Author Topic: Modes 6 & 7 (CAT to COM2) doesn't support all CAT commands?  (Read 4551 times)

lb1ti

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Hi, I have a TS-590SG connected to my RRC's and have set up COM1 to "Mode-7, CAT to COM2 (remote)". Where COM0 is set to "logical parallel".

All of the CAT data on COM1 is working and is as expected, however on COM2 (or COM0 for that matter). It seems only a subset of CAT commands are available through COM2, or COM0 for that matter. The RRC probably does some smart interleaving of the data here but not having access to commands such as: SM or RM (S meter or SWR meter values), or IF, which first of all doesn't make it very compatible with other CAT software with regards to CAT protocol parity.

Does anyone know if this is a feature or a bug, or am I doing it wrong?
Edit: I figured out I can change the COM settings on the radio side Mode 4 and that will give me all of the CAT inquiries to COM2.

Should the radio be connected to COM2 instead? (server side).

I found the documentation on the "Twin" setup's a bit sparse so I'm not confident I've understood it correctly.

I've been working on creating my own control interface to the TS-590SG in order to control the radio remotely with real knobs etc. I'm using COM0 at the moment to inject CAT-data to be sent from the client to the remote side, this works for the most part fairly well.

I have set up COM2 and COM1 to output over USB but inject data through the RJ11 jack (COM0), if that makes sense.

Thanks in advance,

Stian
LB1TI
« Last Edit: 2023-11-05, 13:50:27 by lb1ti »

sm2o

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Re: Modes 6 & 7 (CAT to COM2) doesn't support all CAT commands?
« Reply #1 on: 2023-11-06, 15:16:11 »
Hi

When transferring kenwood CAT commands Remoterig does not interpret the messages  it just use the ; (semicolon) which indicates the end of message to initiate transmission of a packet

73 de mike

lb1ti

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Re: Modes 6 & 7 (CAT to COM2) doesn't support all CAT commands?
« Reply #2 on: 2023-11-23, 21:00:13 »
Hi

When transferring kenwood CAT commands Remoterig does not interpret the messages  it just use the ; (semicolon) which indicates the end of message to initiate transmission of a packet

73 de mike

Mike, Are you sure about this? I'm not seeing the same behavior between COM1 and COM2 on the RRC. For example, only the "native" CAT COM port will reply to CAT command inquiries such as "IF;" whereas the other COM port does not, even though it does provide CAT data, it doesn't provide the same. Another example is the S Meter or SWR meter values. I.e. it seems like RRC is doing some filtering, or at least how the "sharing" / interlacing of the CAT data between COM ports remotely (radio side) and locally (client side) seems to work. From what I can tell it only supports a subset of the Kenwood protocol. I've tried a multitude of settings as well and I don't think it's my configuration that's affecting this.

The thing is I would like to be able to output CAT data on COM 0 if possible (easy access to TTL) but here as well I only have a subset of CAT data available, probably due to how the "COM2 to COM1" functionality works?

If I were to make my own RJ12 6P6C cable and hook that up to a RS232 to TTL converter and feed the server (radio) side CAT data through COM0 I guess I could expect this through COM0 at the client (local) side as well?

I need to be able to access the CAT data through TTL while still having (ideally) access to CAT over USB locally at the client side.

sm2o

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Re: Modes 6 & 7 (CAT to COM2) doesn't support all CAT commands?
« Reply #3 on: 2023-11-23, 21:29:44 »
Hi

I don't know what you want to do, but to clarify, the sharing to com1 is meant to be used in the radio end for PAs or Antenna switches etc to folllow band switching etc, and in control end for using a log program or WSJT-X etc. That has beed working without any complains for about 10 years.

73 de mike

HB9BJL

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Re: Modes 6 & 7 (CAT to COM2) doesn't support all CAT commands?
« Reply #4 on: 2023-11-28, 14:31:52 »
Stian,
I have the TS-590S Twin Setup (not TS-590SG).

On the control side I have connected the RRC-1258 COM 2 port (plug male)  to the TS-590S COM port (plug female) with pins 2 and 3 crossed (2-3, 3-2) and pins 5,7 and 8 wired straight.

On the radio side I have connected the RRC-1258 COM2 port (plug female) to the TS-590 COM port (plug female) with a straight cable (2-2, 3-3, 5-5, 7-7, 8-8).

The Baud rate (Menu 61) is 9600 Baud and the connection between the radios works fine. The COM1 port on the radio RRC (plug male) is connected to a RA0SMS Kenwood Band decoder (plug male) to send the band information to my Yaesu-compatible Linear amplifier with a crossed wiring. (2-3, 3-2, 5-5, 7-8, 8-7) .

At both sides the Radio and Serial settings are the same:
Radio settings: Program mode 18 - Kenwood 590 Twin.
Serial settings:
COM2 mode: Logical parallel with COM0.
COM1 mode (for the band data transfer):  Mode-7 CAT to COM2 (remote / local to remote)

I could not get the N1MM+ logging program to work with COM1 on the control side, so I used a direct USB connection between the TS-590S and the PC
with 115200 baud (menu 62). This works fine.
I helped testing both Transceivers side by side before deploying one to the remote site.
The only problem I have with the TS-590S Twin setup is that the M/V and the Split functions do not work. My firmware version is V.2.05.
Maybe a downgrade to V.2.00 could help in this matter. I can live without the memory channels but the Split function comes in handy when working DX stations.
I now use a workaround with the RIT button.
 
73 de Christian, HB9BJL