SerialPort CAT issues with MD (current mode) command ? (Also SM / Signal Meter level & MU Audio Mute status commands)

[aportela]

Hi,

I'm developing a device to remote control the console and I observed an anomally with the MD command using the Serial port (CAT) connection.

As the documentation say (https://www.sdr-radio.com/SerialPort):

MD
Mode
Read: MD; returns the current mode.
Write MD<mode>;
Note: the mode value only supports a single digit.
Values:

0 DSB
1 LSB
2 USB
3 CW (upper sideband)
4 FM
5 SAM (synchronous AM, includes ECSS)
6 Not used
7 CW (lower sideband)
8 Wide FM
9 Broadcast FM

If I set the console on BFM (Broadcast FM), N-FM (Narrow FM) or W-FM (Wide FM) every response received from "MD;" command is "MD4;" (values ​​"MD8;" or "MD9;" are never returned). Another modes (USB/LSB/CW...) are working OK.

Am I doing something wrong or is this a bug ?

[aportela]

To provide more information, sending the commands (from my software) to change the mode ("MD4;", "MD8;", "MD9;") works fine (I mean, changes the NFM/WFM/BFM mode correctly in the sdr-radio console), the problem only affects the reception of the current mode when it is an FM variant

[aportela]

Now I am testing with the SM command; (signal level meter) and I get the impression that the result returned is less than the one shown in the SDRRadio console. According to the documentation, the value corresponds to:

Signal meter level
Read: SM; returns the signal level as a four-digit value in 3dB steps (one S-unit is 6dB):

S0 = 0 units
S5 = 10 units
S9 - 18 units.

Below is a table with what I understand to be the equivalences:

SM	dB	Signal
0000	0	S0
0001	3	S0.5
0002	6	S1
0003	9	S1.5
0004	12	S2
0005	15	S2.5
0006	18	S3
0007	21	S3.5
0008	24	S4
0009	27	S4.5
0010	30	S5
0011	33	S5.5
0012	36	S6
0013	39	S6.5
0014	42	S7
0015	45	S7.5
0016	48	S8
0017	51	S8.5
0018	54	S9
0019	57	S9+3 dB
0020	60	S9+6 dB
0021	63	S9+9 dB
0022	66	S9+12 dB
0023	69	S9+15 dB
0024	72	S9+18 dB
0025	75	S9+21 dB
0026	78	S9+24 dB
0027	81	S9+27 dB
0028	84	S9+30 dB
0029	87	S9+33 dB
0030	90	S9+36 dB
0031	93	S9+39 dB
0032	96	S9+42 dB
0033	99	S9+45 dB
0034	102	S9+48 dB
0035	105	S9+51 dB
0036	108	S9+54 dB
0037	111	S9+57 dB
0038	114	S9+60 dB

My problem is that in the SDR-Radio console I see a signal (S3) but when sending the SM command; I repeatedly receive responses:
SM00004;
SM00004;
SM00004;
SM00005;
SM00004;

Which gives the impression of being one less unit (near to S2)

I have tried other signals with different values ​​and the SDRRadio console always seems to show a value greater than the one returned by the TS-2000's CAT protocol.

I don't know if I'm missing something and I'm making a mistake or is it a bug?

[aportela]

I think I found another issue, the MU (Audio mute status) command does not return a value, the documentation says:

MU
Audio mute status, 0 (muted) or 1 (not muted).
Read: MU; returns either 0 (muted) or 1 (not muted).
Write: MU<status>;

Sending the command "MU0;" or "MU1;" it swaps the mute value in the console correctly but if I send "MU;" to get the status, I get nothing

I am carrying out all these tests directly with the putty software by opening a serial console to the COM port directly and sending the commands, so it does not seem possible that it is due to a bug in the software that I am implementing

[jdow]

Sounds like a Simon bug.
{^_^}

[aportela]

Now I am testing with the SM command; (signal level meter) and I get the impression that the result returned is less than the one shown in the SDRRadio console. According to the documentation, the value corresponds to:

Signal meter level
Read: SM; returns the signal level as a four-digit value in 3dB steps (one S-unit is 6dB):

S0 = 0 units
S5 = 10 units
S9 - 18 units.

Below is a table with what I understand to be the equivalences:

SM	dB	Signal
0000	0	S0
0001	3	S0.5
0002	6	S1
0003	9	S1.5
0004	12	S2
0005	15	S2.5
0006	18	S3
0007	21	S3.5
0008	24	S4
0009	27	S4.5
0010	30	S5
0011	33	S5.5
0012	36	S6
0013	39	S6.5
0014	42	S7
0015	45	S7.5
0016	48	S8
0017	51	S8.5
0018	54	S9
0019	57	S9+3 dB
0020	60	S9+6 dB
0021	63	S9+9 dB
0022	66	S9+12 dB
0023	69	S9+15 dB
0024	72	S9+18 dB
0025	75	S9+21 dB
0026	78	S9+24 dB
0027	81	S9+27 dB
0028	84	S9+30 dB
0029	87	S9+33 dB
0030	90	S9+36 dB
0031	93	S9+39 dB
0032	96	S9+42 dB
0033	99	S9+45 dB
0034	102	S9+48 dB
0035	105	S9+51 dB
0036	108	S9+54 dB
0037	111	S9+57 dB
0038	114	S9+60 dB

My problem is that in the SDR-Radio console I see a signal (S3) but when sending the SM command; I repeatedly receive responses:
SM00004;
SM00004;
SM00004;
SM00005;
SM00004;

Which gives the impression of being one less unit (near to S2)

I have tried other signals with different values ​​and the SDRRadio console always seems to show a value greater than the one returned by the TS-2000's CAT protocol.

I don't know if I'm missing something and I'm making a mistake or is it a bug?

After more testings & debugging on data received from serial I found that on SDR Console the representation of signal meter widget the value is also incorrect, I mean: take a look to this screenshot:



On the widget, the yellow label value is "S8" but the Smeter "analog" bar is pointing below S7

[aportela]

I just tried the Beta 3.4 build (Build 3871) from November 1st, 2025, and it seems that the bug with the analog s-meter signal and the label showing different values has been fixed (using an SDRplay RSPduo).



The bug with the MD command when using the serial port (CAT) is still present.