iCom IC-7xx

I just checked changing the setting.

YES it worked! thank you for your assistance I had ...Tricked the program into working to change frequencies by sending command for read then wait 200ms then sending the change frequency command.

so here is the Cat Commands and they will need to set PortWaitTimeMs=200

If that indeen solves this - please let me know what number you used (maybe 200ms?) so I will allow this parameter to be configurable in the UI and once a low baudrate is selected I will make the proper adjustment to the number automatically while still allowing the user to tweak is if needed.

Put VarAC in debug mode and you will get some information about the processing of the data.

There is an internal thread in VarAC that send a "read frequency" comment every X seconds, wait for a few ms and then reads the response from the port. the response may include a mirroring of the command itself so it strips aways the duplication and process only whats left.

I suspect that you get only part of it because of the baudrate. BUT you can control the wait time in ms. so I suggest you increase it.

Its the parameter PortWaitTimeMs under the [RIG_COM_CONFIGS] section in the VarAC ini file which is by default 100ms.

Irad

Is there a way to tell VarAC that the radio will echo back the command so it can ignore the first reply?

I've slowed it down to 10, and even disabled it but it is still hiccupping.

I have a question on how VarAc pulls the com traffic.

does it read a set number of bytes and then try to parse or can it pull 1 byte (ff) then add to an internal buffer to clear as it interprets each.

like I said in another reply Icom radios always send 'fefe' at the beginning of every message and 'fd' at the end

should be easy to group all messages

"fefe e0 XX 03 [bcd] fd" would encompass a message to the controller (PC) from rig XX (30 in the case of the 726 but you can configure it with jumpers inside) the 03 says I'm sending the freq I am currently using [bcd] is

12.345.678 == 78 56 34 12 00

I tuned to 12.345.6 and this is what VarAc got when it read the freq

Seems to be the same, I'm going to try changing the location from 11 to 7 to compensate for the extra bit when the Rig Echo's the original command back Circled in Red

from the cat control document I found the rig will echo back the command they reply.

the 'fe fe e0' should be on the next read, but is throwing off all subsequent lines.

ok, checking now with a 10? second delay

--Reads are now same length closing and reopening and I'll post a screen shot of com traffic.

Freq control in main window may have to confirm change or where the rig is currently before changing the frequency

Ok. I suspected it was a low baud rate. I guess it is a very old rig.

I am afraid with this low baud rate 2 seconds is not a good option. too much data to send and little time to collect it so hiccups like you witnessed may happen. you will need to refresh at a lower rate.

here is the portion of the CAT config file

[Icom IC-726 (KN6QQL.1)]

CmdType=HEX

PTTOn=

PTTOff=

ModeUSB=FEFE30E00601FD

ModeUSB_D=FEFE30E00601FD

ModeFM=FEFE30E00605FD

ModeFM_D=FEFE30E00605FD

SetFreq_Data_method=BCD

SetFreqVfoA_Cmd=FEFE30E005{}FD

SetFreqVfoA_param_length=10

SetFreqVfoA_hz_res=1

ReadFreqVfoA_Cmd=FEFE30E003FD

ReadFreqVfoA_Result_Data_method=BCD

ReadFreqVfoA_Result_hz_res=1

ReadFreqVfoA_Result_Length=22

ReadFreqVfoA_Result_Freq_Start_Pos=11

ReadFreqVfoA_Result_Freq_Length=8

VarACExitCmd=

Below are the Test button and the Read Freq every 2 seconds messages captured from com port

1200, Attached are the config photos

What is the baudrate for this rig ?