CAT Commands (V2)

Serial port interface for SDR Radio console

Table of Contents
Contents
1

INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................4
1.1

MORE COMMANDS ...............................................................................................................5

COMMAND TABLE ...................................................................................................................6

2.1

FREQUENCY ........................................................................................................................6

2.1.1
2.2

Parameters ................................................................................................................................. 6
STATUS ...............................................................................................................................6

2.2.1

Parameters ................................................................................................................................. 6

2.3

S-METER ............................................................................................................................6

2.4

MODE..................................................................................................................................6

2.4.1

Parameters ................................................................................................................................. 7

2.5

TRANSMIT STATUS ...............................................................................................................7

2.6

RECEIVE STATUS .................................................................................................................7

2.7

POWER STATUS...................................................................................................................7

2.8

AGC ...................................................................................................................................7

2.8.1
2.9

Parameters ................................................................................................................................. 7
FILTER HIGH ........................................................................................................................7

2.9.1
2.10

Parameters ................................................................................................................................. 8
FILTER LOW.........................................................................................................................8

2.10.1
2.11

Parameters ............................................................................................................................. 8

AUDIO GAIN .........................................................................................................................8

2.11.1

Parameters ............................................................................................................................. 8

2.12

RADIO NAME .......................................................................................................................8

2.13

TRANSCEIVER ID NUMBER ...................................................................................................8

2.14

SAMPLE RATE......................................................................................................................8

2.15

TRANSMIT VFO ...................................................................................................................8

2.16

RECEIVER VFO ...................................................................................................................8

2.16.1

Parameters ............................................................................................................................. 9

1 Introduction

This program supports the use of serial ports for exchanging information with third-party
programs such as logbooks. Normally you use virtual serial ports, for example those created
using the VSP Manager by K5FR or VSPE from Eterlogic.
Note: you cannot use a serial port for a third-party program and at the same time use it to
connect to an external radio.
You connect the third-party program to one end of the serial cable and this program to the
other. The third-party program sends commands to this program, for example to set the
frequency and mode. The serial port cannot be used to monitor and synchronise another
radio.
This interface is enabled in the console from the Program Options below.

In this window you select the ports which are opened by this program. This program opens
and closes ports as you make changes to the selections in this window. The status is shown
in the main logfile window.

Speed: If you are using a virtual serial port the default speed of 57,600 can be used, if using
a hardware port then the speed must match the speed at the other end of the connection. To
change the speed you first select an entry in the list and then select the new speed from the
dropdown at the top of the window.

1.1 More Commands

Contact the SDR-Radio.com team simon@sdr-radio.com if extra commands are required.
Please provide a description of the command.

2 Command Table

2.1 Frequency
FA reads and sets the VFO A frequency, , FF reads and sets the VFO F frequency

2.1.1 Parameters
P1
Specify the frequency in Hz (11-digit). For example, 00014195000 for 14.195 MHz. The
blank digits must be 0.

2.2 Status
IF retrieves the transceiver status.

2.2.1 Parameters
P1. Frequency in Hz (11-digit) - see Frequency (FA) description
P2. Reserved (5-digit) 00000
P3. Reserved (signed 4-digit) +0000
P4. Reserved (1-digit) 0
P5. Reserved (1-digit) 0
P6. Reserved (1-digit) 0
P7. Reserved (2-digit) 00
P8. TX status (1-digit) 0 (for future use)
P9. Mode (1-digit) - see Mode (MD) description
P10.

Reserved (1-digit) 0

P11.

Reserved (1-digit) 0

P12.

Reserved (1-digit) 0

P13.

Reserved (1-digit) 0

2.3 S-Meter
SM returns the S-meter status

2.4 Mode
MD sets or reads the operating mode status

2.4.1 Parameters
P1
1. LSB
2. USB
3. CW
4. FM
5. AM
6. FSK
7. CR-R
8. Reserved
9. Reserved
10. SAM

2.5 Transmit Status

TX sets the software in transmit mode. Not currently implemented.

2.6 Receive Status

RX sets the receiver function status. Not currently implemented.

2.7 Power Status

PS reads the power ON/OFF status, currently always returns 0 (power on).

2.8 AGC
GT reads the AGC constant status.

2.8.1 Parameters
P1

000 Off

001 Fast

002 Medium

003 Slow

2.9 Filter High

SH sets or reads the filters high cut-off frequency

2.9.1 Parameters
P1
Frequency in Hertz, 5 digits, blank digits must be 0.

2.10 Filter Low

SL sets or reads the filters low cut-off frequency

2.10.1

Parameters

P1
Frequency in Hertz, 5 digits, blank digits must be 0.

2.11 Audio Gain

AG sets or reads the AF gain

2.11.1

Parameters

P1
000 to 100

2.12 Radio Name

NA returns the name of the current radio.

2.13 Transceiver ID Number

ID reads the transceiver ID number, this is always returned as 019.

2.14 Sample Rate

SA returns the sample rate for the current radio.

2.15 Transmit VFO

FT returns the VFO assigned to the transmitter, the response is always FT0; 0 corresponds
to VFO-A. Transmit support is currently not implemented.

2.16 Receiver VFO

FR returns the currently active receive VFO.

2.16.1
P1
0. VFO-A
1. VFO-B
2. VFO-C
3. VFO-D
4. VFO-E
5. VFO-F

Parameters