RSS Connections > Radio Control

RigPi controls each radio through one of the four USB connectors on the Raspberry Pi. If your radio has a classic serial port, a serial-to-USB adapter is required. Older Icom radios provide CAT through a CI-V system. A CI-V to USB adapter is required. Most newer radios use a USB connection for CAT control so no adapter is needed.

If you are using ADMIN as your callsign (default when starting RigPi for the first time), use the Express Radio Settings window to configure the radio connection. Normally you will use SETTINGS>Radio>Basic or SETTINGS>Radio>Advanced. Advanced settings may be necessary if you have changed any of the default settings on your radio.

In Basic settings, select the Manufacturer, Model and Port from the drop-down menu lists. If the radio USB cable is the only one plugged in, the port will usually be /dev/ttyUSB0. You will also see the long name starting with /dev/serial/by-id... Select the long name, then click the Connect Radio button.

If the radio doesn't connect, please see the Radio>Advanced topic in the Settings section of this Help for troubleshooting support.

Power On/Off

Most radios can be powered on and off by means of CAT commands. Use the PWR ON/PWR OFF macros to turn your radio on and off. The power on cycle can take up to 40 seconds for some radios. RigPi can turn the radio on and/or off automatically by using the options in Advanced Settings->Pwr Ctrl.

Connecting to a Radio through a TCP port

It is possible to connect to a radio that supports TCP through an Internet connection rather than through a USB port. For example, your radio may accept an Ethernet connection for CAT control, or you may be using a serial-to-Ethernet or serial-to-Wi-Fi adapter.

For an Ethernet connection, enter the IP and port in the Port box in Radio Settings. If I had a radio connected to 192.168.1.80, port 30073, type the following in the Port box:

192.168.1.80:30073

You must type this information into the box, it does not appear in the drop-down list for Port options. When you save the Radio settings, the <IP>:<Port> value is saved.