StreamDeck

StreamDeck Integration

AetherSDR includes native Elgato StreamDeck support — no external software required. The StreamDeck connects directly via USB HID and displays live radio state on its LCD keys.

Supported Devices

Model	Keys	Dials	Touchscreen	Status
Stream Deck Mini	6 (3×2)	—	—	Supported
Stream Deck Mini MK2	6 (3×2)	—	—	Supported
Stream Deck Original	15 (5×3)	—	—	Supported
Stream Deck Original V2	15 (5×3)	—	—	Supported
Stream Deck MK2	15 (5×3)	—	—	Supported
Stream Deck XL	32 (8×4)	—	—	Supported
Stream Deck XL V2	32 (8×4)	—	—	Supported
Stream Deck Neo	8 (4×2)	—	Info strip	Supported
Stream Deck Pedal	3	—	—	Supported
Stream Deck +	8 (4×2)	4	800×100	Supported
Stream Deck + XL	36 (9×4)	6	1200×100	Tested

Setup

Linux

1. Install the udev rule for non-root HID access:

   echo 'SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTRS{idVendor}=="0fd9", TAG+="uaccess"' | sudo tee /etc/udev/rules.d/70-streamdeck.rules
   sudo udevadm control --reload-rules && sudo udevadm trigger

2. Unplug and replug the StreamDeck
3. Launch AetherSDR — the device is auto-detected

macOS / Windows

Plug in the StreamDeck and launch AetherSDR. No additional drivers needed.

Default Layout (XL+ / XL)

Row 1: [160m] [80m] [60m] [40m] [30m] [20m] [17m] [15m] [12m]
Row 2: [10m]  [6m]  [USB] [LSB] [CW]  [FT8] [AM]  [FM]  [SAM]
Row 3: [FREQ] [FREQ] [SPLIT] [LOCK] [MUTE] [MOX] [TUNE] [ATU]
Row 4: [NB]  [NR]  [ANF] [NR2] [RN2] [APF] [AGC] [DAX] [APD]

Smaller devices use a subset of these buttons based on available keys.

Button Actions

Row 1 — Band Select

Press a band button to tune to that band's default frequency and recenter the panadapter. The active band is highlighted in cyan.

Row 2 — Mode Select

Press a mode button to switch the active slice's mode. The active mode is highlighted. 10m and 6m are band buttons in this row.

Row 3 — Controls

Button	Action
FREQ	Frequency display (no action)
SPLIT	Toggle split mode (creates TX slice)
LOCK	Toggle slice lock
MUTE	Toggle slice audio mute
MOX	Toggle transmit
TUNE	Toggle tune carrier (blocked when TGXL is in Operate)
ATU	Start ATU / TGXL autotune (auto-detects TGXL)

Row 4 — DSP Toggles

Button	Action
NB	Toggle noise blanker
NR	Toggle noise reduction
ANF	Toggle auto notch filter
NR2	Toggle client-side spectral NR
RN2	Toggle client-side RNNoise
APF	Toggle audio peak filter
AGC	Cycle AGC mode: off → slow → med → fast
DAX	Toggle DAX audio
APD	Toggle adaptive predistortion

Dial Actions (Stream Deck + / + XL)

Dial	Turn	Push
1	VFO tuning	Cycle step size
2	AF gain	Toggle mute
3	RF power	Toggle TUNE
4	Squelch level	Toggle squelch on/off
5	RIT offset	Toggle RIT on/off
6	XIT offset	Toggle XIT on/off

Touchscreen Strip (Stream Deck + / + XL)

Displays the current frequency and mode. Updates in real time.

Configuration

Open Settings → StreamDeck... to access the configuration dialog:

• Device selector — choose which connected StreamDeck to configure
• Visual button grid — shows the current layout with row labels
• Brightness slider — adjust key backlight brightness (0–100%)
• Dial info — shows current dial assignments and push actions

Live Updates

All key images update at 10 Hz:

• Band/mode highlights follow the active slice
• Frequency display tracks VFO changes
• MOX turns red during transmit
• TUNE turns amber during tune
• DSP toggles reflect current state
• Image caching ensures only changed keys are sent to the device

Troubleshooting

Device not detected

• Check lsusb | grep 0fd9 — you should see your StreamDeck
• Ensure the udev rule is installed (Linux)
• Try unplugging and replugging

Keys not updating

• Check Settings → StreamDeck... — device should show as connected
• Restart AetherSDR if the device was plugged in after launch

Device freezes

• Unplug and replug the USB cable — this resets the HID interface
• This can happen if AetherSDR crashes while writing to the device

Dependencies

StreamDeck support requires the hidapi library:

• Arch/CachyOS: pacman -S hidapi
• Ubuntu/Debian: apt install libhidapi-dev
• macOS: brew install hidapi

The feature is compiled when hidapi is found (HAVE_HIDAPI). If not available, StreamDeck support is silently disabled.