SmartCAT v1.2.8 issue

W4EY

When turning my FLEX 6500 on this morning, I lost all external connections to my Digital software.
I opened SmartCAT window and it indicated that all the COM ports had changed. After deleating all the virtual ports and restarting the computer, I reinstalled the com ports again. Com4 was assigned to the FLEX for 3rd Party Interface, Com5 (Shared), Com6 (Dedicated) and Com7 PTT(RTS). The External Fldigi worked correctly with these settings.

However, when I was verifying the Virtual Port assignments, the SmartCAT window was Showing Com5, Com6, and Com7. as I had configured.  However, this window did not have the port descriptions (Shared, Dedicated, and PTT) with the Com ports. These Com port descriptions had been configured in SmartCAT when setting up the Virtual ports.

I have not loaded any additional software on the network server since installing the latest SmartSDR upgrade. Over the past weeks, all systems appeared to be working correctly and the Com port assignments were not being changed.

My network runs a  HP Server with Win8.1, SmartSDR 1.2.1, SmartCAT 1.2.8.0 and DAX installed.

I have been delaying reporting  this problem to FLEX during the past week. I wanted to continue to check if it was just a FLUKE or was really a issue.

Is this just a Com port issue associated with the latest SmartSDR upgrade??
Bill
W4EY

BobT

Hi Bill,

I could not duplicate your problem.  I deleted all my ports, quit CAT to clear the persistence file, and then reinstalled the ports.  Quit CAT again and restarted, all ports were correctly reported.  I double-checked the xml persistence file and found it to be correctly written.  I am running the same versions of software as you.

Let me know if this problem persists, just because I couldn't duplicate it doesn't mean it doesn't exist.  Strange things happen when dealing with Windows serial ports.

73,

BobT, K5KDN

P.S.:  Which boat in your picture?  My son just retired after 20 years in the sub service, USS Chicago (SSN721) and USS Wyoming (SSBN742).  I got great rides on both of them.

Bob

W4EY

Bob:
That is a picture of the George C. Marshall SSBN654. I served on both Crews (Blue and Gold) on this boat. A total of Twenty Fours years on Fleet Diesel and Nuclear Subs and another 30 Years with US Government service. Gave it up in late 2011 and retired.
Back to the FLEX ISSUE. Everything appears to be working correctly with Fldigi 3.21.82 and the
latest FLEX SDR version.
My first indication of a COM issue was the loss of all external control from Fldigi and Com changes shown in SmartCAT to COM ports 8,9,and 10 vice the initial settings of COM 4,5,6,and 7. To trouble shoot, and determine if it was due to the latest installation of SmartSDR,  I followed the correct process to Uninstalled and Reinstalled SmartCAT. After reconfiguring the COM ports and their Shared, Dedicated, and PTT assignments, I noticed that id did not get any indication in the of what the Virtual ports had been configured. My CAT window  "Available Virtual Ports" only shows Com5, Com6, and Com7 without any of the (Shared, Dedicated or PTT) settings listed beside each port. Further investigation with the Device Manager in Windows I verified the correct Serial Ports and associated Virtual ports were configured. All indications are in SmartCAT(Serial Ports) Virtual Serial Port "BOX" only showing the Com ports and no description of the port configuration.

  I want to install CW Skimmer but will wait until I can resolve this SmartCAT issue.
Thanks
Bill
W4EY

Tim - W4TME

FYI: CWSkimmer with SDR-Bridge does not use CAT.

BobT

Try this for me:

Click the "Delete All Virtual Ports" button on the Serial Port tab and accept the confirmation message.

Quit CAT

Restart CAT

Add your additional ports, I believe you are using 5, 6, and 7 with COM 4 as the automatically issued CAT port.

Let me know if you still do not see the port details in the Available Flex Virtual Ports window.

As Tim just commented, you don't need CAT to run Skimmer if you use SDR-Bridge.

Bob

W4EY

Bob:
I had previously deleted the Virtual ports, uninstalled and reinstalled CAT. After configuring the COM ports, Each Com Port description was not shown. I had tried this process several times and still failed. Rebooting the server, and Factory resetting the FLEX did not change the SmartCAT Port assignment window.  I finally removed (Following FLEX Procedures) all Virtual Ports, SmartSDR, and SmartCAT. Verified Win Device Manager settings. Restarted all systems and went through the Reinstallation of the SDR Software. After reconfiguring the COM ports in CAT, each COM Port description was there. Now after reconfiguring CAT,  Com 4 for  FLEX 3rd Party, COM5-15 Shared, Com6-16 Dedicated and Com7-17 PTT(RTS) are shown in the SmartCAT Port assignments with their description assignments.

Do not know what the problem was and it seems to have been resolved for now. Will do the
overnight shutdown of the FLEX and restart everything in the morning to see if anything changes.
Thanks for all the Help.
Bill

BobT

No problem, glad to help.  Please let us know if the problem persists.

Bob