== Enabling Commander to interoperate with PowerSDR, N1MM, and CW Skimmer using DDUtil ==

==== de Gary AB9M ====


Via a virtual serial port Commander can interact with [[http://k5fr.com/DDUtil.htm|DDutil]] which acts as a message director for [[http://www.flex-radio.com/products.aspx?topic=powersdr1x|PowerSDR]] and simultaneously with up to four Radio Control Programs (RCP) such as [[http://n1mm.hamdocs.com|N1MM Logger]] and [[http://www.dxatlas.com/CwSkimmer|CW Skimmer]]. In my topology, the primary transceiver is a !TenTec Omni VII, and I'm running PowerSDR on a !FlexRadio 1500:

{{http://www.dxlabsuite.com/Wiki/Graphics/Commander/DDUtilPowerSDRN1MMSkimmerCommander/DDUtilTopology.jpg}}

To configure Commander to accept frequency and mode CAT commands received from DDUtil
 
 1. establish a connected pair (6-16) of virtual serial ports using [[http://k5fr.com/ddutilwiki/index.php?title=VSP_Manager|VSP Manager]], [[http://sourceforge.net/projects/com0com/|com0com]], or equivalent; these instructions assume that connected virtual ports ''N'' and ''N''+10 are created (e.g. 6 and 16)

 1. in the '''Secondary CAT Serial Port''' panel on the Configuration window's '''Ports''' tab,
   a. set the '''CAT protocol''' selector to ''!FlexRadio''
   a. click the '''Follow and Lead Primary''' button
   a. set the '''Port#''' to ''COM6'', the '''Baud''' selector to ''4800'', the '''Word''' selector to ''8'', the '''Parity''' selector to ''None'', and the '''Stop''' selector to ''1''
   a. check the '''Enable''' box
   a. turn on your !FlexRadio, start PowerSDR, and open the '''PowerSDR Setup''' window; on the '''CAT Control''' tab's '''CAT Control''' panel, set the '''Port''' to ''COM16'', the '''Baud''' selector to ''4800'', the '''Word''' selector to ''8'', the '''Parity''' selector to ''None'', the '''Stop''' selector to ''1'', and check the  '''Enable CAT''' box
   a. verify that PowerSDR will follow frequency changes made in Commander, and that Commander will follow frequency changes made in PowerSDR

{{http://www.dxlabsuite.com/Wiki/Graphics/Commander/DDUtilPowerSDRN1MMSkimmerCommander/CommanderConfigurationPortsDDUtil.jpg}}

 1. establish three connected pairs of virtual serial ports using [[http://k5fr.com/ddutilwiki/index.php?title=VSP_Manager|VSP Manager]], [[http://sourceforge.net/projects/com0com/|com0com]], or equivalent; these instructions assume that the following connected virtual ports ''M'' and ''M''+10 are created, and do not conflict with ports ''N'' and ''N''+10. created in step 1:
   a. COM7 and COM17 for CW Skimmer
   a. COM8 and COM18 for N1MM Logger
   a. COM5 and COM15 for PowerSDR

 1. [[http://k5fr.com/ddutilwiki/index.php?title=Main_Page#Download|download]], install, and configure DDUtil
   a. on DDUtil's '''Ports''' tab, set its '''Radio CAT''' selector to ''COM5''
   a. on PowerSDR's '''PowerSDR Setup''' window, in the '''CAT Control''' tab's '''CAT Control''' panel, 
      * uncheck the '''Enable CAT''' box
      * change the port from ''COM16'' to ''COM15''
      * check the '''Enable CAT''' box
   a. on DDUtil's '''RCP''' tab, enter ''COM16'' in '''RCP2''' and check the box to the right in the '''B Cast''' column.
   a. verify that PowerSDR will follow frequency changes made in Commander, and that Commander will follow frequency changes made in PowerSDR
   a. on DDUtil's '''RCP''' tab, enter ''COM17'' in '''RCP3'''
   a. on N1MM's '''Configurer''' window's '''Hardware''' tab, set COM8 to ''FLEX''
   a. verify that the !FlexRadio's VFO frequency appears on the N1MM entry panel
   a. on DDUtil's '''RCP''' tab, enter ''COM17'' for '''RCP3'''
   a. on the '''Radio''' tab of CW Skimmer's '''Settings''' window, select ''Soft Rock - IF''
   a. on the '''CAT''' tab of CW Skimmer's '''Settings''' window,
      * select ''Use Radio 1''
      * click the '''Configure...''' button, and configure the '''Omni-Rig Settings''' window for '''Rig type''' ''PowerSDR'', '''Port''' ''COM7'', '''Baud rate''' ''4800'', '''Parity''' ''None'', '''Stop bits''' ''1'', '''RTS''' ''Low'', '''DTR''' ''Low'', '''Poll int''' ''200'', '''Timeout''' ''1000''
   a. on PowerSDR's '''PowerSDR Setup''' window's '''VAC''' tab, check the '''Enable VAC''' box
   a. verify that the !FlexRadio's frequency appears in the frequency box on CW Skimmer's tool bar
   a. verify that clicking on a CW signal in CW Skimmer's Main window QSYs both the primary transceiver and the !FlexRadio

{{http://www.dxlabsuite.com/Wiki/Graphics/Commander/DDUtilPowerSDRN1MMSkimmerCommander/DDUtilPortsSetup.jpg}}

{{http://www.dxlabsuite.com/Wiki/Graphics/Commander/DDUtilPowerSDRN1MMSkimmerCommander/DDUtilRCPSetup.jpg}}

{{http://www.dxlabsuite.com/Wiki/Graphics/Commander/DDUtilPowerSDRN1MMSkimmerCommander/PowerSDRCATsetup.jpg}}

{{http://www.dxlabsuite.com/Wiki/Graphics/Commander/DDUtilPowerSDRN1MMSkimmerCommander/PSDRCWSkimmer.png}}

{{http://www.dxlabsuite.com/Wiki/Graphics/Commander/DDUtilPowerSDRN1MMSkimmerCommander/VACControlPanel.png}}

{{http://www.dxlabsuite.com/Wiki/Graphics/Commander/DDUtilPowerSDRN1MMSkimmerCommander/SoundPlaybackLine1.png}}

{{http://www.dxlabsuite.com/Wiki/Graphics/Commander/DDUtilPowerSDRN1MMSkimmerCommander/SoundRecordingLine2.png}}

<<BR>>

To configure CW Skimmer's '''Omni-Rig Settings''',

 1. click the '''View''' menu's '''Settings''' item to display the '''Settings''' window

 1. in the '''Settings''' window, select the '''CAT''' tab, and click the '''CAT Interface''' panel's '''Configure...''' button

 1. configure the '''Omni-Rig Settings''' window as shown here:

{{http://www.dxlabsuite.com/Wiki/Graphics/Commander/DDUtilPowerSDRN1MMSkimmerCommander/SkimmerRigSetup.jpg}}

Note: to ensure that CW Skimmer displays decoded CW, click the '''Command''' menu and verify that there is no check mark to the left of the '''Blind Mode''' entry.

<<BR>>

=== Observed interactions ===
   a. Commander’s Main VFO panel avoids unexpected frequency changes in all RCP applications and devices. The primary transceiver may be used while in simplex for band, mode, and frequency changes, but with the primary transceiver's Split enabled, use Commander to change the transmit frequency.
   a. When the primary transceiver's Split is enabled, changing the !FlexRadio's frequency by any means other than by the Commander Main VFO panel, expect the primary transceiver's receive frequency to change.
   a. If the PowerSDR '''VFO SYNC''' button is engaged, expect the primary transceiver’s A and B VFOs to be synchronized by N1MM Logger or CW Skimmer when clicking on their band map or Display respectively.
   a. Clicking in the N1MM bandmap or CW Skimmer Display will correctly QSY both transceivers only when the primary transceiver is operating simplex.  N1MM bandmap spots with splits, split only the !FlexRadio 1500 (secondary CAT and receive only) require the use of Commander to correctly configure the OMNI-VII.
   a. If Soft Rock IF is to be used, go to the PSDR, Setup, General, Hardware (check EXPERT) and add the CW Pitch Frequency (CW Tone) to the AUDIO IF.
   a. With Soft Rock IF and by setting a VARiable audio bandpass of +9999 and -4999 the total CW Skimmer bandpass is approximately 15KHz when VAC (Virtual Audio Cable) is used.
   a. When loading the programs for use, VSPM should be running with four port pairs, turn the radios on, load PSDR, load DDUtil, load DXL Suite, load VAC, load CW Skimmer, load N1MM
   a. Shut down in reverse order, failure to do so may leave programs in a HUNG condition usually because a serial port DTR is NOT satisfied. Radios are turned off last.

=== Additional Topics ===
 * [[http://helpdesk.flexradio.com/hc/en-us/articles/202118418-Sample-Rate-Synchronization-between-VAC-and-Vista-Win7-Win8-Sound-Devices|Sample Rate Synchronization between VAC and Vista/Win7/Win8 Sound Devices]]
 * [[PowerSDRCommanderWinWarbler| Setting up CW, Phone, PSK, and RTTY operation with PowerSDR software for Flex Software-defined Radios]]
 * [[TransceiverControl|Getting Started with Transceiver Control]]
 * [[TransceiverConnection|Connecting a Transceiver to a PC]]
 * [[FrequencyControl|Changing Frequency]]
 * [[ModeControl|Changing Mode]]
 * [[Memories|Using Memories]]
 * [[FrequencyDependentDevices|Using Frequency-dependent devices]]
 * [[http://www.dxlabsuite.com/commander/Help/CommandSequences.htm|Using User-defined Command Sequences]]
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