External Amplifier Band Control over CAT

[pwest]

Hello:
I recently decided that I wanted to control my HR-50 amplifier band selection over CAT from PowerSDR. Before trying this from PowerSDR, I installed the FTDI drivers on COM3 and verified that I could control the band changes and generally bidirectionally interact w/the HR50 using Putty. Then (after closing Putty), from PowerSDR, in General->Setup->CAT Control, I added a 'CAT Control Program' named 'HR-50' and set the params to the same as what I used in Putty (COM3, 19200, N,8,1) and clicked 'on', 'Apply' and 'OK', but get no band changes. I tried changing 'ID as:' to all the available Kenwood options as well as PowerSDR. Finally, I tried sending the same strings via the 'Test CAT Commands' button that worked when sent via Putty, but got no band changes (the 'CAT Response' was always '?;').

Any help or ideas about how to get this working would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Phil

[ke9ns]

Is your HR-50 polling the com port
What is the string your trying to use?


Darrin
ke9ns

[pwest]

Darrin asks:
>>Is your HR-50 polling the com port?
I don't know--I had assumed it was using a UART and an ISR, but I really don't know.

>>What is the string your trying to use?
All the strings that I tried via Putty from the HR-50 Operating Instructions manual seemed to work. For example:
HRBN7; changes the band to 40m
HRRX; returns status info from the Amp.
Typing those same strings into the 'CAT Commands' window (with or without the semicolon) achieved no results on the amp and returned '?;'

It is my belief that the PowerSDR to HR50 Band Control via CAT is a well known and solid capability that has been functional for a long time, leading me to believe that I've just got one little setting/check box/whatever in the wrong state...

The HR50 manual has this section:
--------------------
Flexradio Flex-1500
The Flex-1500 QRP SDR and be connected to the HR50 amplifier for PTT and automatic band selection. PTT requires a
cable that connects the Hardrock-50 ACC port to the Flex-1500's Flexwire I/O. Automatic band selection uses a USB
connection between the computer running PowerSDR software controlling the Flex-1500 and the HR50. To configure
PowerSDR to send frequency information to the HR50, follow these setps:
1. Start PowerSDR
2. Select SETUP
3. Click the CAT Control tab
4. On the CAT Control frame, select the port that the HR50 uses and if you haven't changed the HR50's USB Baud
Rate in the menu, set the baud rate to 19200.
5. Check the Allow Kenwood AI Command box
6. Check the Enable CAT box
7. Click OK
--------------------

(and I have the PTT part wired and working)

-Phil

[ke9ns]

The AI CAT command will force PowerSDR to send VFO frequency over CAT every time you change frequency.
So apparently, HR50 does not poll.

HR commands are not CAT commands that PowerSDR uses.

So over all open and Enabled CAT ports, PowerSDR sends a Cat command FA or FB, depending on which VFO has changed .
example: FA00014320150;

So if your HR50 responds to FA00014320150; then its working. (14.320150 mhz)

If your only using 1 CAT in PowerSDR, make sure its at the top of the list and Enabled. Make sure the Baud rate boxes get grayed out.
And that nothing on your PC has already grabbed COM3 (so there is no chance of a port conflict)

Darrin
ke9ns

[pwest]

Darrin:
Thanks for this, I have progress to report.
As a simple test, your F-command works reliably when sent from Putty to the Hardrock. Moving on to the case of interest with PowerSDR, I had only two CAT entries: WSJT-X as the middle entry on com port 16, and HR50 as the last entry on COM3. When I moved HR50 to be the first entry (as you recommended), IT WORKED -- until I fired up WSJT-X. With WSJT-X running, if I click on a new band on the PowerSDR interface, then WSJT-X correctly responds, but the Hardrock no longer changes band. Similarly, initiating a band change from within WSJT-X causes the corresponding change in PowerSDR, but not on the Hardrock.

When WSJT-X is closed, CAT Control from PowerSDR to the Hardrock resumes.

Thanks again for your help with this,
Phil

[ke9ns]

Check the baud rate setup in WSJT-X.
Since your HR50 wants 19200, make sure WSJT-X is also at 19200 (not just PowerSDR).

Darrin

[pwest]

WSJT-X was indeed set to 57,600, but changing that to match the 19,200 I have in PowerSDR did not solve the problem. I tried restarting PowerSDR and WSJT-X after the change, but got the same results.

I'm wondering what's supposed to be happening under the sheets when I initiate a band change from WSJT-X.
1) I'm on, say, 40m and I click 20 from the WSJT-X interface
2) WSJT-X sends a cat command via a virtual serial port to PowerSDR
3) PowerSDR Receives that and changes its local VFO for 20 m
4) PowerSDR then sends the operating frequency (like the F command we saw earlier) over the USB->COM3 serial port to my HR50

Is that the right idea?

A summary of the situation:
With WSJT-X not running, I can click on bands in the PowerSDR interface, and the HR50 appropriately responds
With WSJT-X running, normal/expected communications happens between WSJT-X and PowerSDR, but the HR50 is unresponsive
I believe all settings are set to 19,200 N,8,1.

As always, I much appreciate the help and am happy to test any ideas

-Phil

[ke9ns]

I see the issue that I will need to fix.
There is a temporary solution.
After you open up everything, toggle the "Kenwood AI command" checkbox OFF then back ON
It will restart the AI command. Then it will start working correctly.

Darrin

[pwest]

Darrin:
Excellent: This worked!!

Thanks so much for chasing down the issue and providing this simple work-around!

-Phil

[ke9ns]

It turns out WSJT-X (and other digital mode programs) turns off the AI command (auto polling) and so turned it off for all the CAT/COM ports.
I actually came up with the real fix.
Download .214

It provides the option of polling for each CAT/COM port individually.

Darrin
ke9ns