ascend-ai-coding npu-smi Command Reference
Quick reference for Huawei Ascend NPU device management commands.
Validated on real host: Ascend 910B3 server (
npu-smisoftware version25.5.1) on 2026-03-27. Command availability and output fields can differ by platform / firmware.
Quick Start
npu-smi info -l # List all devices
npu-smi info -t health -i 0 # Check device health
npu-smi info -t temp -i 0 -c 0 # Check temperature
npu-smi info -t power -i 0 -c 0 # Check power
npu-smi info -t memory -i 0 -c 0 # Check memory
Device Queries
Basic Information
npu-smi info -l # List devices
npu-smi info -t health -i <id> # Health status (OK/Warning/Error)
npu-smi info -t board -i <id> # Board details (firmware, software version)
npu-smi info -m # List card/chip mapping and chip names
Real-time Metrics
npu-smi info -t temp -i <id> -c <chip> # Temperature (NPU, AI Core)
npu-smi info -t power -i <id> -c <chip> # Power usage and limit
npu-smi info -t memory -i <id> -c <chip> # Memory usage, total, rate
Advanced Queries
npu-smi info -t ecc -i <id> -c <chip> # ECC errors and mode
npu-smi info -t usages -i <id> -c <chip> # Utilization (AI Core, memory, bandwidth)
npu-smi info -t proc-mem -i <id> -c <chip> # Per-process memory usage
npu-smi info -t pcie-err -i <id> -c <chip> # PCIe error counters
npu-smi info -t topo -i <id> -c <chip> # Inter-NPU topology / affinity
npu-smi info -t p2p-enable -i <id> -c <chip> # P2P capability (if supported)
npu-smi info -t product -i <id> -c <chip> # Product name and serial
Note:
npu-smi info -t npuwas not accepted on the validated host; usenpu-smi info -mfor chip mapping andhealth/temp/power/usages/memoryfor per-chip runtime data.
See: references/device-queries.md for output formats, examples, monitoring scripts, and platform identification (A2 vs A3).
Configuration
Temperature and Power Thresholds
npu-smi set -h # Show supported configurable types on this host
npu-smi set -t pwm-mode -d <0|1> # Fan control mode
npu-smi set -t pwm-duty-ratio -d <0-100> # Fan duty ratio
Mode Configuration
npu-smi set -t ecc-enable -i <id> -c <chip> -d <0|1> # ECC enable switch
npu-smi set -t p2p-mem-cfg -i <id> -c <chip> -d <0|1> # P2P memory configuration
npu-smi set -t vnpu-mode -d <0|1> # vNPU mode
npu-smi set -t cpu-freq-up -i <id> -d <0|1> # CPU frequency profile
Fan Control
npu-smi set -t pwm-mode -d <0|1> # 0=Manual, 1=Automatic
npu-smi set -t pwm-duty-ratio -d <0-100> # Fan speed (percent)
System Settings
npu-smi set -t mac-addr -i <id> -c <chip> -d <mac_id> -s "XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX"
npu-smi set -t boot-select -i <id> -c <chip> -d <3|4> # 3=M.2 SSD, 4=eMMC
npu-smi set -t cpu-freq-up -i <id> -d <0|1> # 0=1.9GHz/800MHz, 1=1.0GHz/800MHz
npu-smi set -t sys-log-enable -d <0|1> # System logging
Clear Commands
npu-smi clear -t ecc-info -i <id> -c <chip> # Clear ECC errors
npu-smi clear -t tls-cert-period -i <id> -c <chip> # Restore cert threshold
See: references/configuration.md for parameter tables and examples.
Firmware Management
Upgrade Workflow
Query → Upgrade → Check Status → Activate → Restart
npu-smi upgrade -b <item> -i <id> # Query current version
npu-smi upgrade -t <item> -i <id> -f <file.hpm> # Upload firmware
npu-smi upgrade -q <item> -i <id> # Check upgrade status
npu-smi upgrade -a <item> -i <id> # Activate firmware
Components and Restart Requirements
| Component | Item Name | Restart Required |
|---|---|---|
| MCU | mcu |
Yes (restart) |
| Bootloader | bootloader |
Yes (restart) |
| VRD | vrd |
Yes (power cycle 30s) |
See: references/firmware-upgrade.md for complete procedures.
Virtualization (vNPU)
Queries
npu-smi info -t vnpu-mode # Query AVI mode (0=Container, 1=VM)
npu-smi info -t template-info # List all templates
npu-smi info -t template-info -i <id> # Templates for specific device
npu-smi info -t info-vnpu -i <id> -c <chip> # View vNPU info
Management
npu-smi set -t vnpu-mode -d <0|1> # Set AVI mode
npu-smi set -t create-vnpu -i <id> -c <chip> -f <template> [-v <vnpu_id>] [-g <vgroup_id>]
npu-smi set -t destroy-vnpu -i <id> -c <chip> -v <vnpu_id>
vNPU ID Range: [phy_id*16+100, phy_id*16+115]
See: references/virtualization.md for vNPU creation and management.
Certificate Management
Queries
npu-smi info -t tls-csr-get -i <id> -c <chip> # Generate CSR (PEM format)
npu-smi info -t tls-cert -i <id> -c <chip> # View certificate details
npu-smi info -t tls-cert-period -i <id> -c <chip> # Check expiration threshold
npu-smi info -t rootkey -i <id> -c <chip> # Rootkey status
Management
npu-smi set -t tls-cert -i <id> -c <chip> -f "<tls.pem> <ca.pem> <subca.pem>"
npu-smi set -t tls-cert-period -i <id> -c <chip> -s <days> # Set threshold (7-180 days)
npu-smi clear -t tls-cert-period -i <id> -c <chip> # Restore default (90 days)
See: references/certificate-management.md for certificate lifecycle management.
Parameters Reference
| Parameter | Description | How to Get |
|---|---|---|
id |
Device ID (NPU ID) | npu-smi info -l |
chip_id |
Runtime chip ID | npu-smi info -m (usually 0 for Ascend chip, 1 for MCU on validated host) |
vnpu_id |
vNPU ID | Auto-assigned or specified in range |
mac_id |
MAC interface | 0=eth0, 1=eth1, 2=eth2, 3=eth3 |
Supported Platforms
- Atlas 200I DK A2 Developer Kit
- Atlas 500 A2 Smart Station
- Atlas 200I A2 Acceleration Module (RC/EP scenarios)
- Atlas A2/A3 Training Series
- Atlas Training Series
Note: Chip name (e.g., 910B3) does not indicate server platform (A2 vs A3). Use
dmidecode -t system | grep Productornpu-smi info -t productto identify the server model. See references/device-queries.md for details.
Important Notes
- Most configuration commands require root permissions
- Device IDs from
npu-smi info -l - Chip IDs from
npu-smi info -m - MCU/bootloader upgrades require restart after activation
- VRD upgrades require power cycle (30+ seconds off)
- MAC/boot changes require restart
- Command availability varies by hardware platform
npu-smi info procwas not supported on the validated 910B3 host;npu-smi info -t proc-memworkednpu-smi info -t productmay returnThis device does not support querying product.on some server SKUs
Scripts
- scripts/npu-health-check.sh - Comprehensive device health check