuration files for Raspberry Pis support a number of parameters for such
things as enabling I2C and SPI interfaces. Many DT overlays are configurable via the use of
parameters. Both types of parameters can be supplied using the dtparam setting. In addition,
overlay parameters can be appended to the dtoverlay option, separated by commas, but
beware the line length limit - previously 78 characters, now 98 characters.

For more details, see DTBs, overlays and config.txt.

arm_boost (Raspberry Pi 4 Only)

All Raspberry Pi 400s and newer revisions of the Raspberry Pi 4B are equipped with a second
switch-mode power supply for the SoC voltage rail, and this allows the default turbo-mode clock
to be increased from 1.5GHz to 1.8GHz. This change should be safe for all such boards, but to
avoid unrequested changes for existing installations this change must be accepted by setting
arm_boost=1.
IMPORTANT

New Raspberry Pi OS images from Bullseye onwards come with this setting by default.

Onboard Analogue Audio (3.5mm Jack)

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The onboard audio output uses config options to change the way the analogue audio is driven,
and whether some firmware features are enabled or not.

audio_pwm_mode
audio_pwm_mode=1 selects legacy low-quality analogue audio from the 3.5mm AV jack.

audio_pwm_mode=2 (the default) selects high quality analogue audio using an advanced
modulation scheme.

NOTE

This option uses more GPU compute resources and can interfere with some use cases.

disable_audio_dither
By default, a 1.0LSB dither is applied to the audio stream if it is routed to the analogue audio
output. This can create audible background "hiss" in some situations, for example when the
ALSA volume is set to a low level. Set disable_audio_dither to 1 to disable dither application.

enable_audio_dither
Audio dither (see disable_audio_dither above) is normally disabled when the audio samples are
larger than 16 bits. Set this option to 1 to force the use of dithering for all bit depths.

pwm_sample_bits
The pwm_sample_bits command adjusts the bit depth of the analogue audio output. The default
bit depth is 11. Selecting bit depths below 8 will result in nonfunctional audio, as settings below
8 result in a PLL frequency too low to support. This is generally only useful as a demonstration
of how bit depth affects quantisation noise.

Boot Options
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start_file, fixup_file
These options specify the firmware files transferred to the VideoCore GPU prior to booting.

start_file specifies the VideoCore firmware file to use. fixup_file specifies the file used to fix
up memory locations used in the start_file to match the GPU memory split. Note that the
start_file and the fixup_file are a matched pair - using unmatched files will stop the board
from booting. This is an advanced option, so we advise that you use start_x and start_debug
rather than this option.

NOTE

Cut-down firmware (start*cd.elf and fixup*cd.dat) cannot be selected this way - the
system will fail to boot. The only way to enable the cut-down firmware is to specify
gpu_mem=16. The cut-down firmware removes support for cameras, codecs and 3D as well
 as limiting the initial early-boot framebuffer to 1080p @ 16bpp - although KMS can replace
this with up-to 32bpp 4K framebuffer(s) at a later stage as with any firmware.

start_x, start_debug
These provide a shortcut to some alternative start_file and fixup_file settings, and are the
recommended methods for selecting firmware configurations.

start_x=1 implies

start_file=start_x.elf
fixup_file=fixup_x.dat

On the Raspberry Pi 4, if the files start4x.elf and fixup4x.dat are present, these files will be
used instead.

start_debug=1 implies

start_file=start_db.elf
fixup_file=fixup_db.dat

start_x=1 should be specified when using the camera module. Enabling the camera via raspi-
config will set this automatically.

disable_commandline_tags
Set the disable_commandline_tags command to 1 to stop start.elf from filling in ATAGS
(memory from 0x100) before launching the kernel.

cmdline
cmdline is the alternative filename on the boot partition from which to read the kernel command
line string; the default value is cmdline.txt.

kernel
kernel is the alternative filename on the boot partition to use when loading the kernel. The
default value on the Raspberry Pi 1, Zero and Zero W, and Raspberry Pi Compute Module 1 is
kernel.img. The default value on the Raspberry Pi 2, 3, 3+ and Zero 2 W, and Raspberry Pi
Compute Modules 3 and 3+ is kernel7.img. The default value on the Raspberry Pi 4 and 400,
and Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 is kernel8.img, or kernel7l.img if arm_64bit is set to 0.

arm_64bit
If set to 1, the kernel will be started in 64-bit mode. Setting to 0 selects 32-bit mode.

In 64-bit mode, the firmware will choose an appropriate kernel (e.g. kernel8.img), unless there is
an explicit kernel option defined, in which case that is used instead.

Defaults to 1 on Pi 4s (Pi 4B, Pi 400, CM4 and CM4S), and 0 on all other platforms. However, if
the name given in an explicit kernel option matches one of the known kernels then arm_64bit
will be set accordingly.

NOTE

64-bit kernels may be uncompressed image files or a gzip archive of an image (which can
still be called kernel8.img; the bootloader will recognize the archive from the signature bytes
at the beginning).

NOTE

The 64-bit kernel will only work on the Raspberry Pi 3, 3+, 4, 400, Zero 2 W and 2B rev 1.2,
 and Raspberry Pi Compute Modules 3, 3+ and 4.

arm_control
WARNING

This setting is DEPRECATED, use arm_64bit instead to enable 64-bit kernels.

Sets board-specific control bits.

armstub
armstub is the filename on the boot partition from which to load the ARM stub. The default ARM
stub is stored in firmware and is selected automatically based on the Raspberry Pi model and
various settings.

The stub is a small piece of ARM code that is run before the kernel. Its job is to set up low-level
hardware like the interrupt controller before passing control to the kernel.

arm_peri_high
Set arm_peri_high to 1 to enable "High Peripheral" mode on the Raspberry Pi 4. It is set
automatically if a suitable DTB is loaded.

NOTE

Enabling "High Peripheral" mode without a compatible device tree will make your system fail
to boot. Currently ARM stub support is missing, so you will also need to load a suitable file
using armstub.

kernel_address
kernel_address is the memory address to which the kernel image should be loaded. 32-bit
kernels are loaded to address 0x8000 by default, and 64-bit kernels to address 0x200000. If
kernel_old is set, kernels are loaded to the address 0x0.

kernel_old
Set kernel_old to 1 to load the kernel to the memory address 0x0.

ramfsfile
ramfsfile is the optional filename on the boot partition of a ramfs to load.

NOTE

Newer firmware supports the loading of multiple ramfs files. You should separate the
multiple file names with commas, taking care not to exceed the 80-character line length
limit. All the loaded files are concatenated in memory and treated as a single ramfs blob.
More information is available on the forums.

ramfsaddr
ramfsaddr is the memory address to which the ramfsfile should be loaded.

initramfs
The initramfs command specifies both the ramfs filename and the memory address to which
to load it. It performs the actions of both ramfsfile and ramfsaddr in one parameter. The
address can also be followkernel (or 0) to place it in memory after the kernel image. Example
values are: initramfs initramf.gz 0x00800000 or initramfs init.gz followkernel. As with
ramfsfile, newer firmwares allow the loading of multiple files by comma-separating their
names.
NOTE

This option uses different syntax from all the other options, and you should not use a =
character here.

init_uart_baud
init_uart_baud is the initial UART baud rate. The default value is 115200.

init_uart_clock
init_uart_clock is the initial UART clock frequency. The default value is 48000000 (48MHz).
Note that this clock only applies to UART0 (ttyAMA0 in Linux), and that the maximum baudrate
for the UART is limited to 1/16th of the clock. The default UART on the Raspberry Pi 3 and
Raspberry Pi Zero is UART1 (ttyS0 in Linux), and its clock is the core VPU clock - at least
250MHz.

bootcode_delay
The bootcode_delay command delays for a given number of seconds in bootcode.bin before
loading start.elf: the default value is 0.

This is particularly useful to insert a delay before reading the EDID of the monitor, for example if
the Raspberry Pi and monitor are powered from the same source, but the monitor takes longer
to start up than the Raspberry Pi. Try setting this value if the display detection is wrong on initial
boot, but is correct if you soft-reboot the Raspberry Pi without removing power from the
monitor.

boot_delay
The boot_delay command instructs to wait for a given number of seconds in start.elf before
loading the kernel: the default value is 0. The total delay in milliseconds is calculated as (1000 x
boot_delay) + boot_delay_ms. This can be useful if your SD card needs a while to get ready
before Linux is able to boot from it.

boot_delay_ms
The boot_delay_ms command means wait for a given number of milliseconds in start.elf,
together with boot_delay, before loading the kernel. The default value is 0.

disable_poe_fan
By default, a probe on the I2C bus will happen at startup, even when a PoE HAT is not attached.
Setting this option to 1 disables control of a PoE HAT fan through I2C (on pins ID_SD & ID_SC). If
you are not intending to use a PoE HAT doing this is useful if you need to minimise boot time.

disable_splash
If disable_splash is set to 1, the rainbow splash screen will not be shown on boot. The default
value is 0.

enable_gic (Raspberry Pi 4 Only)

On the Raspberry Pi 4B, if this value is set to 0 then the interrupts will be routed to the ARM
cores using the legacy interrupt controller, rather than via the GIC-400. The default value is 1.
enable_uart
enable_uart=1 (in conjunction with console=serial0 in cmdline.txt) requests that the kernel
creates a serial console, accessible using GPIOs 14 and 15 (pins 8 and 10 on the 40-pin
header). Editing cmdline.txt to remove the line quiet enables boot messages from the kernel
to also appear there. See also uart_2ndstage.

force_eeprom_read
Set this option to 0 to prevent the firmware from trying to read an I2C HAT EEPROM (connected
to pins ID_SD & ID_SC) at powerup. See also disable_poe_fan.

os_prefix
os_prefix is an optional setting that allows you to choose between multiple versions of the
kernel and Device Tree files installed on the same card. Any value in os_prefix is prepended to
(stuck in front of) the name of any operating system files loaded by the firmware, where
"operating system files" is defined to mean kernels, initramfs, cmdline.txt, .dtbs and overlays.
The prefix would commonly be a directory name, but it could also be part of the filename such
as "test-". For this reason, directory prefixes must include the trailing / character.

In an attempt to reduce the chance of a non-bootable system, the firmware first tests the
supplied prefix value for viability - unless the expected kernel and .dtb can be found at the new
location/name, the prefix is ignored (set to ""). A special case of this viability test is applied to
overlays, which will only be loaded from ${os_prefix}${overlay_prefix} (where the default
value of overlay_prefix is "overlays/") if ${os_prefix}${overlay_prefix}README exists,
otherwise it ignores os_prefix and treats overlays as shared.

(The reason the firmware checks for the existence of key files rather than directories when
checking prefixes is twofold - the prefix may not be a directory, and not all boot methods
support testing for the existence of a directory.)

NOTE

Any user-specified OS file can bypass all prefixes by using an absolute path (with respect to
the boot partition) - just start the file path with a /, e.g. kernel=/my_common_kernel.img.

See also overlay_prefix and upstream_kernel.

otg_mode (Raspberry Pi 4 Only)

USB On-The-Go (often abbreviated to OTG) is a feature that allows supporting USB devices with
an appropriate OTG cable to configure themselves as USB hosts. On older Raspberry Pis, a
single USB 2 controller was used in both USB host and device mode.

Raspberry Pi 4B and Raspberry Pi 400 (not CM4 or CM4IO) add a high performance USB 3
controller, attached via PCIe, to drive the main USB ports. The legacy USB 2 controller is still
available on the USB-C power connector for use as a device (otg_mode=0, the default).

otg_mode=1 requests that a more capable XHCI USB 2 controller is used as another host
controller on that USB-C connector.

NOTE

Because CM4 and CM4IO don’t include the external USB 3 controller, Raspberry Pi OS
images set otg_mode=1 on CM4 for better performance.

overlay_prefix
Specifies a subdirectory/prefix from which to load overlays - defaults to overlays/ (note the
trailing /). If used in conjunction with os_prefix, the os_prefix comes before the
overlay_prefix, i.e. dtoverlay=disable-bt will attempt to load
${os_prefix}${overlay_prefix}disable-bt.dtbo.
NOTE

Unless ${os_prefix}${overlay_prefix}README exists, overlays are shared with the main OS

(i.e. os_prefix is ignored).

sha256
If set to non-zero, enables the logging of SHA256 hashes for loaded files (the kernel, initramfs,
Device Tree .dtb file and overlays), as generated by the sha256sum utility. The logging output
goes to the UART if enabled, and is also accessible via sudo vcdbg log msg. This option may be
useful when debugging booting problems, but at the cost of potentially adding many seconds to
the boot time. Defaults to 0 on all platforms.

uart_2ndstage
Setting uart_2ndstage=1 causes the second-stage loader (bootcode.bin on devices prior to the
Raspberry Pi 4, or the boot code in the EEPROM for Raspberry Pi 4 devices) and the main
firmware (start*.elf) to output diagnostic information to UART0.

Be aware that output is likely to interfere with Bluetooth operation unless it is disabled
(dtoverlay=disable-bt) or switched to the other UART (dtoverlay=miniuart-bt), and if the
UART is accessed simultaneously to output from Linux then data loss can occur leading to
corrupted output. This feature should only be required when trying to diagnose an early boot
loading problem.

upstream_kernel
If upstream_kernel=1 is used, the firmware sets os_prefix to "upstream/", unless it has been
explicitly set to something else, but like other os_prefix values it will be ignored if the required
kernel and .dtb file can’t be found when using the prefix.

The firmware will also prefer upstream Linux names for DTBs (bcm2837-rpi-3-b.dtb instead of
bcm2710-rpi-3-b.dtb, for example). If the upstream file isn’t found the firmware will load the
downstream variant instead and automatically apply the "upstream" overlay to make some
adjustments. Note that this process happens after the os_prefix has been finalised.

GPIO Control
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gpio
The gpio directive allows GPIO pins to be set to specific modes and values at boot time in a way
that would previously have needed a custom dt-blob.bin file. Each line applies the same
settings (or at least makes the same changes) to a set of pins, either a single pin (3), a range of
pins (3-4), or a comma-separated list of either (3-4,6,8). The pin set is followed by an = and one
or more comma-separated attributes from this list:

ip - Input

op - Output

a0-a5 - Alt0-Alt5

dh - Driving high (for outputs)

dl - Driving low (for outputs)

pu - Pull up

pd - Pull down

pn/np - No pull

gpio settings are applied in order, so those appearing later override those appearing earlier.
Examples:

# Select Alt2 for GPIO pins 0 to 27 (for DPI24)

gpio=0-27=a2

# Set GPIO12 to be an output set to 1

gpio=12=op,dh

# Change the pull on (input) pins 18 and 20

gpio=18,20=pu

# Make pins 17 to 21 inputs

gpio=17-21=ip

The gpio directive respects the "[…​]" section headers in config.txt, so it is possible to use
different settings based on the model, serial number, and EDID.

GPIO changes made through this mechanism do not have any direct effect on the kernel — they
don’t cause GPIO pins to be exported to the sysfs interface, and they can be overridden by
pinctrl entries in the Device Tree as well as utilities like raspi-gpio.

Note also that there is a delay of a few seconds between power being applied and the changes
taking effect — longer if booting over the network or from a USB mass storage device.

enable_jtag_gpio
Setting enable_jtag_gpio=1 selects Alt4 mode for GPIO pins 22-27, and sets up some internal
SoC connections, thus enabling the JTAG interface for the ARM CPU. It works on all models of
Raspberry Pi.

Pin # Function

GPIO22 ARM_TRST

GPIO23 ARM_RTCK

GPIO24 ARM_TDO

GPIO25 ARM_TCK

GPIO26 ARM_TDI

GPIO27 ARM_TMS

Overclocking Options
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The kernel has a CPUFreq driver with the "powersave" governor enabled by default, switched to
"ondemand" during boot, when raspi-config is installed. With "ondemand" governor, CPU
frequency will vary with processor load. You can adjust the minimum values with the *_min
config options or disable dynamic clocking by applying a static scaling governor ("powersave" or
"performance") or with force_turbo=1.

Overclocking and overvoltage will be disabled at runtime when the SoC reaches temp_limit (see
below), which defaults to 85°C, in order to cool down the SoC. You should not hit this limit with
Raspberry Pi 1 and Raspberry Pi 2, but you are more likely to with Raspberry Pi 3 and Raspberry
Pi 4. Overclocking and overvoltage are also disabled when an undervoltage situation is
detected.

NOTE

For more information see the section on frequency management and thermal control.

WARNING

Setting any overclocking parameters to values other than those used by raspi-config may
set a permanent bit within the SoC, making it possible to detect that your Raspberry Pi has
been overclocked. The specific circumstances where the overclock bit is set are if
force_turbo is set to 1 and any of the over_voltage_* options are set to a value > 0. See the
blog post on Turbo Mode for more information.
Overclocking
Option Description

arm_freq Frequency of the ARM CPU in MHz.

arm_boost Increases arm_freq to the highest supported

frequency for the board-type and firmware. Set
to 1 to enable.

gpu_freq Sets core_freq, h264_freq, isp_freq, v3d_freq

and hevc_freq together

core_freq Frequency of the GPU processor core in MHz,

influences CPU performance because it drives
the L2 cache and memory bus; the L2 cache
benefits only Raspberry Pi Zero / Raspberry Pi
Zero W / Raspberry Pi 1, there is a small benefit
for SDRAM on Raspberry Pi 2 / Raspberry Pi 3.
See section below for use on the Raspberry Pi
4.

h264_freq Frequency of the hardware video block in MHz;

individual override of the gpu_freq setting

isp_freq Frequency of the image sensor pipeline block in

MHz; individual override of the gpu_freq setting

v3d_freq Frequency of the 3D block in MHz; individual

override of the gpu_freq setting

hevc_freq Frequency of the High Efficiency Video Codec

block in MHz; individual override of the
gpu_freq setting. Raspberry Pi 4 only.

sdram_freq Frequency of the SDRAM in MHz. SDRAM

overclocking on Raspberry Pi 4B is not currently
supported

over_voltage CPU/GPU core upper voltage limit. The value

should be in the range [-16,8] which equates to
the range [0.95V,1.55V] ([0.8,1.4V] on Raspberry
Pi 1) with 0.025V steps. In other words,
specifying -16 will give 0.95V (0.8V on
Raspberry Pi 1) as the maximum CPU/GPU
core voltage, and specifying 8 will allow up to
1.55V (1.4V on Raspberry Pi 1). For defaults see
table below. Values above 6 are only allowed
when force_turbo=1 is specified: this sets the
warranty bit if over_voltage_* > 0 is also set.

over_voltage_sdram Sets over_voltage_sdram_c,

over_voltage_sdram_i, and
over_voltage_sdram_p together.

over_voltage_sdram_c SDRAM controller voltage adjustment. [-16,8]

equates to [0.8V,1.4V] with 0.025V steps.

over_voltage_sdram_i SDRAM I/O voltage adjustment. [-16,8] equates

to [0.8V,1.4V] with 0.025V steps.

over_voltage_sdram_p SDRAM phy voltage adjustment. [-16,8] equates

to [0.8V,1.4V] with 0.025V steps.

force_turbo Forces turbo mode frequencies even when the

ARM cores are not busy. Enabling this may set
the warranty bit if over_voltage_* is also set.

initial_turbo Enables turbo mode from boot for the given

value in seconds, or until cpufreq sets a
frequency. The maximum value is 60.

arm_freq_min Minimum value of arm_freq used for dynamic

frequency clocking. Note that reducing this
value below the default does not result in any
 Option Description
significant power savings and is not currently
supported.

core_freq_min Minimum value of core_freq used for dynamic

frequency clocking.

gpu_freq_min Minimum value of gpu_freq used for dynamic

frequency clocking.

h264_freq_min Minimum value of h264_freq used for dynamic

frequency clocking.

isp_freq_min Minimum value of isp_freq used for dynamic

frequency clocking.

v3d_freq_min Minimum value of v3d_freq used for dynamic

frequency clocking.

hevc_freq_min Minimum value of hevc_freq used for dynamic

frequency clocking.

sdram_freq_min Minimum value of sdram_freq used for dynamic

frequency clocking.

over_voltage_min Minimum value of over_voltage used for

dynamic frequency clocking. The value should
be in the range [-16,8] which equates to the
range [0.8V,1.4V] with 0.025V steps. In other
words, specifying -16 will give 0.8V as the
CPU/GPU core idle voltage, and specifying 8 will
give a minimum of 1.4V.

temp_limit Overheat protection. This sets the clocks and

voltages to default when the SoC reaches this
value in degree Celsius. Values over 85 are
clamped to 85.

temp_soft_limit 3A+/3B+ only. CPU speed throttle control. This

sets the temperature at which the CPU clock
speed throttling system activates. At this
temperature, the clock speed is reduced from
1400MHz to 1200MHz. Defaults to 60, can be
raised to a maximum of 70, but this may cause
instability.

This table gives the default values for the options on various Raspberry Pi models, all
frequencies are stated in MHz.

Option Pi Pi1 Pi2 Pi3 Pi3A+/Pi3B+ CM4 Pi4B R1.4 Pi Pi

0/W & 400 Zero
Pi4B 2W
⇐
R1.3

arm_freq 1000 700 900 1200 1400 1500 1500 or 1800 1000
1800 if
arm_boost=1

core_freq 400 250 250 400 400 500 500 500 400

h264_freq 300 250 250 400 400 500 500 500 300

isp_freq 300 250 250 400 400 500 500 500 300

v3d_freq 300 250 250 400 400 500 500 500 300

hevc_freq N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 500 500 500 N/A

sdram_freq 450 400 450 450 500 3200 3200 3200 450

arm_freq_min 700 700 600 600 600 600 600 600 600

core_freq_min 250 250 250 250 250 200 200 200 250

gpu_freq_min 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 250

h264_freq_min 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 250

isp_freq_min 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 250
 Option Pi Pi1 Pi2 Pi3 Pi3A+/Pi3B+ CM4 Pi4B R1.4 Pi Pi
0/W & 400 Zero
Pi4B 2W
⇐
R1.3

v3d_freq_min 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 250

sdram_freq_min 400 400 400 400 400 3200 3200 3200 400

This table gives defaults for options that are the same across all models.

Option Default

initial_turbo 0 (seconds)

temp_limit 85 (°C)

over_voltage 0 (1.35V, 1.2V on Raspberry Pi 1)

over_voltage_min 0 (1.2V)

over_voltage_sdram 0 (1.2V)

over_voltage_sdram_c 0 (1.2V)

over_voltage_sdram_i 0 (1.2V)

over_voltage_sdram_p 0 (1.2V)

The firmware uses Adaptive Voltage Scaling (AVS) to determine the optimum CPU/GPU core
voltage in the range defined by over_voltage and over_voltage_min.

Specific to Raspberry Pi 4, Raspberry Pi 400 and CM4

The minimum core frequency when the system is idle must be fast enough to support the
highest pixel clock (ignoring blanking) of the display(s). Consequently, core_freq will be boosted
above 500 MHz if the display mode is 4Kp60.

Display option Max core_freq

Default 500

hdmi_enable_4kp60 550

Overclocking requires the latest firmware release.

The latest firmware automatically scales up the voltage if the system is overclocked.
Manually setting over_voltage disables automatic voltage scaling for overclocking.

It is recommended when overclocking to use the individual frequency settings (isp_freq,

v3d_freq etc) rather than gpu_freq because the maximum stable frequency will be
different for ISP, V3D, HEVC etc.

The SDRAM frequency is not configurable on Raspberry Pi 4.

force_turbo

By default (force_turbo=0) the "On Demand" CPU frequency driver will raise clocks to their
maximum frequencies when the ARM cores are busy and will lower them to the minimum
frequencies when the ARM cores are idle.

force_turbo=1 overrides this behaviour and forces maximum frequencies even when the ARM
cores are not busy.

never_over_voltage

Sets a bit in the OTP memory (one time programmable) that prevents the device from being
overvoltaged. This is intended to lock the device down so the warranty bit cannot be set either
inadvertently or maliciously by using an invalid overvoltage.

disable_auto_turbo

On Raspberry Pi 2 / Raspberry Pi 3, setting this flag will disable the GPU from moving into turbo
mode, which it can do in particular load cases.
Clocks Relationship
The GPU core, CPU, SDRAM and GPU each have their own PLLs and can have unrelated
frequencies. The h264, v3d and ISP blocks share a PLL.

To view the Raspberry Pi’s current frequency in KHz, type: cat

/sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/scaling_cur_freq. Divide the result by 1000 to find
the value in MHz. Note that this frequency is the kernel requested frequency, and it is possible
that any throttling (for example at high temperatures) may mean the CPU is actually running
more slowly than reported. An instantaneous measurement of the actual ARM CPU frequency
can be retrieved using the vcgencmd vcgencmd measure_clock arm. This is displayed in Hertz.

Monitoring Core Temperature

To view the Raspberry Pi’s temperature, type cat /sys/class/thermal/thermal_zone0/temp.
Divide the result by 1000 to find the value in degrees Celsius. Alternatively, there is a vcgencmd,
vcgencmd measure_temp that interrogates the GPU directly for its temperature.

Whilst hitting the temperature limit is not harmful to the SoC, it will cause CPU throttling. A
heatsink can help to control the core temperature and therefore performance. This is especially
useful if the Raspberry Pi is running inside a case. Airflow over the heatsink will make cooling
more efficient.

With firmware from 12th September 2016 or later, when the core temperature is between 80’C
and 85’C, a warning icon showing a red half-filled thermometer will be displayed, and the ARM
cores will be throttled back. If the temperature exceeds 85’C, an icon showing a fully-filled
thermometer will be displayed, and both the ARM cores and the GPU will be throttled back.

For the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+, the PCB technology has been changed to provide better heat
dissipation and increased thermal mass. In addition, a soft temperature limit has been
introduced, with the goal of maximising the time for which a device can "sprint" before reaching
the hard limit at 85°C. When the soft limit is reached, the clock speed is reduced from 1.4GHz to
1.2GHz, and the operating voltage is reduced slightly. This reduces the rate of temperature
increase: we trade a short period at 1.4GHz for a longer period at 1.2GHz. By default, the soft
limit is 60°C, and this can be changed via the temp_soft_limit setting in config.txt.

Monitoring Voltage
It is essential to keep the supply voltage above 4.8V for reliable performance. Note that the
voltage from some USB chargers/power supplies can fall as low as 4.2V. This is because they
are usually designed to charge a 3.7V LiPo battery, not to supply 5V to a computer.

To monitor the Raspberry Pi’s PSU voltage, you will need to use a multimeter to measure
between the VCC and GND pins on the GPIO. More information is available in power.

If the voltage drops below 4.63V (+-5%), recent versions of the firmware will show a yellow
lightning bolt symbol on the display to indicate a lack of power, and a message indicating the
low voltage state will be added to the kernel log.

Overclocking Problems
Most overclocking issues show up immediately with a failure to boot. If this occurs, hold down
the shift key during the next boot. This will temporarily disable all overclocking, allowing you to
boot successfully and then edit your settings.

Conditional Filters
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When a single SD Card (or card image) is being used with one Raspberry Pi and one monitor, it
is easy to set config.txt as required for that specific combination and keep it that way,
amending it only when something changes.
However, if one Raspberry Pi is swapped between different monitors, or if the SD card (or card
image) is being swapped between multiple boards, a single set of settings may no longer be
sufficient. Conditional filters allow you to define certain sections of the config file to be used
only in specific cases, allowing a single config.txt to create different configurations when read
by different hardware.

The [all] filter

The [all] filter is the most basic filter. It resets all previously set filters and allows any settings
listed below it to be applied to all hardware. It is usually a good idea to add an [all] filter at the
end of groups of filtered settings to avoid unintentionally combining filters (see below).

Model Filters
The conditional model filters are applied according to the following table.

Filter Applicable model(s)

[pi1] Model 1A, Model 1B, Model 1A+, Model 1B+,

Compute Module 1

[pi2] Model 2B (BCM2836- or BCM2837-based)

[pi3] Model 3B, Model 3B+, Model 3A+, Compute

Module 3, Compute Module 3+

[pi3+] Model 3A+, Model 3B+ (also sees [pi3]

contents)

[pi4] Model 4B, Pi 400, Compute Module 4, Compute

Module 4S

[pi400] Pi 400 (also sees [pi4] contents)

[cm4] Compute Module 4 (also sees [pi4] contents)

[cm4s] Compute Module 4S (also sees [pi4] contents)

[pi0] Zero, Zero W, Zero 2 W

[pi0w] Zero W (also sees [pi0] contents)

[pi02] Zero 2 W (also sees [pi0w] and [pi0] contents)

[board-type=Type] Filter by Type number - see Raspberry Pi

Revision Codes E.g [board-type=0x14] would
match CM4.

These are particularly useful for defining different kernel, initramfs, and cmdline settings, as
the Raspberry Pi 1 and Raspberry Pi 2 require different kernels. They can also be useful to
define different overclocking settings, as the Raspberry Pi 1 and Raspberry Pi 2 have different
default speeds. For example, to define separate initramfs images for each:

[pi1]
initramfs initrd.img-3.18.7+ followkernel
[pi2]
initramfs initrd.img-3.18.7-v7+ followkernel
[all]

Remember to use the [all] filter at the end, so that any subsequent settings aren’t limited to
Raspberry Pi 2 hardware only.

NOTE

Some models of Raspberry Pi (Zero W, Zero 2 W, Model 3B+, Pi 400, Compute Module 4 and
Compute Module 4S) see the settings for multiple filters (as listed in the table above). This
means that if you want a setting to apply only to (e.g.) a Model 4B without also applying that
setting to a Pi 400, then the setting in the [pi4] section would need to be reverted by an
alternate setting in a following [pi400] section - the ordering of such sections is significant.
Alternatively, you could use a [board-type=0x11] filter which has a one-to-one mapping to
different hardware products.
The [none] filter
The [none] filter prevents any settings that follow from being applied to any hardware. Although
there is nothing that you can’t do without [none], it can be a useful way to keep groups of
unused settings in config.txt without having to comment out every line.

The [tryboot] filter

This filter succeeds if the tryboot reboot flag was set.

It is intended for use in autoboot.txt to select a different boot_partition in tryboot mode for
fail-safe OS updates.

The [EDID=*] filter

When switching between multiple monitors while using a single SD card in your Raspberry Pi,
and where a blank config isn’t sufficient to automatically select the desired resolution for each
one, this allows specific settings to be chosen based on the monitors' EDID names.

To view the EDID name of an attached monitor, run the following command:

tvservice -n

This will print something like this:

device_name=VSC-TD2220

You can then specify settings that apply only to this monitor:

[EDID=VSC-TD2220]
hdmi_group=2
hdmi_mode=82
[all]

This forces 1920x1080 DVT mode for the specified monitor, without affecting any other
monitors.

Note that these settings apply only at boot, so the monitor must be connected at boot time and
the Raspberry Pi must be able to read its EDID information to find the correct name.
Hotplugging a different monitor into the Raspberry Pi after boot will not select different settings.

On the Raspberry Pi 4, if both HDMI ports are in use, then the EDID will be checked against both
of them, and subsequent configuration applied only to the first matching device. You can
determine the EDID names for both ports by first running tvservice -l in a terminal window to
list all attached devices and then using the returned numerical IDs in tvservice -v <id> -n to
find the EDID name for a specific display ID.

The Serial Number Filter

Sometimes settings should only be applied to a single specific Raspberry Pi, even if you swap
the SD card to a different one. Examples include licence keys and overclocking settings
(although the licence keys already support SD card swapping in a different way). You can also
use this to select different display settings, even if the EDID identification above is not possible,
provided that you don’t swap monitors between your Raspberry Pis. For example, if your
monitor doesn’t supply a usable EDID name, or if you are using composite output (for which
EDID cannot be read).

To view the serial number of your Raspberry Pi, run the following command:

cat /proc/cpuinfo

The serial will be shown as a 16-digit hex value at the bottom. For example, if you see:
 Serial : 0000000012345678

then you can define settings that will only be applied to this specific Raspberry Pi:

[0x12345678]
# settings here are applied only to the Raspberry Pi with this serial
[all]
# settings here are applied to all hardware

The GPIO Filter

You can also filter depending on the state of a GPIO. For example

[gpio4=1]
# Settings here are applied if GPIO 4 is high

[gpio2=0]
# Settings here are applied if GPIO 2 is low

[all]
# settings here are applied to all hardware

The [HDMI:*] Filter

NOTE

This filter is for the Raspberry Pi 4 only.

The Raspberry Pi 4 has two HDMI ports, and for many config.txt commands related to HDMI,
it is necessary to specify which HDMI port is being referred to. The HDMI conditional filters
subsequent HDMI configurations to the specific port.

[HDMI:0]
hdmi_group=2
hdmi_mode=45
[HDMI:1]
hdmi_group=2
hdmi_mode=67

An alternative variable:index syntax is available on all port-specific HDMI commands. You

could use the following, which is the same as the previous example:

hdmi_group:0=2
hdmi_mode:0=45
hdmi_group:1=2
hdmi_mode:1=67

Combining Conditional Filters

Filters of the same type replace each other, so [pi2] overrides [pi1], because it is not possible
for both to be true at once.

Filters of different types can be combined simply by listing them one after the other, for
example:

# settings here are applied to all hardware

[EDID=VSC-TD2220]
# settings here are applied only if monitor VSC-TD2220 is connected
[pi2]
# settings here are applied only if monitor VSC-TD2220 is connected *and* on a Rasp
berry Pi 2
[all]
# settings here are applied to all hardware

Use the [all] filter to reset all previous filters and avoid unintentionally combining different filter
types.
Legacy Options
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The remaining groups of config.txt options are considered legacy settings, either because
they relate to older software such as the firmware graphics driver, or because they have been
deprecated or removed altogether.

Memory Options
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gpu_mem
Specifies how much memory, in megabytes, to reserve for the exclusive use of the GPU: the
remaining memory is allocated to the ARM CPU for use by the OS. For Raspberry Pis with less
than 1GB of memory, the default is 64; for Raspberry Pis with 1GB or more of memory the
default is 76.

IMPORTANT

Unlike GPUs found on x86 machines, where increasing memory can improve 3D
performance, the architecture of the VideoCore means there is no performance advantage
from specifying values larger than is necessary, and in fact it can harm performance.

To ensure the best performance of Linux, you should set gpu_mem to the lowest possible value. If
a particular graphics feature is not working correctly, try increasing the value of gpu_mem, being
mindful of the recommended maximums shown below.

On the Raspberry Pi 4 the 3D component of the GPU has its own memory management unit
(MMU), and does not use memory from the gpu_mem allocation. Instead memory is allocated
dynamically within Linux. This allows a smaller value to be specified for gpu_mem on the
Raspberry Pi 4, compared to previous models.

On legacy kernels, the memory allocated to the GPU is used for display, 3D, Codec and camera
purposes as well as some basic firmware housekeeping. The maximums specified below
assume you are using all these features. If you are not, then smaller values of gpu_mem should
be used.

The recommended maximum values are as follows:

total RAM gpu_mem recommended maximum

256MB 128

512MB 384

1GB or greater 512, 76 on the Raspberry Pi 4

IMPORTANT

The default camera stack (libcamera2) on Raspberry Pi OS - Bullseye uses Linux CMA
memory to allocate buffers instead of GPU memory so there is no benefit in increasing the
GPU memory size.

It is possible to set gpu_mem to larger values, however this should be avoided since it can cause
problems, such as preventing Linux from booting. The minimum value is 16, however this
disables certain GPU features.

You can also use gpu_mem_256, gpu_mem_512, and gpu_mem_1024 to allow swapping the same SD
card between Raspberry Pis with different amounts of RAM without having to edit config.txt
each time:

gpu_mem_256
The gpu_mem_256 command sets the GPU memory in megabytes for Raspberry Pis with 256MB
of memory. (It is ignored if memory size is not 256MB). This overrides gpu_mem.
gpu_mem_512
The gpu_mem_512 command sets the GPU memory in megabytes for Raspberry Pis with 512MB
of memory. (It is ignored if memory size is not 512MB). This overrides gpu_mem.

gpu_mem_1024
The gpu_mem_1024 command sets the GPU memory in megabytes for Raspberry Pis with 1GB or
more of memory. (It is ignored if memory size is smaller than 1GB). This overrides gpu_mem.

total_mem
This parameter can be used to force a Raspberry Pi to limit its memory capacity: specify the
total amount of RAM, in megabytes, you wish the Raspberry Pi to use. For example, to make a
4GB Raspberry Pi 4B behave as though it were a 1GB model, use the following:

total_mem=1024

This value will be clamped between a minimum of 128MB, and a maximum of the total memory
installed on the board.

disable_l2cache
Setting this to 1 disables the CPU’s access to the GPU’s L2 cache and requires a corresponding
L2 disabled kernel. Default value on BCM2835 is 0. On BCM2836, BCM2837, and BCM2711, the
ARMs have their own L2 cache and therefore the default is 1. The standard Raspberry Pi
kernel.img and kernel7.img builds reflect this difference in cache setting.

Licence Key and Codec Options

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Hardware decoding of additional codecs on the Raspberry Pi 3 and earlier models can be
enabled by purchasing a licence that is locked to the CPU serial number of your Raspberry Pi.

On the Raspberry Pi 4, the hardware codecs for MPEG2 or VC1 are permanently disabled and
cannot be enabled even with a licence key; on the Raspberry Pi 4, thanks to its increased
processing power compared to earlier models, MPEG2 and VC1 can be decoded in software via
applications such as VLC. Therefore, a hardware codec licence key is not needed if you’re using
a Raspberry Pi 4.

decode_MPG2
decode_MPG2 is a licence key to allow hardware MPEG-2 decoding, e.g. decode_MPG2=0x12345678.

decode_WVC1
decode_WVC1 is a licence key to allow hardware VC-1 decoding, e.g. decode_WVC1=0x12345678.

If you have multiple Raspberry Pis and you’ve bought a codec licence for each of them, you can
list up to eight licence keys in a single config.txt, for example
decode_MPG2=0x12345678,0xabcdabcd,0x87654321. This enables you to swap the same SD card
between the different Raspberry Pis without having to edit config.txt each time.

Video Options
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HDMI Mode
NOTE

Because the Raspberry Pi 4 and Raspberry Pi 400 have two HDMI ports, some HDMI
commands can be applied to either port. You can use the syntax <command>:<port>, where
port is 0 or 1, to specify which port the setting should apply to. If no port is specified, the
default is 0. If you specify a port number on a command that does not require a port
number, the port is ignored. Further details on the syntax and alternatives mechanisms can
be found in the HDMI sub-section of the conditionals section of the documentation.

In order to support dual 4k displays, the Raspberry Pi 4 has updated video hardware, which
imposes minor restrictions on the modes supported.

hdmi_safe

Setting hdmi_safe to 1 will lead to "safe mode" settings being used to try to boot with maximum
HDMI compatibility. This is the same as setting the following parameters:

hdmi_force_hotplug=1
hdmi_ignore_edid=0xa5000080
config_hdmi_boost=4
hdmi_group=2
hdmi_mode=4
disable_overscan=0
overscan_left=24
overscan_right=24
overscan_top=24
overscan_bottom=24

hdmi_ignore_edid

Setting hdmi_ignore_edid to 0xa5000080 enables the ignoring of EDID/display data if your

display does not have an accurate EDID. It requires this unusual value to ensure that it is not
triggered accidentally.

hdmi_edid_file

Setting hdmi_edid_file to 1 will cause the GPU to read EDID data from the edid.dat file, located
in the boot partition, instead of reading it from the monitor. More information is available on the
forums.

hdmi_edid_filename

On the Raspberry Pi 4B, you can use the hdmi_edid_filename command to specify the filename
of the EDID file to use, and also to specify which port the file is to be applied to. This also
requires hdmi_edid_file=1 to enable EDID files.

For example:

hdmi_edid_file=1
hdmi_edid_filename:0=FileForPortZero.edid
hdmi_edid_filename:1=FileForPortOne.edid

hdmi_force_edid_audio

Setting hdmi_force_edid_audio to 1 pretends that all audio formats are supported by the
display, allowing passthrough of DTS/AC3 even when this is not reported as supported.

hdmi_ignore_edid_audio

Setting hdmi_ignore_edid_audio to 1 pretends that all audio formats are unsupported by the
display. This means ALSA will default to the analogue audio (headphone) jack.

hdmi_force_edid_3d
Setting hdmi_force_edid_3d to 1 pretends that all CEA modes support 3D, even when the EDID
does not indicate support for this.

hdmi_ignore_cec_init

Setting hdmi_ignore_cec_init to 1 will stop the initial active source message being sent during
bootup. This prevents a CEC-enabled TV from coming out of standby and channel-switching
when you are rebooting your Raspberry Pi.

hdmi_ignore_cec

Setting hdmi_ignore_cec to 1 pretends that CEC is not supported at all by the TV. No CEC
functions will be supported.

cec_osd_name

The cec_osd_name command sets the initial CEC name of the device. The default is Raspberry
Pi.

hdmi_pixel_encoding

The hdmi_pixel_encoding command forces the pixel encoding mode. By default, it will use the
mode requested from the EDID, so you shouldn’t need to change it.

hdmi_pixel_encoding result

0 default (RGB limited for CEA, RGB full for DMT)

1 RGB limited (16-235)

2 RGB full (0-255)

3 YCbCr limited (16-235)

4 YCbCr full (0-255)

hdmi_max_pixel_freq

The pixel frequency is used by the firmware and KMS to filter HDMI modes. Note, this is not the
same as the frame rate. It specifies the maximum frequency that a valid mode can have,
thereby culling out higher frequency modes. So for example, if you wish to disable all 4K modes,
you could specify a maximum frequency of 200000000, since all 4K modes have frequencies
greater than this.

hdmi_blanking

The hdmi_blanking command controls what happens when the operating system asks for the
display to be put into standby mode, using DPMS, to save power. If this option is not set or set
to 0, the HDMI output is blanked but not switched off. In order to mimic the behaviour of other
computers, you can set the HDMI output to switch off as well by setting this option to 1: the
attached display will go into a low power standby mode.

NOTE

On the Raspberry Pi 4, setting hdmi_blanking=1 will not cause the HDMI output to be
switched off, since this feature has not yet been implemented. This feature may cause
issues when using applications which don’t use the framebuffer, such as omxplayer.

hdmi_blanking result

0 HDMI output will be blanked

1 HDMI output will be switched off and blanked

hdmi_drive

The hdmi_drive command allows you to choose between HDMI and DVI output modes.
 hdmi_drive result

1 Normal DVI mode (no sound)

2 Normal HDMI mode (sound will be sent if

supported and enabled)

config_hdmi_boost

Configures the signal strength of the HDMI interface. The minimum value is 0 and the
maximum is 11.

The default value for the original Model B and A is 2. The default value for the Model B+ and all
later models is 5.

If you are seeing HDMI issues (speckling, interference) then try 7. Very long HDMI cables may
need up to 11, but values this high should not be used unless absolutely necessary.

This option is ignored on the Raspberry Pi 4.

hdmi_group

The hdmi_group command defines the HDMI output group to be either CEA (Consumer
Electronics Association, the standard typically used by TVs) or DMT (Display Monitor Timings,
the standard typically used by monitors). This setting should be used in conjunction with
hdmi_mode.

hdmi_group result

0 Auto-detect from EDID

1 CEA

2 DMT

hdmi_mode

Together with hdmi_group, hdmi_mode defines the HDMI output format. Format mode numbers
are derived from the CTA specification.

To set a custom display mode not listed here, see more information on the forums.

NOTE

Not all modes are available on all models.

These values are valid if hdmi_group=1 (CEA):

hdmi_mode Resolution Frequency Screen Aspect Notes

1 VGA (640x480) 60Hz 4:3

2 480p 60Hz 4:3

3 480p 60Hz 16:9

4 720p 60Hz 16:9

5 1080i 60Hz 16:9

6 480i 60Hz 4:3

7 480i 60Hz 16:9

8 240p 60Hz 4:3

9 240p 60Hz 16:9

10 480i 60Hz 4:3 pixel quadrupling

11 480i 60Hz 16:9 pixel quadrupling

12 240p 60Hz 4:3 pixel quadrupling

13 240p 60Hz 16:9 pixel quadrupling

14 480p 60Hz 4:3 pixel doubling

hdmi_mode Resolution Frequency Screen Aspect Notes

15 480p 60Hz 16:9 pixel doubling

16 1080p 60Hz 16:9

17 576p 50Hz 4:3

18 576p 50Hz 16:9

19 720p 50Hz 16:9

20 1080i 50Hz 16:9

21 576i 50Hz 4:3

22 576i 50Hz 16:9

23 288p 50Hz 4:3

24 288p 50Hz 16:9

25 576i 50Hz 4:3 pixel quadrupling

26 576i 50Hz 16:9 pixel quadrupling

27 288p 50Hz 4:3 pixel quadrupling

28 288p 50Hz 16:9 pixel quadrupling

29 576p 50Hz 4:3 pixel doubling

30 576p 50Hz 16:9 pixel doubling

31 1080p 50Hz 16:9

32 1080p 24Hz 16:9

33 1080p 25Hz 16:9

34 1080p 30Hz 16:9

35 480p 60Hz 4:3 pixel quadrupling

36 480p 60Hz 16:9 pixel quadrupling

37 576p 50Hz 4:3 pixel quadrupling

38 576p 50Hz 16:9 pixel quadrupling

39 1080i 50Hz 16:9 reduced blanking

40 1080i 100Hz 16:9

41 720p 100Hz 16:9

42 576p 100Hz 4:3

43 576p 100Hz 16:9

44 576i 100Hz 4:3

45 576i 100Hz 16:9

46 1080i 120Hz 16:9

47 720p 120Hz 16:9

48 480p 120Hz 4:3

49 480p 120Hz 16:9

50 480i 120Hz 4:3

51 480i 120Hz 16:9

52 576p 200Hz 4:3

53 576p 200Hz 16:9

54 576i 200Hz 4:3

55 576i 200Hz 16:9

56 480p 240Hz 4:3

57 480p 240Hz 16:9

58 480i 240Hz 4:3

59 480i 240Hz 16:9

hdmi_mode Resolution Frequency Screen Aspect Notes
60 720p 24Hz 16:9

61 720p 25Hz 16:9

62 720p 30Hz 16:9

63 1080p 120Hz 16:9

64 1080p 100Hz 16:9

65 Custom

66 720p 25Hz 64:27 Pi 4

67 720p 30Hz 64:27 Pi 4

68 720p 50Hz 64:27 Pi 4

69 720p 60Hz 64:27 Pi 4

70 720p 100Hz 64:27 Pi 4

71 720p 120Hz 64:27 Pi 4

72 1080p 24Hz 64:27 Pi 4

73 1080p 25Hz 64:27 Pi 4

74 1080p 30Hz 64:27 Pi 4

75 1080p 50Hz 64:27 Pi 4

76 1080p 60Hz 64:27 Pi 4

77 1080p 100Hz 64:27 Pi 4

78 1080p 120Hz 64:27 Pi 4

79 1680x720 24Hz 64:27 Pi 4

80 1680x720 25z 64:27 Pi 4

81 1680x720 30Hz 64:27 Pi 4

82 1680x720 50Hz 64:27 Pi 4

83 1680x720 60Hz 64:27 Pi 4

84 1680x720 100Hz 64:27 Pi 4

85 1680x720 120Hz 64:27 Pi 4

86 2560x720 24Hz 64:27 Pi 4

87 2560x720 25Hz 64:27 Pi 4

88 2560x720 30Hz 64:27 Pi 4

89 2560x720 50Hz 64:27 Pi 4

90 2560x720 60Hz 64:27 Pi 4

91 2560x720 100Hz 64:27 Pi 4

92 2560x720 120Hz 64:27 Pi 4

93 2160p 24Hz 16:9 Pi 4

94 2160p 25Hz 16:9 Pi 4

95 2160p 30Hz 16:9 Pi 4

96 2160p 50Hz 16:9 Pi 4

97 2160p 60Hz 16:9 Pi 4

98 4096x2160 24Hz 256:135 Pi 4

99 4096x2160 25Hz 256:135 Pi 4

100 4096x2160 30Hz 256:135 Pi 4

101 4096x2160 50Hz 256:135 Pi 41

102 4096x2160 60Hz 256:135 Pi 41

103 2160p 24Hz 64:27 Pi 4

104 2160p 25Hz 64:27 Pi 4

 hdmi_mode Resolution Frequency Screen Aspect Notes

105 2160p 30Hz 64:27 Pi 4

106 2160p 50Hz 64:27 Pi 4

107 2160p 60Hz 64:27 Pi 4

1. Only available with an overclocked core frequency: set core_freq_min=600 and

core_freq=600. See overclocking.

Pixel doubling and quadrupling indicates a higher clock rate, with each pixel repeated two or
four times respectively.

These values are valid if hdmi_group=2 (DMT):

hdmi_mode Resolution Frequency Screen Aspect Notes

1 640x350 85Hz

2 640x400 85Hz 16:10

3 720x400 85Hz

4 640x480 60Hz 4:3

5 640x480 72Hz 4:3

6 640x480 75Hz 4:3

7 640x480 85Hz 4:3

8 800x600 56Hz 4:3

9 800x600 60Hz 4:3

10 800x600 72Hz 4:3

11 800x600 75Hz 4:3

12 800x600 85Hz 4:3

13 800x600 120Hz 4:3

14 848x480 60Hz 16:9

15 1024x768 43Hz 4:3 incompatible

with the
Raspberry Pi

16 1024x768 60Hz 4:3

17 1024x768 70Hz 4:3

18 1024x768 75Hz 4:3

19 1024x768 85Hz 4:3

20 1024x768 120Hz 4:3

21 1152x864 75Hz 4:3

22 1280x768 60Hz 15:9 reduced blanking

23 1280x768 60Hz 15:9

24 1280x768 75Hz 15:9

25 1280x768 85Hz 15:9

26 1280x768 120Hz 15:9 reduced blanking

27 1280x800 60 16:10 reduced blanking

28 1280x800 60Hz 16:10

29 1280x800 75Hz 16:10

30 1280x800 85Hz 16:10

31 1280x800 120Hz 16:10 reduced blanking

32 1280x960 60Hz 4:3

33 1280x960 85Hz 4:3

34 1280x960 120Hz 4:3 reduced blanking

hdmi_mode Resolution Frequency Screen Aspect Notes

35 1280x1024 60Hz 5:4

36 1280x1024 75Hz 5:4

37 1280x1024 85Hz 5:4

38 1280x1024 120Hz 5:4 reduced blanking

39 1360x768 60Hz 16:9

40 1360x768 120Hz 16:9 reduced blanking

41 1400x1050 60Hz 4:3 reduced blanking

42 1400x1050 60Hz 4:3

43 1400x1050 75Hz 4:3

44 1400x1050 85Hz 4:3

45 1400x1050 120Hz 4:3 reduced blanking

46 1440x900 60Hz 16:10 reduced blanking

47 1440x900 60Hz 16:10

48 1440x900 75Hz 16:10

49 1440x900 85Hz 16:10

50 1440x900 120Hz 16:10 reduced blanking

51 1600x1200 60Hz 4:3

52 1600x1200 65Hz 4:3

53 1600x1200 70Hz 4:3

54 1600x1200 75Hz 4:3

55 1600x1200 85Hz 4:3

56 1600x1200 120Hz 4:3 reduced blanking

57 1680x1050 60Hz 16:10 reduced blanking

58 1680x1050 60Hz 16:10

59 1680x1050 75Hz 16:10

60 1680x1050 85Hz 16:10

61 1680x1050 120Hz 16:10 reduced blanking

62 1792x1344 60Hz 4:3

63 1792x1344 75Hz 4:3

64 1792x1344 120Hz 4:3 reduced blanking

65 1856x1392 60Hz 4:3

66 1856x1392 75Hz 4:3

67 1856x1392 120Hz 4:3 reduced blanking

68 1920x1200 60Hz 16:10 reduced blanking

69 1920x1200 60Hz 16:10

70 1920x1200 75Hz 16:10

71 1920x1200 85Hz 16:10

72 1920x1200 120Hz 16:10 reduced blanking

73 1920x1440 60Hz 4:3

74 1920x1440 75Hz 4:3

75 1920x1440 120Hz 4:3 reduced blanking

76 2560x1600 60Hz 16:10 reduced blanking

77 2560x1600 60Hz 16:10

78 2560x1600 75Hz 16:10

79 2560x1600 85Hz 16:10

 hdmi_mode Resolution Frequency Screen Aspect Notes
80 2560x1600 120Hz 16:10 reduced blanking

81 1366x768 60Hz 16:9 NOT on

Raspberry Pi 4

82 1920x1080 60Hz 16:9 1080p

83 1600x900 60Hz 16:9 reduced blanking

84 2048x1152 60Hz 16:9 reduced blanking

85 1280x720 60Hz 16:9 720p

86 1366x768 60Hz 16:9 reduced blanking

NOTE

There is a pixel clock limit. The highest supported mode on models prior to the Raspberry Pi
4 is 1920x1200 at 60Hz with reduced blanking, whilst the Raspberry Pi 4 can support up to
4096x2160 (known as 4k) at 60Hz. Also note that if you are using both HDMI ports of the
Raspberry Pi 4 for 4k output, then you are limited to 30Hz on both.

hdmi_timings

This allows setting of raw HDMI timing values for a custom mode, selected using hdmi_group=2
and hdmi_mode=87.

hdmi_timings=<h_active_pixels> <h_sync_polarity> <h_front_porch> <h_sync_pulse> <h_b

ack_porch> <v_active_lines> <v_sync_polarity> <v_front_porch> <v_sync_pulse> <v_back
_porch> <v_sync_offset_a> <v_sync_offset_b> <pixel_rep> <frame_rate> <interlaced> <p
ixel_freq> <aspect_ratio>

<h_active_pixels> = horizontal pixels (width)

<h_sync_polarity> = invert hsync polarity
<h_front_porch> = horizontal forward padding from DE active edge
<h_sync_pulse> = hsync pulse width in pixel clocks
<h_back_porch> = vertical back padding from DE active edge
<v_active_lines> = vertical pixels height (lines)
<v_sync_polarity> = invert vsync polarity
<v_front_porch> = vertical forward padding from DE active edge
<v_sync_pulse> = vsync pulse width in pixel clocks
<v_back_porch> = vertical back padding from DE active edge
<v_sync_offset_a> = leave at zero
<v_sync_offset_b> = leave at zero
<pixel_rep> = leave at zero
<frame_rate> = screen refresh rate in Hz
<interlaced> = leave at zero
<pixel_freq> = clock frequency (width*height*framerate)
<aspect_ratio> = *

* The aspect ratio can be set to one of eight values (choose the closest for your screen):

HDMI_ASPECT_4_3 = 1
HDMI_ASPECT_14_9 = 2
HDMI_ASPECT_16_9 = 3
HDMI_ASPECT_5_4 = 4
HDMI_ASPECT_16_10 = 5
HDMI_ASPECT_15_9 = 6
HDMI_ASPECT_21_9 = 7
HDMI_ASPECT_64_27 = 8

hdmi_force_mode

Setting to 1 will remove all other modes except the ones specified by hdmi_mode and hdmi_group
from the internal list, meaning they will not appear in any enumerated lists of modes. This
option may help if a display seems to be ignoring the hdmi_mode and hdmi_group settings.

edid_content_type

Forces the EDID content type to a specific value.

The options are:

0 = EDID_ContentType_NODATA, content type none.

 1 = EDID_ContentType_Graphics, content type graphics, ITC must be set to 1

2 = EDID_ContentType_Photo, content type photo

3 = EDID_ContentType_Cinema, content type cinema

4 = EDID_ContentType_Game, content type game

Which Values are Valid for my Monitor?

Your HDMI monitor may only support a limited set of formats. To find out which formats are
supported, use the following method:

1. Set the output format to VGA 60Hz (hdmi_group=1 and hdmi_mode=1) and boot up your
Raspberry Pi

2. Enter the following command to give a list of CEA-supported modes:

/opt/vc/bin/tvservice -m CEA

3. Enter the following command to give a list of DMT-supported modes:

/opt/vc/bin/tvservice -m DMT

4. Enter the following command to show your current state: /opt/vc/bin/tvservice -s

5. Enter the following commands to dump more detailed information from your monitor:
/opt/vc/bin/tvservice -d edid.dat; /opt/vc/bin/edidparser edid.dat

The edid.dat should also be provided when troubleshooting problems with the default HDMI
mode.

Custom Mode
If your monitor requires a mode that is not in one of the tables above, then it’s possible to define
a custom CVT mode for it instead:

hdmi_cvt=<width> <height> <framerate> <aspect> <margins> <interlace> <rb>

Value Default Description

width (required) width in pixels

height (required) height in pixels

framerate (required) framerate in Hz

aspect 3 aspect ratio 1=4:3, 2=14:9,

3=16:9, 4=5:4, 5=16:10, 6=15:9

margins 0 0=margins disabled,

1=margins enabled

interlace 0 0=progressive, 1=interlaced

rb 0 0=normal, 1=reduced blanking

Fields at the end can be omitted to use the default values.

Note that this simply creates the mode (group 2 mode 87). In order to make the Raspberry Pi
use this by default, you must add some additional settings. For example, the following selects
an 800 × 480 resolution and enables audio drive:

hdmi_cvt=800 480 60 6
hdmi_group=2
hdmi_mode=87
hdmi_drive=2

This may not work if your monitor does not support standard CVT timings.

Composite Video Mode

The table below describes where composite video output can be found on each model of
Raspberry Pi computer:

model composite output

Raspberry Pi 1 A and B RCA jack

Raspberry Pi Zero Unpopulated TV header

Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W Test pads on underside of board

All other models 3.5mm AV jack

NOTE

Composite video output is not available on the Raspberry Pi 400.

sdtv_mode

The sdtv_mode command defines the TV standard used for composite video output:

sdtv_mode result

0 (default) Normal NTSC

1 Japanese version of NTSC — no pedestal

2 Normal PAL

3 Brazilian version of PAL — 525/60 rather than

625/50, different subcarrier

16 Progressive scan NTSC

18 Progressive scan PAL

sdtv_aspect

The sdtv_aspect command defines the aspect ratio for composite video output. The default
value is 1.

sdtv_aspect result

1 4:3

2 14:9

3 16:9

sdtv_disable_colourburst

Setting sdtv_disable_colourburst to 1 disables colourburst on composite video output. The

picture will be displayed in monochrome, but it may appear sharper.

enable_tvout

Set to 1 to enable composite video output, or 0 to disable. On Raspberry Pi 4, composite output

is only available if you set this to 1. Composite output is not available on the Raspberry Pi 400.

On all models except Raspberry Pi 4 and Raspberry Pi 400, composite output will be enabled if
HDMI output is disabled. HDMI output is disabled when no HDMI display is detected, or
hdmi_ignore_hotplug=1 is set. Set enable_tvout=0 to prevent composite being enabled when
HDMI is disabled.

Model Default

Pi 4 and 400 0

All other models 1

LCD Displays and Touchscreens

ignore_lcd

By default the Raspberry Pi Touch Display is used when it is detected on the I2C bus.
ignore_lcd=1 will skip this detection phase, and therefore the LCD display will not be used.

display_default_lcd

If a Raspberry Pi Touch Display is detected it will be used as the default display and will show
the framebuffer. Setting display_default_lcd=0 will ensure the LCD is not the default display,
which usually implies the HDMI output will be the default. The LCD can still be used by choosing
its display number from supported applications, for example, omxplayer.

lcd_framerate

Specify the framerate of the Raspberry Pi Touch Display, in Hertz/fps. Defaults to 60Hz.

lcd_rotate

This flips the display using the LCD’s inbuilt flip functionality, which is a cheaper operation that
using the GPU-based rotate operation.

For example, lcd_rotate=2 will compensate for an upside down display.

disable_touchscreen

Enable/disable the touchscreen.

disable_touchscreen=1 will disable the touchscreen on the official Raspberry Pi Touch Display.

enable_dpi_lcd

Enable LCD displays attached to the DPI GPIOs. This is to allow the use of third-party LCD
displays using the parallel display interface.

dpi_group, dpi_mode, dpi_output_format

The dpi_group and dpi_mode config.txt parameters are used to set either predetermined
modes (DMT or CEA modes as used by HDMI above). A user can generate custom modes in
much the same way as for HDMI (see dpi_timings section).

dpi_output_format is a bitmask specifying various parameters used to set up the display

format.

dpi_timings

This allows setting of raw DPI timing values for a custom mode, selected using dpi_group=2
and dpi_mode=87.

dpi_timings=<h_active_pixels> <h_sync_polarity> <h_front_porch> <h_sync_pulse> <h_ba

ck_porch> <v_active_lines> <v_sync_polarity> <v_front_porch> <v_sync_pulse> <v_back_
porch> <v_sync_offset_a> <v_sync_offset_b> <pixel_rep> <frame_rate> <interlaced> <pi
xel_freq> <aspect_ratio>

<h_active_pixels> = horizontal pixels (width)

<h_sync_polarity> = invert hsync polarity
<h_front_porch> = horizontal forward padding from DE active edge
<h_sync_pulse> = hsync pulse width in pixel clocks
<h_back_porch> = vertical back padding from DE active edge
<v_active_lines> = vertical pixels height (lines)
<v_sync_polarity> = invert vsync polarity
<v_front_porch> = vertical forward padding from DE active edge
<v_sync_pulse> = vsync pulse width in pixel clocks
<v_back_porch> = vertical back padding from DE active edge
<v_sync_offset_a> = leave at zero
<v_sync_offset_b> = leave at zero
<pixel_rep> = leave at zero
<frame_rate> = screen refresh rate in Hz
 <interlaced> = leave at zero
<pixel_freq> = clock frequency (width*height*framerate)
<aspect_ratio> = *

* The aspect ratio can be set to one of eight values (choose the closest for your screen):

HDMI_ASPECT_4_3 = 1
HDMI_ASPECT_14_9 = 2
HDMI_ASPECT_16_9 = 3
HDMI_ASPECT_5_4 = 4
HDMI_ASPECT_16_10 = 5
HDMI_ASPECT_15_9 = 6
HDMI_ASPECT_21_9 = 7
HDMI_ASPECT_64_27 = 8

Generic Display Options

hdmi_force_hotplug

Setting hdmi_force_hotplug to 1 pretends that the HDMI hotplug signal is asserted, so it

appears that a HDMI display is attached. In other words, HDMI output mode will be used, even if
no HDMI monitor is detected.

hdmi_ignore_hotplug

Setting hdmi_ignore_hotplug to 1 pretends that the HDMI hotplug signal is not asserted, so it
appears that a HDMI display is not attached. HDMI output will therefore be disabled, even if a
monitor is connected.

overscan_left

The overscan_left command specifies the number of pixels to add to the firmware default
value of overscan on the left edge of the screen. The default value is 0.

Increase this value if the text flows off the left edge of the screen; decrease it if there is a black
border between the left edge of the screen and the text.

overscan_right

The overscan_right command specifies the number of pixels to add to the firmware default
value of overscan on the right edge of the screen. The default value is 0.

Increase this value if the text flows off the right edge of the screen; decrease it if there is a black
border between the right edge of the screen and the text.

overscan_top

The overscan_top command specifies the number of pixels to add to the firmware default value
of overscan on the top edge of the screen. The default value is 0.

Increase this value if the text flows off the top edge of the screen; decrease it if there is a black
border between the top edge of the screen and the text.

overscan_bottom

The overscan_bottom command specifies the number of pixels to add to the firmware default
value of overscan on the bottom edge of the screen. The default value is 0.

Increase this value if the text flows off the bottom edge of the screen; decrease it if there is a
black border between the bottom edge of the screen and the text.

overscan_scale

Set overscan_scale to 1 to force any non-framebuffer layers to conform to the overscan

settings. The default value is 0.
NOTE: this feature is generally not recommended: it can reduce image quality because all layers
on the display will be scaled by the GPU. Disabling overscan on the display itself is the
recommended option to avoid images being scaled twice (by the GPU and the display).

framebuffer_width

The framebuffer_width command specifies the console framebuffer width in pixels. The default
is the display width minus the total horizontal overscan.

framebuffer_height

The framebuffer_height command specifies the console framebuffer height in pixels. The
default is the display height minus the total vertical overscan.

max_framebuffer_height, max_framebuffer_width

Specifies the maximum dimensions that the internal frame buffer is allowed to be.

framebuffer_depth

Use framebuffer_depth to specify the console framebuffer depth in bits per pixel. The default
value is 16.

framebuffer_depth result notes

8 8-bit framebuffer Default RGB palette makes

screen unreadable

16 16-bit framebuffer

24 24-bit framebuffer May result in a corrupted

display

32 32-bit framebuffer May need to be used in

conjunction with
framebuffer_ignore_alpha=1

framebuffer_ignore_alpha

Set framebuffer_ignore_alpha to 1 to disable the alpha channel. Can help with the display of a
32-bit framebuffer_depth.

framebuffer_priority

In a system with multiple displays, using the legacy (pre-KMS) graphics driver, this forces a
specific internal display device to be the first Linux framebuffer (i.e. /dev/fb0).

The options that can be set are:

Display ID

Main LCD 0

Secondary LCD 1

HDMI 0 2

Composite 3

HDMI 1 7

max_framebuffers

This configuration entry sets the maximum number of firmware framebuffers that can be
created. Valid options are 0, 1, and 2. By default on devices before the Raspberry Pi 4 this is set
to 1, so will need to be increased to 2 when using more than one display, for example HDMI and
a DSI or DPI display. The Raspberry Pi 4 configuration sets this to 2 by default as it has two
HDMI ports.
Generally in most cases it is safe to set this to 2, as framebuffers will only be created when an
attached device is actually detected.

Setting this value to 0 can be used to reduce memory requirements when used in headless
mode as it will prevent any framebuffers from being allocated.

test_mode

The test_mode command displays a test image and sound during boot (over the composite
video and analogue audio outputs only) for the given number of seconds, before continuing to
boot the OS as normal. This is used as a manufacturing test; the default value is 0.

display_hdmi_rotate

Use display_hdmi_rotate to rotate or flip the HDMI display orientation. The default value is 0.

display_hdmi_rotate result

0 no rotation

1 rotate 90 degrees clockwise

2 rotate 180 degrees clockwise

3 rotate 270 degrees clockwise

0x10000 horizontal flip

0x20000 vertical flip

Note that the 90 and 270 degree rotation options require additional memory on the GPU, so
these will not work with the 16MB GPU split.

If using the VC4 FKMS V3D driver (this is the default on the Raspberry Pi 4), then 90 and 270
degree rotations are not supported. The Screen Configuration utility provides display rotations
for this driver.

display_lcd_rotate

For the legacy graphics driver (default on models prior to the Raspberry Pi 4), use
display_lcd_rotate to rotate or flip the LCD orientation. Parameters are the same as
display_hdmi_rotate. See also lcd_rotate.

display_rotate

display_rotate is deprecated in the latest firmware but has been retained for backwards
compatibility. Please use display_lcd_rotate and display_hdmi_rotate instead.

Use display_rotate to rotate or flip the screen orientation. Parameters are the same as
display_hdmi_rotate.

disable_fw_kms_setup

By default, the firmware parses the EDID of any HDMI attached display, picks an appropriate
video mode, then passes the resolution and frame rate of the mode, along with overscan
parameters, to the Linux kernel via settings on the kernel command line. In rare circumstances,
this can have the effect of choosing a mode that is not in the EDID, and may be incompatible
with the device. You can use disable_fw_kms_setup=1 to disable the passing of these
parameters and avoid this problem. The Linux video mode system (KMS) will then parse the
EDID itself and pick an appropriate mode.

Other Options

dispmanx_offline

Forces dispmanx composition to be done offline in two offscreen framebuffers. This can allow
more dispmanx elements to be composited, but is slower and may limit screen framerate to
typically 30fps.

Raspberry Pi 4 HDMI Pipeline

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IMPORTANT

When using the VC4 KMS graphics driver, the complete display pipeline is managed by Linux
- this includes the HDMI outputs. These settings only apply to the legacy FKMS and
firmware-based graphics driver.

In order to support dual displays, and modes up to 4k60, the Raspberry Pi 4 has updated the
HDMI composition pipeline hardware in a number of ways. One of the major changes is that it
generates 2 output pixels for every clock cycle.

Every HDMI mode has a list of timings that control all the parameters around sync pulse
durations. These are typically defined via a pixel clock, and then a number of active pixels, a
front porch, sync pulse, and back porch for each of the horizontal and vertical directions.

Running everything at 2 pixels per clock means that the Raspberry Pi 4 can not support a timing
where any of the horizontal timings are not divisible by 2. The firmware and Linux kernel will
filter out any mode that does not fulfill this criteria.

There is only one mode in the CEA and DMT standards that falls into this category - DMT mode
81, which is 1366x768 @ 60Hz. This mode has odd values for the horizontal sync and back
porch timings. It’s also an unusual mode for having a width that isn’t divisible by 8.

If your monitor is of this resolution, then the Raspberry Pi 4 will automatically drop down to the
next mode that is advertised by the monitor; this is typically 1280x720.

On some monitors it is possible to configure them to use 1360x768 @ 60Hz. They typically do
not advertise this mode via their EDID so the selection can’t be made automatically, but it can be
manually chosen by adding

hdmi_group=2
hdmi_mode=87
hdmi_cvt=1360 768 60

to config.txt.

Timings specified manually via a hdmi_timings= line in config.txt will also need to comply with
the restriction of all horizontal timing parameters being divisible by 2.

dpi_timings= are not restricted in the same way as that pipeline still only runs at a single pixel
per clock cycle.

Camera Settings
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disable_camera_led
Setting disable_camera_led to 1 prevents the red camera LED from turning on when recording
video or taking a still picture. This is useful for preventing reflections when the camera is facing
a window, for example.

awb_auto_is_greyworld
Setting awb_auto_is_greyworld to 1 allows libraries or applications that do not support the
greyworld option internally to capture valid images and videos with NoIR cameras. It switches
"auto" awb mode to use the "greyworld" algorithm. This should only be needed for NoIR
cameras, or when the High Quality camera has had its IR filter removed.
 Miscellaneous Options
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logging_level
Sets the VideoCore logging level. The value is a VideoCore-specific bitmask.

max_usb_current
WARNING

This command is now deprecated and has no effect.

Originally certain models of Raspberry Pi limited the USB ports to a maximum of 600mA.
Setting max_usb_current=1 changed this default to 1200mA. However, all firmware now has this
flag set by default, so it is no longer necessary to use this option.

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International (CC BY-SA) licence.
Some content originates from the eLinux wiki, and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported licence.
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