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Disable router queries – When this box checked, Router will not poll the radio for frequency and mode when
that information is not available from the communication between the application and radio.
Note: "Disable router queries" disables Router polling only when the port has been opened by an
application program. When the virtual port is closed, Router always polls the radio to support the
automatic switching and iLink update functions. If it is necessary to disable all polling, select one of the
"none" options in the Radio box.
PW1 on radio bus – When this box checked, Router periodically generates an Icom "Transceive"
broadcast to keep the PW1 synchronized.
The bottom two-thirds of the Radio window is a serial communication monitor. The monitor uses colors and tags
to indicate which device is responsible for the data. Black queries (H1-TX or H2-TX) and grey radio responses
(H1-RX or H2-TX) are from the "host" application (e.g., logger), H1 indicates the host application on the main
CAT port, H2 is the host application on the 2
nd
CAT port. Green packets (R-TX and R-RX) are polls/responses
from/to Router and not routed to the application.
Router monitors the communication when the host application performs control and polls the radio periodically
for any missing information (VFO frequencies and mode). Because some applications do not poll the radio
regularly or completely, Router must break this communication to update its internal state. In order to avoid
confusing the application when Router polls the radio, data from the application is buffered and sent to the radio
after Router receives a response to its query. If Router does not receive response to a poll within the time
allowed or does not understand the response, it displays "oldest query discarded" but forwards all data to the
virtual serial port to avoid confusing the application (logger).
Since USB transmits data in frames with a delay between frames, Router indicates frame boundaries with three
dots (...). When a packet ends with three dots it means that the data continues in the next frame.
2
nd
CAT PORT
Beginning with version 7.0, Router provides unique control capability: the 2
nd
CAT Port is an intelligent data fork
(software 'Y' connector) that allows a second application to share control of the radio. Router monitors when
data is sent from each application and routes the radio's responses to the correct virtual port.
IMPORTANT: Both applications must use same communication parameters (baud rate, data length, parity and
number of stopbits) for proper operation!
Neither CAT port has priority. Polls/commands from each application are processed alternately. In order to
avoid collisions and avoid confusion due to unexpected data, responses from the radio are returned only to the
application that generated the command. Unsolicited data from the radio such as automatic frequency/mode
updates (Icom "transceive" packets or "Auto-information" data from Kenwood, Elecraft and recent Yaesu
transceivers) are forwarded to both CAT ports.
Due to physical limitation of data channel throughput and the controller capabilities in various transceivers,
there are several important rules which must be observed.
●
Total data to/from from both applications must not exceed maximum throughput of the CAT port or the
capacity of hte transceiver controller. In other words, the polling rate from one application may need to
be decreased to provide data space for the second application and vice versa.
●
Applications must be tolerant of delayed responses from the radio. Each application must wait patiently
while the other communicates with the radio.
●
Due to protocol deficiencies in handling VFO split commands in many transceivers (particularly Icom),
split mode must be initated and ended by only one application and manual split control (from the front
panel of the radio) should not be used.
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