== Interoperating with a Software-Defined Radio Console Using Connected Virtual Serial Ports ==

Via its primary CAT port, Commander can control a Software-Defined Radio (SDR) Console application that accepts CAT commands like a classic transceiver; since an SDR Console is implemented in software rather than hardware, a [[ConnectedVirtualSerialPortPairs| connected pair of virtual serial ports]] is required:

{{http://www.dxlabsuite.com/Wiki/Graphics/Commander/sdr1.jpg}}

However, SDR Consoles like [[http://www.moetronix.com/spectravue.htm|SpectraVue]], [[http://www.woodboxradio.com/uk/bobcat.html|BobCAT]], and [[http://sdr-radio.com|SDR-Radio]] are designed to interoperate with a traditional transceiver instead of a transceiver control application like Commander:

{{http://www.dxlabsuite.com/Wiki/Graphics/Commander/sdr2.jpg}}

or

{{http://www.dxlabsuite.com/Wiki/Graphics/Commander/BobCAT1.jpg}}

In the above configuration, the SDR Console controls the transceiver's frequency and mode as well as the SDR's frequency and mode, serving as a panadaptor. Because the transceiver's CAT port is exclusively used by the SDR Console, this configuration precludes traditional transceiver control -- and its interoperation with logging, spotting, digital mode, and propagation prediction/monitoring applications.

Commander's secondary CAT port can be configured to accept frequency and mode CAT commands from the SDR Console and convey them to the transceiver; this configuration provides simultaneous panadaptor and transceiver control functionality:

{{http://www.dxlabsuite.com/Wiki/Graphics/Commander/sdr3.jpg}}

or

{{http://www.dxlabsuite.com/Wiki/Graphics/Commander/BobCAT2.jpg}}

or

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

To configure Commander to accept frequency and mode CAT commands received from SDR Consoles like [[http://www.moetronix.com/spectravue.htm|SpectraVue]], [[http://www.flex-radio.com/products.aspx?topic=powersdr1x|PowerSDR]], [[http://www.woodboxradio.com/uk/bobcat.html|BobCAT]], [[http://sdr-radio.com|SDR-Radio]], [[http://www.telepostinc.com/NaP3.html|NaP3]], or [[http://www.dxatlas.com/CwSkimmer/|CW Skimmer]], 

 1. establish a [[ConnectedVirtualSerialPortPairs| connected pair of virtual serial ports]] using [[SetupConfigureVSPManager| VSP Manager]] or [[SetupConfigurecom0com| com0com]]; these instructions assume that connected virtual ports ''N'' and ''N+1'' are created (e.g. ''15'' and ''16'')

 1. in the '''Secondary CAT Serial Port''' panel on the '''Config''' window's '''Ports''' tab,

  a. set the '''CAT protocol''' selector to ''Elecraft'', ''Kenwood'' or ''Icom'', as specified in the SDR Console documentation (for !SpectraVue and SDR-Radio, use ''Kenwood''; for BobCAT, use ''Icom'')

  a. click the ''Follow and Lead Primary'' button

  a. set the '''Port#''' to ''N'', the '''Baud''' selector to ''9600'', the '''Word''' selector to ''8'', the '''Parity''' selector to ''None'', and the '''Stop''' selector to ''1''

  a. check the '''Enable''' box

 1. configure the SDR Console

  a. set its CAT serial port to ''N+1'', its baud rate to ''9600'', its word length to ''8'', its stop bits to ''1'', and its parity to ''none''

  a. set its CAT protocol to ''Elecraft'', ''Kenwood'' or ''Icom'', as specified in the SDR Console documentation (and consistent with your choice in step 2a)

  a. if the SDR Console is [[http://www.flex-radio.com/products.aspx?topic=powersdr1x|PowerSDR]], enable the '''Allow Kenwood AI Command''' option on the '''PowerSDR Setup''' window's '''CAT Control''' tab.

If selecting a frequency in the SDR Console does not cause Commander to QSY your transceiver,

 * if your SDR Console employs Omni-rig, see [[HDSDRCWSkimmerConfiguration|Step 2 of this article]]

 * if you have set the '''Secondary CAT Serial''' Port panel's '''Protocol''' to ''Kenwood'', set the '''Secondary CAT Serial''' Port panel's '''Interrogation''' selector to 200 ms.
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[[SpectraVueConfiguration| Configuring the SpectraVue SDR Console for use with an SDR-IQ or SDR-14]]

[[BobCATConfiguration| Configuring the BobCAT SDR Console for use with a Perseus]]

[[TransceiverControl|Transceiver Control]]

[[GettingStarted|Getting Started with DXLab]]