MSI SteelSeries LED

Control Keyboard backlight in MSI laptops with Steelseries Engine 3 and 2 Keyboards.

This software has been tested only in a MSI GT72VR 6RD Dominator and a MSI GE70 2PE ApachePro.

Thanks to

• https://github.com/gokuhs/MSI-Keyboard-Led-Enabler
• https://github.com/PaNaVTEC/MSI_GT_GE_Led_Enabler

Installation

Prerequisites

• Build dependencies: build-essential libhidapi-dev
• Run dependencies: libhidapi-libusb0

Install

• Build the source: make (for Steelseries Engine 2: make msi-steelseries-led-E2)
• Install: sudo make install
• Reboot so udev rules take effect.

Uninstall

• Uninstall: sudo make uninstall

Usage

$ msi-steelseries-led [options]

Options:

Short	Long	Description
-p	--preset	Set one of this presets: default, night, work, sea, magma, alien, dragon and heavenhell.
-m	--mode	Set mode: normal, gaming, breathing, wave, dual (and audio, but it's not working).
-l	--left	Set colour for left area (se bellow for available colours).
-c	--center	Set colour for center area.
-r	--right	Set colour for right area.
-g	--logo	Set colour for the SteelSeries logo.
-i	--front-left	Set colour for front left area.
-d	--front-right	Set colour for front right area.
-t	--touchpad	Set colour for the touchpad.
-h	--help	This help.

Available colours: black, white, red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, yellow, orange and teal. Or any colour by its hexadecimal code. Black if not defined.

Set a color: primary[:secondary][:hex speed]

Modes:

Mode	Type	Description
normal	Static	Only take effect primary colour.
gaming	Static	Turns on left area with the primary colour.
breathing	Dynamic	Transition between primary colour and black. (you can set a secondary colour different from black, but for that is better to use dual mode).
wave	Dynamic	Wave in the keyboard between primary and secondary colour. For touchpad and front only take effect secondary colour.
dual	Dynamic	Transition between primary and secondary colour.

All options accepts random.

Example: $ msi-steelseries-led -m breathing -l random:00ff00:010305 -c white:teal -r 02AF42

Protocol

Using USBPcap in Windows, I managed to capture the data sent by the official client from SteelSeries.

Analyzing the data with Wireshark this is what I got on Engine 3:

Mode normal (similar for all static modes)

01 02 41 09 00 00 00 00
01 02 40 01 RR GG BB 00 // Left area
01 02 40 02 RR GG BB 00 // Center area
01 02 40 03 RR GG BB 00 // Right area
01 02 40 04 RR GG BB 00 // Logo area
01 02 40 05 RR GG BB 00 // Front left area
01 02 40 06 RR GG BB 00 // Front right area
01 02 40 07 RR GG BB 00 // Touchpad area
01 02 41 01 00 00 00 00 // Set mode

Mode breathing (similar for all dynamic modes)

01 02 41 09 00 00 00 00
01 02 44 01 RR GG BB 00 // Left area primary
01 02 44 02 RR GG BB 00 // Left area secondary
01 02 44 03 SR SG SB 00 // Left area speed
01 02 44 04 RR GG BB 00 // Center area primary
01 02 44 05 RR GG BB 00 // Center area secondary
01 02 44 06 SR SG SB 00 // Center area speed
01 02 44 07 RR GG BB 00 // Right area primary
01 02 44 08 RR GG BB 00 // Right area secondary
01 02 44 09 SR SG SB 00 // Right area speed
01 02 44 0A RR GG BB 00 // Logo area primary
01 02 44 0B RR GG BB 00 // Logo area secondary
01 02 44 0C SR SG SB 00 // Logo area speed
01 02 44 0D RR GG BB 00 // Front left area primary
01 02 44 0E RR GG BB 00 // Front left area secondary
01 02 44 0F SR SG SB 00 // Front left area speed
01 02 44 10 RR GG BB 00 // Front right area primary
01 02 44 11 RR GG BB 00 // Front right area secondary
01 02 44 12 SR SG SB 00 // Front right area speed
01 02 44 13 RR GG BB 00 // Touchpad area primary
01 02 44 14 RR GG BB 00 // Touchpad area secondary
01 02 44 15 SR SG SB 00 // Touchpad area speed
01 02 41 03 00 00 00 00 // Set mode

this is what I got on Engine 2:

Mode normal (similar for all static modes)

01 02 41 01 00 00 00 00 // Set mode
01 02 40 01 RR GG BB 00 // Left area
01 02 40 02 RR GG BB 00 // Center area
01 02 40 03 RR GG BB 00 // Right area

Mode breathing (similar for all dynamic modes)

01 02 44 01 RR GG BB 00 // Left area primary
01 02 44 02 RR GG BB 00 // Left area secondary
01 02 44 03 SR SG SB 00 // Left area speed
01 02 44 04 RR GG BB 00 // Center area primary
01 02 44 05 RR GG BB 00 // Center area secondary
01 02 44 06 SR SG SB 00 // Center area speed
01 02 44 07 RR GG BB 00 // Right area primary
01 02 44 08 RR GG BB 00 // Right area secondary
01 02 44 09 SR SG SB 00 // Right area speed
01 02 41 03 00 00 00 00 // Set mode