skycatd.exe

skycatd.exe is a command-line application, based on the SkyCAT library, that listens on a TCP port for commands and controls the radio via a COM port.

Installation

There is no installer, just download and unzip all files to a folder.

Check this folder for the latest versions of the command set file for your radio.

Make sure that .NET 9.0 Desktop Runtime is installed on your system:

Windows:

winget install Microsoft.DotNet.DesktopRuntime.9

MacOS:

brew install dotnet

Linux (Ubuntu):

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y dotnet-sdk-9.0

More distros are available here.

Command Line Parameters

skycatd -m IC-9700 -r COM9 -s 115200 -t 4532 -vvv -f

• -m - required. The radio model, either model name or numeric code:
  • the model name must be one of the commandset file names, without extension;
  • the numeric code must be one of the codes printed with the -l command, see below;

• -r - required. The serial port name, e.g. “COM1” on Windows, or “ /dev/ttyS0” on Linux;

• -s - The Baud rate of the serial port. Optional, the program knows the maximum speed of each supported radio;

• -t - TCP listening port, optional, defaults to 4532;

• -vvv - optional, enables detailed logging;

• -f - optional, enables writing the log to a file.

In addition, there are options that print information and exit:

• –help - display the Help screen;

• –version - display the version information;

• -l - list supported radios and their numeric codes;

• -a - list capabilities of all supported radios.

Running skycatd

Windows:

skycatd.exe <parameters>

Linux and MacOS:

dotnet skycatd.dll <parameters>

Skycatd Commands

skycatd understands the following TCP commands, followed by the NewLine character:

Action	Command
setup(Duplex)	U Duplex
setup(Split)	U Split
setup(Simplex)	U Simplex
read_rx_frequency	f
read_tx_frequency	i
write_rx_frequency	F {frequency}
write_tx_frequency	I {frequency}
write_rx_mode	M {mode} 0
write_tx_mode	X {mode} 0
read_ptt	t
set_ptt_on	T 1
set_ptt_off	T 0
write_ctcss_tone	C {tone}
enable_ctcss	U TONE 1
disable_ctcss	U TONE 0

where frequency is the frequency in Hertz, mode is a mode name, e.g., CW, and tone is the CTCSS sub-audible (PL) tone in tenths of Hz, e.g. C 670 = 67.0 Hz.

For compatibility with rigctld.exe, the ‘U SATMODE 1’, ‘S 1 VFOB’ and ‘S 0 VFOB’ commands are recognized as aliases of the Duplex, Split and Simplex setup commands respectively.

Teardown

When the last client disconnects, when a client switches to another operating mode, and when skycatd exits with Ctrl-C or by closing its window, skycatd releases the radio. If the radio is still transmitting, for example because the client crashed during a transmission, skycatd turns PTT off. Then it sends the teardown command of the current operating mode, if the radio’s command set defines one. The teardown restores the radio settings changed by the setup command that would interfere with other programs. For example, for IC-9700 it turns CI-V Transceive back on, which programs such as wfview need. After the teardown, the next client must send a setup command again.