7.2  piWebCAT - Database table - rigs


The rigs table holds the list of radios configured in your database.


It is used:

  • at startup to configure the RPi serial port  (baudrate, stopbits, bits /character and parity)
  • at startup to load connection, ie: SERIAL, USB or ENCAT (via EncoderCat module ... not Hamlib).
  • at start up to load catcomms,  ie; ASCII, YAESU5, CIV or HAMLIB.
    (Four of the tables are different between ASCII and CIV,  eg: buttons and buttonsciv.)
  • The rig fields from all the rigs table records to populate the top bar radio selector and the
    drop down lists when editing tables in a grid.


My database has only FTdx101D and IC7000 configured.
I put some more entries in the rigs table just for test purposes.



Summary of the fields (All except rig and description are drop down list selectors)


  • rig                This is text. It must be spelled the same in all tables because is the identifier for
                   a radio's records in table This is facilitated by the fact the the list of rig fields
                   in the rigs table is offered as a drop down list in all other tables.
  • hamlib        The radio's reference number in the Hamlb database. (Only used when catcomms = HAMLIB)
  • vfomode        If Y then rigctl or rigctld starts with --vfo parameter.  (Only used when catcomms = HAMLIB)
  • description         Text - no function.
  • connection          RIG  (direct to radio from a GPIO RS232 or piWebCAT interface board)  or
                     ENCAT - GPIO serial connection to dedicated RPi 115200 serial port on
                     the EncoderCAT PCB.
                     USB -  CAT connection is by USB from an RPi USB oscket.
  • catcomms        Which type of configuration system:  ASCII, CIV, YAESU5 or HAMLIB.
  • rigfix        Invokes code functions specific to a radio or group of radios. (eg: FT818)
  • baudrate        Selector from standard baudrates.
  • stopbits        Select  1 or 2
  • charbits        Select  7 or 8
  • parity        Select none, odd or even.
  • vfobvis        Set to Y for the Background VFO frequency to be displayed. I set this to N (not displayed) for my
                   IC7000 because there is no command to read the background VFO.
  • afswap        Set to Y to enable automatic audio swapping on VFO A/B swapping. Both receiver audio levels
                   are stored. The background receiver audio is set to zero.   See: Audio gain swapping