[Compatibility] [Feature request] PH18-73 support

[vopl]

Exact Acer model

PH18-73

Distribution

some linux

Kernel

6.18.39

BIOS

V1.54

What works

temperature, clocks

What does not work

at least the RGB does not work

asense-probe.json

asense-probe.json

Confirmation

• This report comes from the exact physical model named above.
• I reviewed the probe file before attaching it.

[p1r473]

I have a Predator Helios 18 PH18-73 available for testing and did some additional investigation.

Attached is a probe generated:

asense-probe-stock-v0.2.2.json

Hardware:

• Acer Predator PH18-73
• BIOS V1.54
• Board: Vantage_ARX
• Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX
• RTX 5090 Laptop GPU

Stock v0.2.2 behavior

The stock probe reports:

• profiles.backend = null
• wmi.gaming_profile = false
• wmi.gaming_fan = false
• lighting = []

The stock read-only HID probe does independently discover:

• ENEK5130:00 0CF2:5130
• target 0x65

but does not perform the A2 query needed to obtain the A3 capabilities.

Gaming-WMI profile investigation

I temporarily patched asense_rgb to log the raw firmware profile result.

On the PH18-73 the initial firmware read returns:

raw=0x02

Stock v0.2.2 currently knows:

• 0x00 quiet
• 0x01 balanced
• 0x04 balanced-performance
• 0x05 performance
• 0x06 low-power

I temporarily added 0x02 as unknown-2 only so the driver would continue probing.

That successfully exposed the Gaming-WMI profile and fan backends.

Profile writes/readback tested:

• 0x01 succeeds and reads back
• 0x04 succeeds and reads back
• 0x05 succeeds and reads back
• 0x02 can be read, but attempting to write it through the current ASENSE_MISC_SET path returns -EREMOTEIO

The status masks used by the Gaming-WMI setters are all bits 7:0, so this does not appear to be caused by the profile setter using the wrong status mask.

I also tested Windows PredatorSense as a possible way to identify the profile mapping:

1. Select PredatorSense Performance in Windows
2. Reboot into Linux
3. Read profile -> 0x02

Then:

1. Select PredatorSense Turbo in Windows
2. Reboot into Linux
3. Read profile -> 0x02

So the profile value appears to reset/normalize to 0x02 across reboot. Those tests do NOT establish that 0x02 corresponds to Performance or Turbo.

Fan control

Once the Gaming-WMI backend was allowed to probe:

• Auto fan mode works
• Maximum fan mode works and audibly drives the fans to maximum
• Returning to Auto works
• Manual percentage control is not exposed
• rpm_channels is empty, so fan RPM telemetry is unavailable through the currently discovered interface

ENEK5130 keyboard

The PH18-73 keyboard controller is:

ENEK5130:00 0CF2:5130

Stock ASense expects keyboard target 0x21, while this machine reports:

0x65

An A2 query against target 0x65 returned:

a3 65 01 09 01 00 00 00 3b 00 00 00

Interpreting this with the existing ASense parser gives:

• target: 0x65
• zones: 9
• mode bitmap: 0x3b

After locally allowing target 0x65, ASense detected:

• backend: enek5130
• target: keyboard
• zones: 9
• static color: true
• brightness: true
• breathing: true
• neon: true

The Keyboard UI then became available.

However, lighting writes returned success without actually changing the keyboard lighting, including testing only modes advertised by the controller. I stopped sending further undocumented RGB commands at that point.

I'm happy to run targeted diagnostics or test patches on this PH18-73. Let me know what data or experiments would be most useful.

[p1r473]

Also btw, it shows Performance twice - no turbo

[p1r473]

The RPM tachometers dont work either

[fladirm]

Thank you for the careful PH18-73 investigation. A public diagnostic
v0.3.0-rc.1 is now available with the evidence needed to examine this without
mapping an unknown byte or target by analogy:

https://github.com/fladirm/asense/releases/tag/v0.3.0-rc.1

version: 0.3.0-rc.1
commit: 1bf2696bc7bb9909d53039f2d2d162951d2cdb0d
Ubuntu installer SHA-256: 54fdd5801d1297b529d84e52f3768b4e47a89dd4d04517ff9d225c583cd33713
source ZIP SHA-256: 672bf0bdf1734b7b7bc47b29ef54ad0a09d023c1a97bbd5809a56e596c17ee47

Please first state the exact distribution. The prebuilt installer is only for
Ubuntu 26.04 x86_64. Do not use it on another distribution, and do not copy it
over a dpkg/PPA-owned installation: the installer intentionally refuses mixed
ownership. If the current install is package-managed, tell me which package
owns it so the test can stay package-managed.

The RC reports Gaming-WMI profile raw value 0x02 as unknown. It does not
label it Performance/Turbo/Battery and never makes it selectable or writes it.
It also keeps profile, power-source snapshot, fan mode, RPM sources, EC-HID
detection and ENEK descriptor/A1 geometry as independent evidence.

Once the exact RC is installed through an appropriate ownership path, please
collect a separate JSON and summary for each practical state below. Make no
other setting change between a JSON and its matching summary:

1. booted on AC, before changing profile or fan controls;
2. live AC unplug, after waiting 30 seconds;
3. live AC replug, after waiting 30 seconds;
4. optional cold boot on battery;
5. optional suspend/resume on AC, after the machine has settled.

asense probe > ph18-state.json
asense probe --summary > ph18-state-summary.txt

If this exact RC exposes the existing typed Auto and Maximum fan
controls, one additional pair is useful: keep the GUI session open, capture
Auto, then select Maximum, wait 20 seconds and capture Maximum. Record the
audible response and RPM visibility, then return to Auto before closing the
GUI. The same open session keeps the capture unambiguous, and explicitly
returning to Auto is required because an acknowledged Maximum command is
intentionally persistent.

Please confirm each JSON says version 0.3.0-rc.1, commit
1bf2696bc7bb9909d53039f2d2d162951d2cdb0d, schema 3 and zero default
mutations. Do not patch in unknown-2, write raw 0x02, alias target
0x65, or send undocumented RGB/HID commands. The passive report will record
the bounded profile byte, simultaneous AC/battery evidence, separate fan/RPM
sources, fixed WMI readbacks, exact allow-listed HID descriptor geometry,
passive A1 where supported and detection-only 1025:174B evidence.

Suggested names:

ph18-ac-boot.json / ph18-ac-boot-summary.txt
ph18-live-unplug.json / ph18-live-unplug-summary.txt
ph18-live-replug.json / ph18-live-replug-summary.txt
ph18-battery-boot.json / ph18-battery-boot-summary.txt
ph18-resume-ac.json / ph18-resume-ac-summary.txt
ph18-fan-auto.json / ph18-fan-auto-summary.txt
ph18-fan-maximum.json / ph18-fan-maximum-summary.txt

For each state, add only a short physical note: power source, selected fan
state, audible fan response, RPM visibility and keyboard-lighting behavior.
No journal or raw ACPI dump is requested. Schema 3 uploads nothing and excludes
serials, UUIDs, hostname, user/network identity, boot ID, storage identity,
journals, raw ACPI tables and absolute device paths; please still inspect each
JSON before attaching it.

After those passive reports are reviewed, any A2/A3 follow-up would be a
separately named bounded diagnostic with an explicit selector-write receipt.
It will not be hidden in the default probe.

[fladirm]

ASense v0.3.0 is now final:

https://github.com/fladirm/asense/releases/tag/v0.3.0

Ubuntu 26.04 users can upgrade through the stable PPA. The Arch AUR package has
passed its clean-build gate but is not public yet; until it appears, use the
final tagged source and state the exact distribution/package ownership in the
report.

Final v0.3.0 keeps raw profile 0x02 unknown and non-selectable. It does not
alias ENEK target 0x65, does not send undocumented RGB reports and does not
infer RPM support from audible Auto/Maximum control. The new passive schema-3
probe records the profile byte, power evidence, independent fan/RPM sources,
HID geometry and fixed readbacks without turning those observations into
unsupported controls.

Please collect the AC boot, live unplug/replug and optional battery/resume
states requested above using final v0.3.0:

asense probe > ph18-state.json
asense probe --summary > ph18-state-summary.txt

Please confirm schema: 3, version: 0.3.0, exact commit
cef7e2b15d54d2532594877dc903a37cfe0d80d7 and zero default mutations. Do not
patch raw profile values or send A2/A3/RGB commands; any selector diagnostic
will remain a separately named, explicit operation after the passive evidence
is reviewed.

[vopl]

A public diagnostic v0.3.0-rc.1

# lsb_release -a
LSB Version:	n/a
Distributor ID:	Gentoo
Description:	Gentoo Linux
Release:	2.18
Codename:	n/a

# uname -r
7.1.5-gentoo-dist-bin

clone repo
checkout tag v0.3.0-rc.1
Build from source
install

# dmesg | grep asense
[ 9306.705963] 7A4DDFE7-5B5D-40B4-8595-4408E0CC7F56-8: keyboard RGB state is invalid

AC is plugged, reboot

# dmesg | grep asense
[    6.705963] asense_rgb: loading out-of-tree module taints kernel.
[    6.706167] asense_rgb: module verification failed: signature and/or required key missing - tainting kernel
[    6.819703] asense_rgb 7A4DDFE7-5B5D-40B4-8595-4408E0CC7F56-8: keyboard RGB state is invalid

# lsmod | grep asense
asense_rgb             61440  0
wmi                    32768  5 video,nvidia_wmi_ec_backlight,acer_wmi,wmi_bmof,asense_rgb

run app, crash

                                             Stack trace of thread 10577:
                                             #0  0x00007fbf1cc4339c __pthread_kill_implementation (libc.so.6 + 0x9539c)
                                             #1  0x00007fbf1cbeb096 __GI_raise (libc.so.6 + 0x3d096)
                                             #2  0x00007fbf1cbd3360 __GI_abort (libc.so.6 + 0x25360)
                                             #3  0x00007fbf22cfd2b6 _ZN7WebCore18PlatformDisplayGBM6createEP10gbm_device (libwebkit2gtk-4.1.so.0 + 0x30fd2b6)
                                             #4  0x00007fbf2076faf3 _ZZNSt9once_flag18_Prepare_executionC4IZSt9call_onceIZN6WebKit23AcceleratedBackingStore27rendererBufferTransportModeEvEUlvE_JEEvRS_OT_DpOT0_EUlvE_EERS7_ENUlvE_4_FUNEv (libwebkit2gtk-4.1.so.0 + 0xb6faf3)
                                             #5  0x00007fbf1cc4661c __pthread_once_slow (libc.so.6 + 0x9861c)
                                             #6  0x00007fbf1cc46699 ___pthread_once (libc.so.6 + 0x98699)
                                             #7  0x00007fbf2076bd21 _ZN6WebKit23AcceleratedBackingStore17checkRequirementsEv (libwebkit2gtk-4.1.so.0 + 0xb6bd21)
                                             #8  0x00007fbf207757c3 _ZN6WebKit27HardwareAccelerationManagerC2Ev (libwebkit2gtk-4.1.so.0 + 0xb757c3)
                                             #9  0x00007fbf2077581d _ZN6WebKit27HardwareAccelerationManager9singletonEv (libwebkit2gtk-4.1.so.0 + 0xb7581d)
                                             #10 0x00007fbf20788db7 _ZN6WebKit14WebPreferences23platformInitializeStoreEv (libwebkit2gtk-4.1.so.0 + 0xb88db7)
                                             #11 0x00007fbf20584fd7 _ZN6WebKit14WebPreferencesC2ERKN3WTF6StringES4_S4_ (libwebkit2gtk-4.1.so.0 + 0x984fd7)
                                             #12 0x00007fbf205850b0 _ZN6WebKit14WebPreferences24createWithLegacyDefaultsERKN3WTF6StringES4_S4_ (libwebkit2gtk-4.1.so.0 + 0x9850b0)
                                             #13 0x00007fbf20572da2 _ZN6WebKit12WebPageGroupC2ERKN3WTF6StringE (libwebkit2gtk-4.1.so.0 + 0x972da2)
                                             #14 0x00007fbf2057325c _ZN6WebKit12WebPageGroup6createERKN3WTF6StringE (libwebkit2gtk-4.1.so.0 + 0x97325c)
                                             #15 0x00007fbf2062d8e7 _ZN6WebKit14WebProcessPoolC2ERN3API24ProcessPoolConfigurationE (libwebkit2gtk-4.1.so.0 + 0xa2d8e7)
                                             #16 0x00007fbf2062ead1 _ZN6WebKit14WebProcessPool6createERN3API24ProcessPoolConfigurationE (libwebkit2gtk-4.1.so.0 + 0xa2ead1)
                                             #17 0x00007fbf206b1dfa _ZL27webkitWebContextConstructedP8_GObject (libwebkit2gtk-4.1.so.0 + 0xab1dfa)
                                             #18 0x00007fbf25496016 g_object_new_internal (libgobject-2.0.so.0 + 0x1c016)
                                             #19 0x00007fbf254974b6 g_object_new_internal (libgobject-2.0.so.0 + 0x1d4b6)
                                             #20 0x0000557821faafcf n/a (/usr/libexec/asense/asense + 0x468fcf)
                                             #21 0x000055782209d511 n/a (/usr/libexec/asense/asense + 0x55b511)
                                             #22 0x00005578220a60bd n/a (/usr/libexec/asense/asense + 0x5640bd)
                                             #23 0x0000557821f24652 n/a (/usr/libexec/asense/asense + 0x3e2652)
                                             #24 0x0000557821f202a7 n/a (/usr/libexec/asense/asense + 0x3de2a7)
                                             #25 0x0000557821f4adbb n/a (/usr/libexec/asense/asense + 0x408dbb)
                                             #26 0x0000557821f1feea n/a (/usr/libexec/asense/asense + 0x3ddeea)
                                             #27 0x0000557821efff6e n/a (/usr/libexec/asense/asense + 0x3bdf6e)
                                             #28 0x0000557821f68560 n/a (/usr/libexec/asense/asense + 0x426560)
                                             #29 0x0000557821f1fd7f n/a (/usr/libexec/asense/asense + 0x3ddd7f)
                                             #30 0x0000557821f21d87 n/a (/usr/libexec/asense/asense + 0x3dfd87)
                                             #31 0x0000557821d667d3 n/a (/usr/libexec/asense/asense + 0x2247d3)
                                             #32 0x0000557821d9e7ca n/a (/usr/libexec/asense/asense + 0x25c7ca)
                                             #33 0x0000557821d4af83 n/a (/usr/libexec/asense/asense + 0x208f83)
                                             #34 0x0000557821d4aba9 n/a (/usr/libexec/asense/asense + 0x208ba9)
                                             #35 0x000055782204e414 n/a (/usr/libexec/asense/asense + 0x50c414)
                                             #36 0x0000557821da46d5 n/a (/usr/libexec/asense/asense + 0x2626d5)
                                             #37 0x00007fbf1cbd54be __libc_start_call_main (libc.so.6 + 0x274be)
                                             #38 0x00007fbf1cbd55db __libc_start_main_impl (libc.so.6 + 0x275db)
                                             #39 0x0000557821d2f655 n/a (/usr/libexec/asense/asense + 0x1ed655)

googling...

export __EGL_VENDOR_LIBRARY_FILENAMES=/usr/share/glvnd/egl_vendor.d/10_nvidia.json

run app, gui appears

1. booted on AC, before changing profile or fan controls;

• power source: AC
• selected fan state: Auto
• audible fan response: quietly
• RPM visibility: no info, "--"
• keyboard-lighting behavior: without changes, ornginal rainbow

$ asense probe > ph18-ac-boot.json
$ asense probe --summary > ph18-ac-boot-summary.txt

see 'Daemon: error(protocol/timeout)' ...

# systemctl status asense.socket 
● asense.socket - ASense protected control socket
     Loaded: loaded (/etc/systemd/system/asense.socket; enabled; preset: disabled)
     Active: active (running) since Sun 2026-08-02 14:54:06 MSK; 28min ago
 Invocation: 89ea8b0094bf4b819f4c5c1bcbf62ae5
   Triggers: ● asense.service
     Listen: /run/asense-control.sock (Stream)
      Tasks: 0 (limit: 153681)
     Memory: 0B (peak: 1M)
        CPU: 963us
     CGroup: /system.slice/asense.socket

# systemctl status asense.service 
● asense.service - ASense Acer firmware control service
     Loaded: loaded (/etc/systemd/system/asense.service; static)
     Active: active (running) since Sun 2026-08-02 15:08:58 MSK; 13min ago
 Invocation: d266a95473664ed8b85d095ea7f7240b
TriggeredBy: ● asense.socket
   Main PID: 28367 (asensed)
      Tasks: 1 (limit: 32)
     Memory: 1.9M (max: 128M, available: 126M, peak: 2.9M)
        CPU: 400ms
     CGroup: /system.slice/asense.service
             └─28367 /usr/libexec/asense/asensed --daemon

ahah... The daemon socket is locked by gui, close gui

$ asense probe > ph18-ac-boot.json
$ asense probe --summary > ph18-ac-boot-summary.txt

2. live AC unplug, after waiting 30 seconds;

• power source: battery
• selected fan state: Auto
• audible fan response: quietly
• RPM visibility: no info, "--"
• keyboard-lighting behavior: without changes, ornginal rainbow

$ asense probe > ph18-live-unplug.json
$ asense probe --summary > ph18-live-unplug-summary.txt

3. live AC replug, after waiting 30 seconds;

• power source: AC
• selected fan state: Auto
• audible fan response: quietly
• RPM visibility: no info, "--"
• keyboard-lighting behavior: without changes, ornginal rainbow

$ asense probe > ph18-live-replug.json
$ asense probe --summary > ph18-live-replug-summary.txt

shutdown, unplug AC
4. optional cold boot on battery;

• power source: battery
• selected fan state: Auto
• audible fan response: quietly
• RPM visibility: no info, "--"
• keyboard-lighting behavior: without changes, ornginal rainbow

$ asense probe > ph18-battery-boot.json
$ asense probe --summary > ph18-battery-boot-summary.txt

plug power supply
5. optional suspend/resume on AC, after the machine has settled.

• power source: AC
• selected fan state: Auto
• audible fan response: quietly
• RPM visibility: no info, "--"
• keyboard-lighting behavior: without changes, ornginal rainbow

$ asense probe > ph18-resume-ac.json
$ asense probe --summary > ph18-resume-ac-summary.txt

6. Auto fan control

• power source: AC
• selected fan state: Auto
• audible fan response: quietly
• RPM visibility: no info, "--"
• keyboard-lighting behavior: without changes, ornginal rainbow

$ asense probe > ph18-fan-auto.json
$ asense probe --summary > ph18-fan-auto-summary.txt

7. Maximum fan control

• power source: AC
• selected fan state: Maximum
• audible fan response: very loud
• RPM visibility: no info, "--"
• keyboard-lighting behavior: without changes, ornginal rainbow

$ asense probe > ph18-fan-maximum.json
$ asense probe --summary > ph18-fan-maximum-summary.txt

---

ph18-ac-boot.json
ph18-ac-boot-summary.txt
ph18-battery-boot.json
ph18-battery-boot-summary.txt
ph18-fan-auto.json
ph18-fan-auto-summary.txt
ph18-fan-maximum.json
ph18-fan-maximum-summary.txt
ph18-live-replug.json
ph18-live-replug-summary.txt
ph18-live-unplug.json
ph18-live-unplug-summary.txt
ph18-resume-ac.json
ph18-resume-ac-summary.txt
report.txt

[vopl]

Please collect the AC boot, live unplug/replug and optional battery/resume states requested above using final v0.3.0

ph18-ac-boot.json
ph18-ac-boot-summary.txt
ph18-battery-boot.json
ph18-battery-boot-summary.txt
ph18-fan-auto.json
ph18-fan-auto-summary.txt
ph18-fan-maximum.json
ph18-fan-maximum-summary.txt
ph18-live-replug.json
ph18-live-replug-summary.txt
ph18-live-unplug.json
ph18-live-unplug-summary.txt
ph18-resume-ac.json
ph18-resume-ac-summary.txt