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Only One TCP in CAT for SO2R?

Mark Adams
Mark Adams Member ✭✭
in SmartSDR CAT

I was struggling to fix an issue where my Slice A and B were somehow Radios 2 and 1 respectively in N1MM. I think it is right now, but after deleting all the Comm ports and then adding them back in, the instructions show that you only add one TCP: Port 5002 Slice A entry.

Is a TCP: Port 500x Slice B needed?

I cannot seem to find the answer. Here is what I have running now and everything seems to be working.

image.png

73, Mark K2QO

Comments

  • Mike-VA3MW
    Mike-VA3MW Administrator, FlexRadio Employee, Community Manager, Super Elmer, Moderator admin
    edited October 2022

    Hi Mark

    You can have as many CAT ports as you require. Right now, you show Slice A on a TCP port and Slice B on COM5 and connected to N1MM.

    I assume that you have configured N1MM / Radio 1 to use TCP port 5002 and Radio 2 to use CAT port 5. There is nothing wrong with this if that is what you have intended to do and both methods to provide CAT command and control to the radio.

    There are many ways to make this work.

    In my example below, I only use TCP ports where possible. Each port number needs to be unique.

    One big advantage of using TCP ports is that you could, if you wish, use N1MM on 1 computer and SmartSDR on a totally different computer allowing you more screen real estate if you choose. And, if you got carried away, you could run your digital programs on a 3rd computer all working very happily. You do this by changing 127.0.0.1 to the IP address of the other computer.

    Make sure you use SO2R (and not SO2V or SO1V) if you want to use 2 Panadapters. N1MM treats it like 2 different radios.

    73, Mike va3mw


    image.png


  • Mark Adams
    Mark Adams Member ✭✭

    OK Mike,

    It is a bit clearer. All my stuff was running fine until a few weeks ago and it is fixed. I run my 6500 in N1MM/SO2R with the settings I showed in the screenshot. The confusion is that in the document, "Setup for SO2Rwith a Flex-6700 Guide and N1MM+" by KE5DTO and K9CT, shows the config I'm using but doesn't have the added TCP Port for Slice B like you show.

    So, in my example, if I ONLY used TCP I could delete COM4, COM6, and COM8 and replace them with TCP on 60000 - 6000X. You show a Winkeyer on 60003 AND Serial Com 13. Why specify ANY Comm ports? Just use all TCP.

    Is TCP vs Serial better for some connections, but not others? Does it practically not matter?

    It is the mix of these I find confusing.

    Looks like a good topic for a Friday video!!!

    73, Mark K2QO

  • Mike-VA3MW
    Mike-VA3MW Administrator, FlexRadio Employee, Community Manager, Super Elmer, Moderator admin

    Hi Mark

    I had both as N1MM worked ok with TCP ports but WKDemo (the Win Keyer Demo software) only works with serial ports, as I am sure the same is true for many Logging programs that support a WinKeyer.

    Serial is over 1/2 a century old. :) I'm moving more and more to TCP ports (raw sockets) just because it is easier to maintain I guess. FlexRadio VSP ports are a lot of overhead as well.

  • K5XH
    K5XH Member ✭✭

    Thanks for the screen shot Mike. I haven't tried this with my N1MM setup but I would like to soon.

    Question - Is the IP address you show the radio's IP or the computer's IP? Your comments seem to indicate that it is the computer's IP but the (very sparse) mention of using TCP in the N1MM docs says it is the radio's IP. I wish all this was documented better!

    Thanks,

    Mark K5XH

  • Mike-VA3MW
    Mike-VA3MW Administrator, FlexRadio Employee, Community Manager, Super Elmer, Moderator admin

    Hi Mark

    127.0.0.1 means to send the connect to THIS computer. It is also known as local host.

    This page explains it in a bit more detail and you might it useful.

    https://www.lifewire.com/network-computer-special-ip-address-818385

    For the purposes of N1MM communicating to a FlexRadio, the IP address should always be 127.0.0.1 AND SmartSDR for CAT must be running on the same computer. SmartSDR CAT will then pass on the communications to the radio no matter where it is.

    From a communications view, it looks like this:

    N1MM <127.0.0.1:xxxx>SmartSDR CAT with port number xxxx <HamShack Ethernet>Radio

    73

  • K5XH
    K5XH Member ✭✭

    Thanks Mike! I have been using N1MM for years and always used the CAT method. I'll give this a try.

    73, Mark

  • Mike-VA3MW
    Mike-VA3MW Administrator, FlexRadio Employee, Community Manager, Super Elmer, Moderator admin

    The guys that write N1MM code are bringing it into the 21st century. :)

    Using IP connectors is much more stable in the long run

    73

  • np4zulu
    np4zulu Member ✭✭
    https://community.flexradio.com/discussion/comment/20598696#Comment_20598696

    Hi Mike, @Mike-VA3MW

    IM trying to use to flex radios from the same computer for SO2R (altbsiq), the internal switching running the radio as SO2R has delays and clicks, so I want to use two flexes separately.

    Of course, the cat issue creates a problem, did I understand well that I can use the other flex using and IP port?, I'm using DXLog and it has a way to also setup tcp ports for communication, but I tried and so far can't get them to connect, Im sure that I'm not configuring it right. is there some info on achieving this?

    Many thanks,


    Felipe

    NP4Z

  • Mike-VA3MW
    Mike-VA3MW Administrator, FlexRadio Employee, Community Manager, Super Elmer, Moderator admin

    Hi

    You can't really as that is not the way the developers designed it.

    You can do full SO2R with a single FLEX-6600 or 6700 as it does support OTRSP and also includes the required band pass filters.

    Only 1 copy of CAT and DAX can run on a single computer.

    Mike

  • np4zulu
    np4zulu Member ✭✭

    hi Thanks,


    I have been using the So2r option on the 6600 since the start, but there are delays and clicks that makes it hard to copy on the other slice to run two bands alternately.

    Now that I have the 6700 that seems to be the only model thats thruly made for heavy use, I notice the delay is even more which renders 2 bSIQ useless.

    So I want to use the 6700 and the 6600 for running in two bands and I want to use the same logger

    and hopefully find a way to control the other radio with an IP address from the SmartCat, for some reason

    I thought it was possible to do so and use only one logger with a single instance of CAT to run both radios.

    The other option I see is to use an external so2r controller like the microham , but Ill need to build special cables for it since I dont belive Microham sells the cables for Flex radios.

    Any suggestions?

    Thanks,


    Felipe

  • Mike-VA3MW
    Mike-VA3MW Administrator, FlexRadio Employee, Community Manager, Super Elmer, Moderator admin

    I am not sure what you mean by delays? Can you be more specific?

    Are you sure the delay is in the radio and not the computer communicating to the radio? Could it be in the network path or N1MM (assuming you are using that) could be slow?

    What happens if you watch the CAT log at the same time?

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