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SerialPort CAT issues with MD (current mode) command ? (Also SM / Signal Meter level & MU Audio Mute status commands)
Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2024 9:52 am
by 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 ?
Re: SerialPort CAT issues with MD (current mode) command ?
Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2024 11:03 am
by 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
Re: SerialPort CAT issues with MD (current mode) command ?
Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2024 10:41 pm
by 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?
Re: SerialPort CAT issues with MD (current mode) command ? (Also SM / Signal Meter level command)
Posted: Fri Jun 21, 2024 10:25 pm
by 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
Re: SerialPort CAT issues with MD (current mode) command ? (Also SM / Signal Meter level & MU Audio Mute status commands
Posted: Sat Jun 22, 2024 5:31 am
by jdow
Sounds like a Simon bug.
{^_^}
Re: SerialPort CAT issues with MD (current mode) command ?
Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2024 10:32 am
by aportela
aportela wrote: Wed Jun 12, 2024 10:41 pm
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
Re: SerialPort CAT issues with MD (current mode) command ? (Also SM / Signal Meter level & MU Audio Mute status commands
Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2025 10:20 pm
by 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.