Specifications

CAT Programming
The CAT Commands window (Tools/CAT Commands submenu) may help you testing and
understanding the communication protocol between a PC and a transceiver, its limitations and
features. You may send data and read the reply from this window. If necessary, this window
may also help you to debug any communication problem by placing a strobe on the serial line
to see if the transceiver is communicating.
Related Topic

Macro commands
Old Yaesu transceivers (FT-1000, FT-990... FT-897)
All commands sent from the computer to the transceiver consist of five-byte blocks: Byte 1 to
byte 4 then OpCode . Some commands cause the transceiver to send status data.
Example
To set Split ON (FT-990/1000) you have to send the following command (hex) 00 00 00 01 01. From
the CAT Command Windows, you have to declare the bytes in the same order that they need to be
sent : Byte 1 2 3 4 OpCode then press the Send button. Note that for some models, the Yaesu
manual give these commands in the reverse order.
This "so called" Yaesu CAT System was complicated and standardization inexistent; the
parameters, number and values of data returned depend on the model you are using.
On the other hand it was efficient because the number of data was reduced to the minimum.
Yaesu now uses a protocol very similar to the Kenwood protocol.
Kenwood protocol
Data are exchanged as String which is of great interest for the writing of programs. A
command or a reply generally consists of two alphabetical characters (String) followed by
numerical values and terminated by a semicolumn (i.e BN01;) Moreover, a small
communications protocol allows controling data flows and errors... Recent models TS-2000
TS-480 FT-2000 K2, K3 have an extended auto information function (AI1 or AI2 command)
which limits or avoids polling by automatically notifying the most important status changes
(any status change for Kenwoods!).
Example

To set the VFO A to 7.00 MHz you have to send FA00007000000

To set the CW Pitch to 500 Hz, send PT05

To read the CW pitch, send PT
The number of commands now offered by the recent Kenwood transceivers is impressive.
These commands make it possible to control all their functions. TRX-Manager is far from using
them all. Kenwood has control software (RCP) available for these transceivers.
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