Controlling Multiple Radios

Primary CAT Port Switching

Commander can be configured to rapidly switch its Primary CAT Port among up to four simultaneously-connected radios, either by clicking selection buttons that appear in the Main window's VFO panel, or automatically based on frequency. The Configuration window's Multi Radio tab lets you specify control and serial port settings for each radio, and assign each radio a unique name. If a Pegasus or Kachina radio is chosen, a Select button appears that when clicked lets you specify a Control Folder or Control File respectively. Each enabled radio's name appears on a selection button on the Main window's VFO panel; a radio can only be enabled on the Configuration window's Multi Radio tab if its Model has been specified and if all of its serial port parameters have been specified (for those radios controlled via a serial port).

Clicking a radio's selection button on the Main window's VFO panel sets the Radio Model, CI-V Address (if an Icom), Continuous Interrogation, Interrogation Interval, and Primary CAT Port settings to the values specified for that radio on the Multi Radio tab.

If you've specified Command Sequences or Command-generating Sliders, and are controlling more than one transceiver, you must define a User-defined Control Set for each transceiver. A User-defined Control Set specifies

an Initial Command to be executed executed when Commander starts, or when a new radio model is selected
the pathname of a file that specifies an Initial Command Sequence to be executed when Commander starts, or when a new radio mode is selected (after executing the initial CAT command, if one is specified)
the pathnames of up to 16 files, each specifying a Command Sequence
the pathnames of up to 8 files, each specifying a Command-generating Slider

The 16 Sequence pathnames and 8 Slider pathnames are organized into two banks, each specifying 8 Sequence pathnames and 4 slider pathnames.

To create or display a radio's Control Set, click the radio's Edit button in the User-defined Controls Sets panel on the Config window's Multi Radio tab.

Selecting a radio for which a Control Set is specified

directs the transceiver to execute the CAT command specified in the Control Set's Initial Command
directs the transceiver to execute the Control Set's Initial Command Sequence
loads the 16 Command Sequences from the pathnames specified in the Control Set
loads the 8 Sliders from the pathnames specified in the Control Set

You can configure Commander to automatically switch among simultaneously-connected radios by specifying the radio to use for each amateur band. Check the Selection by band panel's Auto box, and Commander will automatically switch to the correct radio as a function of operating frequency.

You can also configure Commander to identify the currently-selected radio via a binary encoding on pins 16 and 14 of a specified parallel port. These signals can be used to control external hardware that connects an antenna, microphone, key, headset, soundcard, and/or FSK signal to the currently-selected radio.

Secondary CAT Port

Commander's Secondary CAT Port can be connected to a radio or (via connected virtual serial ports) to a Software Defined Radio (SDR) Console. You can configure the Secondary CAT port so that the connected radio or SDR Console

follows frequency and mode changes in the radio connected to the Primary CAT Port
leads the radio connected to the Primary CAT Port by conveying frequency and mode changes
follows and leads: both follows frequency and mode changes in the radio connected to the Primary CAT Port, and conveys its frequency and mode changes to the radio connected o the Primary CAT Port

If the Secondary CAT Port is connected to an Icom or Icom-emulating transceiver, specify its CI-V Address.

If the Secondary CAT Port is connected to an Icom or Icom-emulating transceiver whose CI-V Transceive menu setting is disabled, and if the Secondary CAT Port is configured to lead or follow and lead, direct Commander to periodically poll the secondary transceiver's frequency and mode by specifying an Interrogation Interval; in this configuration, the Radio's minimum VFO step is set to 10 hz option available with certain Yaesu models will be disabled.

If the Secondary CAT Port protocol is set to PW1, commander assumes that an Icom PW1 amplifier is connected to the Secondary CAT Port, and sends the PW1 alternating frequency update and mode update messages every 2.5 seconds. Instructions for configuring Commander for use with a PW1 can be found in http://www.dxlabsuite.com/dxlabwiki/PW1Control.