CAT4OM uses structured radio handbooks to support different manufacturers, protocols, CAT command sets, VFO behaviors, and model-specific capabilities through one consistent station-control model.
Different radios, one consistent control layer
Amateur radio equipment does not speak one universal CAT language. Manufacturers use different command formats, connection methods, mode names, VFO behaviors, timing requirements, and response formats.
CAT4OM puts those differences behind a common station-control model. Operators and client applications work with familiar concepts such as frequency, mode, VFO, split, PTT, RIT/XIT, meters, power, and tune. CAT4OM translates each request into the protocol expected by the configured radio.
This matters in daily operation because two radios may expose the same visible feature in very different ways. One radio may support direct VFO addressing, while another only exposes the active VFO. One radio may support power-on over CAT, while another requires manual power. One model may provide SWR metering or tuner control, while another does not.
CAT4OM keeps those differences explicit, while giving the operator and connected applications a coherent way to work with the station.
Structured radio handbooks
Each supported radio model is described by an XML radio handbook. A handbook contains the radio’s structured control knowledge:
- manufacturer and model information;
- connection type and default settings;
- serial parameters or CI-V address;
- supported VFOs and modes;
- protocol value maps;
- read and write commands;
- response parsing rules;
- polling and initialization behavior;
- model-specific capabilities such as power, tune, CW, or metering support.
This approach keeps radio support explicit and maintainable. It also makes CAT4OM predictable: features are exposed according to the selected radio handbook, so each station profile reflects the real capabilities of the radio being controlled.
Supported radio-control families
CAT4OM supports several radio-control families.
Serial CAT is available for many Yaesu, Kenwood, Elecraft, TenTec, Xiegu, QRP Labs, SDRconnect legacy, and similar radios. Operators can configure COM port, baud rate, data bits, parity, stop bits, timeout, command pacing, and radio-specific defaults from the selected handbook.
Icom CI-V support includes CI-V address configuration, frame handling, echo handling, model-specific command maps, split and duplex handling, selected and unselected VFO support on compatible models, and power-on support where the radio provides it.
TCI support is available for ExpertSDR/SunSDR-style setups and compatible network workflows, including frequency and mode control, PTT, split, mode mapping, state updates, and RX/TX audio support through bridge profiles.
FlexRadio SmartSDR support includes native TCP connection, slice-to-VFO mapping, dynamic slice handling, SmartSDR mode mapping, PTT and TX state, power control, and slice-pair selection.
Capability-driven operation
CAT4OM does not assume that every radio can do everything. The selected handbook defines what the radio can expose, and CAT4OM uses that information when presenting controls, bridges, APIs, and diagnostics.
Available commands depend on the selected radio and its handbook. Common command families include frequency and mode read/write, PTT, split, VFO selection, VFO swap and equalize, RIT/XIT, S-meter, SWR, power on/off, antenna tuner operation, CW commands for supported TCI and Flex profiles, and raw CAT commands for diagnostics and advanced testing.
For power users, the handbook is also a practical map of the radio. It describes what CAT4OM can ask from the radio, what it can set, and which operations are available through the UI, bridges, and native API.
A handbook model that scales
Because radio knowledge lives in structured handbooks, CAT4OM can grow without every client needing to know every radio. Logging software, digital-mode clients, monitoring tools, and custom integrations can work against CAT4OM’s common control model while CAT4OM handles the radio-specific translation.
This is useful for long-term station maintenance. When a handbook is improved, the station benefits from a more accurate profile. When a new handbook is added, the supported-radio list can be updated from the same source. The manuals, the website, and the application can stay aligned because they are all based on the same radio descriptions.
Supported radios
CAT4OM radio support is provided through the handbooks included with the project. The supported-radio list can be generated from those handbooks, keeping the website and manuals aligned with the application.
The supported-radio table should show manufacturer, model, interface, protocol, support status, command count, and handbook reference. This keeps the website aligned with the application: when handbooks are added or updated, the published list can be refreshed from the same source used by CAT4OM.