Support GS232B Protokoll and CGAntenna RTC-200

[DK4FT]

Hi Tobias,

great application, really like the easy and clean webinterface.

I am setting up a remote station for our club and would like to use the remoteRotator there.
Our setup consists of a Yaesu G-1000DXC, a CG Antenna RTC-200 USB Interface, remoteRotator is running on a RPi.

I am able to connect to the deivce and turn the antenna, but there is no feedback about the beam direction.
Could you add the device to the supported interfaces, please?

[dh1tw]

Hi Alex,

would be interesting to know which protocol the RTC-200 exactly emulates. The Yaesu G232 A and GS232 B and popular ones. You can connect with any terminal to the device. On Windows, Putty should work, on Linux you could use the application "screen".

Please attach the terminal output.

73 Tobias

[DK4FT]

According to the documentation it should emulate GS232-B protocol.

I checked the communication with
screen /dev/ttyUSB0 9600
but there is no output in the terminal window and no command (like "H") provide any feedback as terminal output
I added my user to dialout group, but even then no echo or feedback from the interface...

Next days I will be onsite and check again with the device attached to a windows machine and putty.

73 Alex

[DK4FT]

I traced the tty traffic on a windows machine.

Steps I tested:

1. send manual commands with putty on a Win10 machine.
   Result: there is also no response from the rtc-200 device. E.G. If I send the C2 command, no repsonse
2. use the CGantenna provided mini Application
   Result:
   There is a heartbeat on a LED of the device visible (same as with remoteRotator application)
   in addition the application is sending regular C2 commands and the device responds with the actual Azimuth position of the rotator.
   The only difference between sending data by putty or sending data with the CGantenna app are the controll wires.
   When using putty all signals are "off", when using the CGAntenna app all wires are on "low-level" (red)

The RTC-200 Interface is accepting commands, but it looks like the interface is only sending data back, when the control lines are on LOW level.
Is this a possible cause and difference to the other working interfaces?

[DK4FT]

Did a trace using socat in the linux machine

1. RTC-200 is connected to /dev/ttyUSB1
2. startet sudo socat -x -v /dev/ttyUSB1,rawer,b9600,crnl PTY,link=/home/AlexFritz/ttyV1,rawer,crnl
3. startet remoteRotator with interface to /home/AlexFritz/ttyV1:

< 2024/01/17 13:36:36.000368496 length=4 from=0 to=3
43 32 0d 0a C2..

2024/01/17 13:36:36.000392172 length=10 from=0 to=9
41 5a 3d 31 31 30 20 20 45 4c AZ=110 EL
--
2024/01/17 13:36:36.000408352 length=6 from=10 to=15
3d 30 33 32 0d 0a =032..
--
< 2024/01/17 13:36:37.000368907 length=4 from=4 to=7
43 32 0d 0a C2..
--
2024/01/17 13:36:37.000383883 length=2 from=16 to=17
41 5a AZ
--
2024/01/17 13:36:37.000399948 length=14 from=18 to=31
3d 31 31 30 20 20 45 4c 3d 30 33 32 0d 0a =110 EL=032..
--
< 2024/01/17 13:36:38.000368382 length=4 from=8 to=11
43 32 0d 0a C2..
--
2024/01/17 13:36:38.000391750 length=10 from=32 to=41
41 5a 3d 31 31 30 20 20 45 4c AZ=110 EL
--
2024/01/17 13:36:38.000407944 length=6 from=42 to=47
3d 30 33 32 0d 0a =032..
--
< 2024/01/17 13:36:39.000368505 length=4 from=12 to=15
43 32 0d 0a C2..
--
2024/01/17 13:36:39.000383562 length=2 from=48 to=49
41 5a AZ
--
2024/01/17 13:36:39.000399562 length=14 from=50 to=63
3d 31 31 30 20 20 45 4c 3d 30 33 32 0d 0a =110 EL=032..
--
< 2024/01/17 13:36:40.000368345 length=4 from=16 to=19
43 32 0d 0a C2..
--
2024/01/17 13:36:40.000391380 length=9 from=64 to=72
41 5a 3d 31 31 30 20 20 45 AZ=110 E
--
2024/01/17 13:36:40.000407620 length=7 from=73 to=79
4c 3d 30 33 32 0d 0a L=032..
--
< 2024/01/17 13:36:41.000368159 length=4 from=20 to=23
43 32 0d 0a C2..
--
2024/01/17 13:36:41.000383356 length=1 from=80 to=80
41 A
--
2024/01/17 13:36:41.000399246 length=15 from=81 to=95
5a 3d 31 31 30 20 20 45 4c 3d 30 33 32 0d 0a Z=110 EL=032..
--
< 2024/01/17 13:36:42.000368502 length=4 from=24 to=27
43 32 0d 0a C2..
--
2024/01/17 13:36:42.000391205 length=8 from=96 to=103
41 5a 3d 31 31 30 20 20 AZ=110
--
2024/01/17 13:36:42.000407164 length=8 from=104 to=111
45 4c 3d 30 33 32 0d 0a EL=032..
--
< 2024/01/17 13:36:43.000368826 length=4 from=28 to=31
43 32 0d 0a C2..
--
2024/01/17 13:36:43.000399289 length=15 from=112 to=126
41 5a 3d 31 31 30 20 20 45 4c 3d 30 33 32 0d AZ=110 EL=032.
--
2024/01/17 13:36:43.000416564 length=1 from=127 to=127
0a .
--
< 2024/01/17 13:36:44.000369256 length=4 from=32 to=35
43 32 0d 0a C2..
--
2024/01/17 13:36:44.000390908 length=7 from=128 to=134
41 5a 3d 31 31 30 20 AZ=110
--
2024/01/17 13:36:44.000406869 length=9 from=135 to=143
20 45 4c 3d 30 33 32 0d 0a EL=032..

[dh1tw]

Thanks for the traces Alex. I had a look into the source code. So far I only implemented GS232A.

GS232A returns on a C2 query:

+0030+0090

While GS232B returns on a C2query:

AZ=113  EL=030

I will have to implement the GS232B protocol.

[DK4FT]

Hi Tobias,

do you have a plan if or estimation when you like to implement the GS323B protocoll?

[dh1tw]

I hope I have a version ready for testing this weekend

[dh1tw]

Hi Alex,
I have added support for GS232B in the gs232b branch.
Could you give it a try with your RTC-200 interface?
I manually uploaded the binaries from the latest commit (7c1534c) here:
https://cloud.dh1tw.de/s/aeNXYqdN8MQLgSr

[DK4FT]

Hi Tobias,

i just gave your beta version a try and it seem to work fine:

[dh1tw]

Excellent. Then I will merge the branch and create a new release (v0.7.0).

[dh1tw]

Hi Alex,

I just published the v0.7.0 release. In case you find bugs or unexpected behaviour, please re-open or create a new issue.
73 Tobias