Can you use CAT/MIDI at the same time?

[WA4SIX]

I am stuffing my Hermes Lite-2, NUC, arduino, teensy, some level converter boards & such in an old IC-765. I have the Kenwood TS-2000 CAT operating the VFD for frequency/mode display, amp sequencing & band decoding with an arduino Mega 2560. I want to use a Teensy 4.1/MIDI for the front panel controls.
Will the CAT & MIDI conflict in any way?
CAT will be read only (Except for "FI;" command).
MIDI will be input only. Pots, encoders, pushbuttons, toggles & a wonderful switch matrix.
Yeah, a competent coder would do it all with the Teensy, but I am just a code butcherer. I take chunks & stuff them together to get my results.... Sometimes.
I have the CAT/VFD/Mega Freq/Mode working. That took 3 weeks.
Next is to tackle the front panel/Teensy/MIDI. I figure that I can just make all of the buttons have different addresses & use Thetis to define them to their purpose.
This will also give me a 100W amp with LPFs (Already working). If my measurements are right, I might be able to squeeze a water cooled 2-MRF157 amp with LPFs in there for a "Desktop Kilowatt".

What say ye? Will I have conflicts?

Ed

[PD3LK]

Hi, when does Thetis come into the picture?

regards

[WA4SIX]

**Next is to tackle the front panel/Teensy/MIDI. I figure that I can just make all of the buttons have different addresses & use Thetis to define them to their purpose.**
Of course, I am using Thetis. It is perfect for the system I am trying to build. The Teensy can be native MIDI_USB. Thetis then makes it easy to define the buttons/switches/knobs to define.

Ed

[PD3LK]

Sorry, got lost in your story. I have no expirience with Arduino, Teensy or what so ever but why not use the Thetis MIDI options and a simple and cheap Hercules Starlight? It's USB connection doesn't interfere with other USB ports.
Or dismantle the pcb in the Hercules and bring it and the controls that you need over to the front panel of your radio?

regards

[WA4SIX]

My plan is to use all of the knobs & switches on the IC-765 to control Thetis. There are about 55 knobs, switches & buttons on the front panel & I will not have to use a label maker to remember what each one is.
I guess the "Story" was a bit long, but I thought the details may help.
Basically, I would like to know if there will be any conflicts with using the TS-2000 CAT & the MIDI.

Ed

[w-u-2-o]

There will be no conflicts. Internal Thetis logic is "last command wins".

You might consider processing the analog controls into CAT rather than MIDI.

Note also that Thetis can accept CAT over IP as well as serial.

[WA4SIX]

There will be no conflicts. Internal Thetis logic is "last command wins".

You might consider processing the analog controls into CAT rather than MIDI.

Note also that Thetis can accept CAT over IP as well as serial.

Excellent.
I used CAT for the processes that I did, because I already figured out the VFD (SevSeg with BCD to control digits). Then merged it with QTH.com's band decoder (TS-2000).
MIDI is rather easy & BMC.com makes it simple with the Teensy. I have an 8X8 matrix of buttons (Not all used) then pots & encoders.
Why would you suggest analog through CAT? Not doubting your knowledge, just wondering.
Please understand, I have never written a single digit of original code. I just throw a bunch of junk on the IDE & see what sticks.
What takes an average coder an hour takes me a few weeks.
As for CAT vs. IP, I looked at both of QTH.com's systems & actually understood the CAT better than the IP systems.
Again, I am not a coder at all. Just an average butcher.

Thank you,
Ed

[w-u-2-o]

Why would you suggest analog through CAT? Not doubting your knowledge, just wondering.

IMHO, MIDI is a lot of extra processing in order to form the required MIDI messages. Click a button or turn a knob one increment and puke out the appropriate CAT message seems simpler to me, especially if I was coding it.

As for CAT vs. IP, I looked at both of QTH.com's systems & actually understood the CAT better than the IP systems.

You may be misunderstanding. It's not "CAT vs. IP", it's CAT over IP. Meaning rather than have to stand up a serial port connection to Thetis you can send CAT commands over the network to Thetis instead. Multiple app's can share the single Thetis IP port for CAT.

You can find the IP port settings in Setup > Serial/Network/Midi CAT > Network.

[WA4SIX]

**IMHO, MIDI is a lot of extra processing in order to form the required MIDI messages. Click a button or turn a knob one increment and puke out the appropriate CAT message seems simpler to me, especially if I was coding it.**

"Not" being a coder, I have found most of the "Simple" MIDI over USB examples that I can merge together & should make it function. I honestly just haven't found enough "Simple" examples of CAT over serial or IP to make it easy enough to work out. In the MIDI world, people with little coding experience are making &coding over 100 midi controls that are written rather simple. This is only to read the knobs & switches.

**You may be misunderstanding. It's not "CAT vs. IP", it's CAT over IP. Meaning rather than have to stand up a serial port connection to Thetis you can send CAT commands over the network to Thetis instead. Multiple app's can share the single Thetis IP port for CAT.**

When it comes to the CAT serial vs. IP, I found both on RemoteQTH.com. The Serial was easier for me to implement, as I already have several USB/serial boards & cables to use. I somewhat understood enough of the code to merge the display code, which was already a merge of 3 sketches. The IF & AS commands gave me everything I needed & parsed it out. This is only to work the VFD display, actuate LPFs & maybe the meter in the future.

It will be breadboarded together to confirm functions, then I'll have a few boards made.

In the future, I would like to get the autotuner working & maybe a 1KW water cooled amp still in the same IC765 case.



Ed

[n1gp]

Please post some pictures when you get it up and running!

[WA4SIX]

Please post some pictures when you get it up and running!

It'll be a few weeks, if I am lucky. I sure will post it up. I collect lots of junk & sometimes combine some of it to make better junk.
I wish Thetis worked for the LimeSDR-USB, because, a 6M and up rig in an FT-726 is in the future.

Ed

[laurencebarker]

Some years ago Kjell Karlen and I made the "Odin" console which used CAT commands to control Thetis; implmented in an Arduino.

In case any of the code is useful, you will find the repository here:

https://github.com/laurencebarker/odin-SDR-console

[WA4SIX]

Some years ago Kjell Karlen and I made the "Odin" console which used CAT commands to control Thetis; implmented in an Arduino.

In case any of the code is useful, you will find the repository here:

https://github.com/laurencebarker/odin-SDR-console

Wow. As pertains to Odin, the code is written & commented so that I actually understand it. I think that with the addition of some pots & the 8X8 switch matrix code, I can have all of the controls. Also, I can integrate my VFD display into it & be pretty much done, after some alterations.
I am surprised I gleaned over this code, but was just interested in the display at the time.

Thank you very much,
Ed