trx-control
trx-control is an extensible software system to control amateur radio transceivers and related hardware like GPIO-pins etc. and to integrate third-party software using application specific extensions.
New users should read The trx-control User Guide which is available in HTML, PDF, and, EPUB format.
Project Goals
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Create an open and easily extensible system to control mainly transceivers, but also other hardware, and integrate with third-party software.
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Make it easy to add support for new transceivers or other devices.
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Provide an easy to implement, and, easy to use client/server protocol based on the exchange of JSON-formatted data over the network.
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Use a multi-language approach where the core of the system is written in C whereas extensions and drivers can be written in the easy to learn Lua programming language, lowering the entry barrier a lot.
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Use a multithreaded, asynchronous approach at the core of the software.
What is included?
trx-control mainly consists of trxd(8), a daemon to control the transceivers and other hardware, and, trxctl(1), a command line utility to access trxd(8), and, bluecat(1), a tool to help with the configuration of bluetooth connections.
trx-control comes with protocol drivers for common transceiver brands, configurations for a variety of transceiver models, a bunch of extensions, and, complete documentation online as well as in the form on manual pages.
Using trx-control from client software
Software that wants to make use of trxd(8) should implement the trx-control client/server protocol and talk to trxd(8) over the network, either over raw IP sockets or WebSockets.
(trxd(8) listens on port 14285 by default for incoming connections over raw sockets and can optionally listen for WebSocket connections. It supports both IPv4 and IPv6.)
See The trx-control Integration Guide (PDF, EPUB) for all information regarding the client/server protocol, the extensions etc.
Adding new transceivers
Transceivers are controlled using protocol drivers written in the Lua programming language. Properties of a specific transceiver are defined in YAML format. New transceivers can be added by adding a protocol driver (if needed) and a transceiver defintion.
See The trx-control Developer Guide (PDF, EPUB) for all information needed to write protocol drivers and the documentation of all Lua modules included with trx-control.
See https://lua.org for more information on Lua.
System Overview
At the core of a trx-control installation is trxd(8), the daemon that handles clients (IPv4 and IPv6) and controls the devices and extensions by exchanging JSON-formatted data with the clients and talking to the transceivers and other devices over whatever interface they use. All communication between the clients and trxd(8) is either done using NDJSON packages over a plain TCP/IP socket or JSON packages over a WebSocket.
Multiple clients can simultaneously connect to trxd(8), controlling an unlimited number of transceivers, GPIO pins, and, extensions:
trxd(8) supports transceivers that can automatically send status updates (e.g. Yaesu FT-710 etc.) as well as transceivers that require polling (e.g. older Yaesu FT-897 etc.)
Devices and Extensions
Transceivers
trx-control supports the following transceivers, more will be added over time:
| Brand | Model(s) |
|---|---|
Connect Systems Inc. |
CS7000-M17 |
ICOM |
IC-705 |
JVC Kenwood |
TH-D75 |
Yaesu |
FT-710 / FT-817 / FT-897 / FT-991a |
A special simulator transceiver driver exists for development and testing purposes.
GPIO
| Brand | Model(s) |
|---|---|
bmcm |
USB-PIO / OR8 (attached to USB-PIO) |
GPS/NMEA
Any GPS/Glonass/BeiDou etc. receiver that emits fix data as NMEA sentences.
Extensions
| Name | Purpose / Comments |
|---|---|
config |
Access the trxd(8) configuration (read only) |
dxcluster |
Get DX (or SOTA) cluster spots in real time or query the last n spots |
hamqth |
Lookup callsigns the HamQTH.com database |
logbook |
A simple logbook for QSOs using a PostgreSQL database |
memory |
Manage memories and memory groups |
ping |
Check if the trxd(8) service is alive |
qrz |
Lookup callsigns in the QRZ.com database (requires a QRZ.com subscription for full functionality) |
tasmota |
Control power plugs with the Tasmota alternative firmware |
wavelog |
Lookup and store data in wavelog (https://wavelog.org). |
The trx-control User Guide
The trx-control User Guide is intended to help with the setup and configuration of trx-control.
The trx-control Integration Guide
The trx-control Integration Guide aims at being helpful when integrating trx-control into your own software or writing a client that uses trx-control.
The trx-control Developer Guide
The trx-control Developer Guide aims at being helpful when developing new transceiver drivers or extensions.
trx-control Application Notes
This is a loose collection of application and device notes.
trx-control Client App
The trx-control protocol is open for anyone do develop a client or integrate trx-control into their own software. Nevertheless we do provide a client app aimed at mobile devices.
The trx-control client app is available in the Google Play Store as well as in the Apple App Store.
(Google Play and the Google Play Logo are trademarks of Google LLC.)
qth locator App
Display the locator of your current location with style.
The qth locator app is available in the Google Play Store as well as in the Apple App Store.
(Google Play and the Google Play Logo are trademarks of Google LLC.)
Information Material
From Supporting Elephants to Controlling Shortwave Transceivers: 15 Years of Lua. A recording of a talk during the "Celebrating 30-years of Lua" special edition Lua Workshop 2023 in Rio de Janeiro:
Presentation slides from the "Software Defined Radio & Amateur Radio" devroom that I co-organised at FOSDEM 2024 in Brussels:
Presentation slides from the Dreiländereck-Sysop-Treffen 2024:
Video and slides from a trx-control presentation I gave in may at HB9AG, my local club:
Flyers and cards:
| Print the flyers on A4 paper in landscape mode and fold them twice from the outside inwards so that the title is on top and the page with the address is on the back. |
trx-control Chat Room on Matrix
There is a Matrix chat room #trx-control:matrix.org to discuss trx-control: #trx-control:matrix.org
Source Code
trx-control is open source software licensed under the liberal MIT license. You can access the source code on GitHub at https://github.com/hb9ssb/trx-control
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a Windows Version of trx-control?
trx-control requires a Linux system to run on. This, however, does not mean that you are without options to run the software on Windows. Starting with Windows 10, the WSL, Windows-Subsystem for Linux, can be used. Alternatively, a desktop virtualizer, e.g. VirtualBox or VMWare Desktop, can be used to run a Linux system to host trx-control.
Another option might be to use containers, e.g. using Docker Desktop.
Can trx-control be run in a Docker container?
In short, yes it can. But networking and access to USB devices have to be carefully setup. Also, if service advertising using mDNS is to be used to announce the Websocket service, then the network within in the container has to be correctöy configure so that mDNS packages are passed (port 5353/udp).