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Old August 1st 08, 04:29 AM posted to rec.radio.amateur,rec.radio.amateur.equipment
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First recorded activity by RadioBanter: Apr 2008
Posts: 543
Default CAT protocol specifications?

I do have an FT8500 and have used the Win 3.1 programming s/w but I haven't
considered Cat control or if it is even possible. It has a remote front
panel option, so there has to be some serial communication going on, but
haven't looked.

Good luck OM. There must be someone fooling around with Yahoos.

"SP1WSC" wrote in message
...
JB wrote:

I am looking for the specifications of the CAT protocol mainly for

Yaesu
and Kenwood TRXs. I have the basic commands in the user's manual but I
am looking for full specs, including memories management, etc. Any
pointers or hints would be highly appreciated. TNX in advance.


Get hold of a packet sniffer and trap the comms between the radio and
commercial control software such as ARCP2000.


Huh - this I also had in mind already but I would still prefer to have
the specs rather than sniff the communications. This is especially valid
when the reason why I need the specs is defined as "no Windows machine
to run the commercial (or non-commercial) control software in the
vicinity" ;-)

Haven't bothered with Yaesu,


Well - that is exactly what I need now. Kenwood is second on the list
because I plan to buy one for winter. Right now I need to do something
with the Yaesu.


but I have a Kenwood TS2000. The radio can run
up to 56.7k and looks like a modem. Uses a standard 9 pin modem cable.

The
Owners Manual is available for download and carries a whole section on

the
command structure. This structure has been in place since they first
started using it and they just keep adding to it. Earlier radios

require a
level shifter and only run 4800bd but have the same memory and vfo

commands.

Good to know that there is at least some sanity over the "commerciality"
within Kenwood staff.

Beware that even the power on and several other commands require a

sequence
of commands and telemetry. There are commands that interrogate the

status
of specific conditions before deciding the appropriate command or string

of
commands, but simpler things like reading vfos and mode are simple and
included in many third party programs.

I am currently using ARCP-2000, LOG-eqf, RIG-eqf (for dos), MCP-2000,

and a
very interesting Excel spreadsheet by K9DCI that allows management of
extreme frequency lists.


I think I shall archive this post as I plan on TS2000X and may return to
it later.



  #12   Report Post  
Old August 6th 08, 07:39 PM posted to rec.radio.amateur.equipment
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First recorded activity by RadioBanter: Apr 2007
Posts: 73
Default CAT protocol specifications?

On Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:03:06 +0200, SP1WSC
wrote:

- some snippage -

Yes - the manual provides the basics and explains how to construct the
packets etc. What is missing though are the methods of handling the
memory banks. It even doesn't say how to read/write memory locations (I
may suspect that user memories are to be accessed by reading/writing
specific hardware memory addresses). And I have read somewhere that
there is a full specifications document, which covers these topics plus
there is even more - some undocumented features, which can be accessed
this way. I am looking for at least the specs that would allow one to
deal with user memories. FT-897 is a good choice - I have to deal with
FT-857, which is supposed to be fully compatible, but also with VX-7R,
which almost certainly is not.


I haven't considered the memory banks at all, I guess because I don't
use them.

An email to VertexStandard about additional opcodes received a
response in minutes. Unfortunately they can provide nothing beyond
what is in the manual. Port sniffing has revealed some additional
command structures and an understanding of why the documentation is so
limited.

An example is controlling the DNR/DNF/DBF features. A single command,
0x00 0xA8 0x?? 0x00 0xBC
is used to manage the combined state of the three controls. If byte[2]
is 0x9F sending the command will result in all three controls being
on. If that byte is 0x9D the resulting state will be the DNF and DBF
are on and the DNR is off.

The command
0x00 0xA8 0x00 0x00 0xBB
is used to request the state of the three controls. The first byte of
the response describes the current state. 0x90 indicates that none of
three are on.

The three controls present eight possible states. Explaining how the
command values relate to the various possible states without getting
into the complexities of state management only works if the audience
understands state management. The published documentation is targeted
at the lowest common denominator and avoids having to explain how
computers work.

73 de n4jvp

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Old August 6th 08, 11:00 PM posted to rec.radio.amateur.equipment
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First recorded activity by RadioBanter: Apr 2007
Posts: 73
Default CAT protocol specifications?

On Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:39:37 -0400, Registered User
wrote:

On Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:03:06 +0200, SP1WSC
wrote:

- some snippage -

Yes - the manual provides the basics and explains how to construct the
packets etc. What is missing though are the methods of handling the
memory banks. It even doesn't say how to read/write memory locations (I
may suspect that user memories are to be accessed by reading/writing
specific hardware memory addresses). And I have read somewhere that
there is a full specifications document, which covers these topics plus
there is even more - some undocumented features, which can be accessed
this way. I am looking for at least the specs that would allow one to
deal with user memories. FT-897 is a good choice - I have to deal with
FT-857, which is supposed to be fully compatible, but also with VX-7R,
which almost certainly is not.


I haven't considered the memory banks at all, I guess because I don't
use them.

An email to VertexStandard about additional opcodes received a
response in minutes. Unfortunately they can provide nothing beyond
what is in the manual. Port sniffing has revealed some additional
command structures and an understanding of why the documentation is so
limited.

An example is controlling the DNR/DNF/DBF features. A single command,
0x00 0xA8 0x?? 0x00 0xBC
is used to manage the combined state of the three controls. If byte[2]
is 0x9F sending the command will result in all three controls being
on. If that byte is 0x9D the resulting state will be the DNF and DBF
are on and the DNR is off.

The command
0x00 0xA8 0x00 0x00 0xBB
is used to request the state of the three controls. The first byte of
the response describes the current state. 0x90 indicates that none of
three are on.

The three controls present eight possible states. Explaining how the
command values relate to the various possible states without getting
into the complexities of state management only works if the audience
understands state management. The published documentation is targeted
at the lowest common denominator and avoids having to explain how
computers work.

Add to complicate things a little bit more the same commands are used
for the speech processor. To turn the processor on the command is
0x00 0xA8 0x?? 0x02 0xBC
The command sets the state of the DNR/DNF/DBF tools along with turning
the speech processor on. To turn the processor off, set the
DNR/DNF/DBF tools' state with byte[3] as 0x00.

The command
0x00 0xA8 0x00 0x00 0xBB reads processor state from byte[2] of the
response. 0x02 is on and 0x00 is off.

73 de n4jvp
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