Ham Radio Control Libraries 1.2.6 RC1 review

Ham Radio Control Libraries is a development effort to provide a consistent interface for programmers wanting to incorporate radio co

License: LGPL (GNU Lesser General Public License) File size: 0K Developer: Hamlib group

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Ham Radio Control Libraries is a development effort to provide a consistent interface for programmers wanting to incorporate radio control in their programs.

Hamlib is not a complete user application, rather, it is a software layer intended to make controlling various radios and other shack hardware much easier.

Hamlib will allow authors of such software as logging programs, digital communications programs, or those wanting to develop the ultimate radio control software to concentrate on the user interface and the basic function of the program rather than radio control.

Most recent amateur radio transceivers allow external control of their functions through a serial interface. Unfortunately, control commands are not always consistent across a manufacturer's product line and each manufacturer's product line differs greatly from its competitors.

Hamlib attempts to solve this problem by presenting a "virtual radio" to the programmer by providing an API to actions such as setting a given VFO's frequency, setting the operating mode, querying the radio of its current status and settings, and giving the application a list of a given radio's capabilities. Unfortunately, what can be accomplished by hamlib is limited by the radios themselves and some offer very limited capability.

Requirements:
libxml2
Perl (optional)
Python (optional)
Simplified Wrapper and Interface Generator (optional)
Tcl/Tk (optional)

What's New in 1.2.5 Stable Release:
The frontend API of this release is enhanced with support for clonable rigs.
Please note the rigmem command had a change in CSV format.
The rigctl command has a new send_cmd for protocol debugging purposes.
Hamlib now has easy helpers to talk to USB devices.
The new models added are AR8600, AR2700, DWT (DLL based under Windows, need test under other OS).
Fixes were made to models AR7030, Orion, NRD-545, RX-320, FT-817, FT-990, TS-2000, Easycomm, and a big AOR update.
The problem with parallel port support of BSD systems has been solved.

What's New in 1.2.6 RC1 Development Release:
This release features Python 2.4 compatibility, improved TS570 functionality, improved Argonaut V functionality, support for the IC7000 and G313i/G313e, many Icom, Kenwood, and Tentec fixes, and build system fixes.