3.1  piWebCAT database configuration - introduction

The Raspberry Pi's RPiOS operating system has a MariaDb database system.
MariaDB is an open source database system. I shall refer to it as MySQL.


The piWebCAT database's name is radios.

It contains 15 tables. At any one time, only 11 are in use because four have separate versions

for ASCII and YAESU5 radios and for Icom CI-V (eg: buttons or buttonsciv, sliders or slidersciv )


The database is configured for:

  • Internal access   host = localhost  
    Used by piWebCAT and its database editors and other RPi database access.
  • External access via LAN internet   host = 192.168.1.17 (changeable),   port 3306 (default).
    Used by external database editors or any other program accessing the data via LAN.
    ( Note that the default port for MySQL remote access is always 3306)


There are no security issues in controlling a radio  (unless someone disagrees!!!)

Therefore internal access and external access share common credentials:

  ie:   database = radio    username = piwebcat     password = feline

 

 See Database access


You never have to enter username nor password when running piWebCAT
or its database editor pages.


piWebCAT's built in database editors

There are two web pages accessed by top button bar buttons:

  • Cat config:        Edits nine tables.
    Four tables are different for Icom CIV radios and will change according
    to radio selection
  • Meter cal.   edits the metercal  table for S meter  and Tx meter calibration..


(The station log table is edited only by the log window.)


The editors only present data for the currently selected radio.

They have drop down selectors for some fields, including a list of radios.
The tables have a spreadsheet-like presentation
Editing is directly on to the grid.
The tables can each be exported as a .CSV file which launches in Excel etc.

They can then be printed from Excel.  


External database editors

During development, I made extensive use of the PC based MySQL Front. This is a free download.

More recently I have tried HeidiSQL which is equally effective.

MySQL Front is perhaps faster to use - but then I am very familiar with it.
The application have the ability to export the whole database or individual tables to text SQL
files which:

  • Are an excellent essential backup of your configuration work.
  • Can be imported elsewhere to another piWebCAT installation and so
     should be able to facilitate sharing of different radio configurations
     between users.