Configure Radio Setup¶
The Radio Setup dialog (Settings > Radio Setup...) provides master per-radio configuration with tabbed sections for radio information, network, GPS, TX, Phone/CW, RX, audio, filters, calibration, antennas, transverters, USB cables, peripherals, adaptive pre-distortion, themes, SmartLink pinned certificates, serial port settings, KiwiSDR public receiver browsing, callsign lookup parameters, amplifier (Acom) configuration, and Automation Bridge parameters.
Before you start¶
- The radio must be connected before most tabs show live information.
- Some tabs (APD, Themes, SmartLink, Serial, KiwiSDR, Callsign Lookup, Acom, Automation Bridge) are built lazily and only appear when first clicked.
- AetherSDR uses a
PersistentDialogbase class that saves and restores window geometry automatically.
Steps to open¶
- Click Settings > Radio Setup... in the main menu.
- The dialog opens showing the Radio tab by default.
- Click any tab to access its settings.
Radio tab¶
The Radio tab shows radio identification, license information, and firmware update controls.
Reading radio information¶
- Radio SN — Chassis serial number (read-only). Shows the chassis serial if available, otherwise the radio serial. Includes a clipboard copy button next to the value.
- Region — Radio regulatory region (read-only).
- HW Version — Hardware version string (read-only). Includes a clipboard copy button next to the value.
- Model — Radio model (read-only). Includes a clipboard copy button next to the value.
- Options — Licensed radio options (read-only). Shows the radio's options list, or a default like "GPS, PGXL" if an amplifier is detected. Includes a clipboard copy button next to the value.
- FlexControl — Detected state of FlexControl hardware (read-only).
- multiFLEX — multiFLEX enabled state (read-only).
- License Info — Displays subscription, expiration, Radio ID, and licensed version (read-only). Each field includes a clipboard copy button next to the value.
Copying radio information¶
Each read-only value has a small copy button next to it. Click the copy button to copy the value to your clipboard. A brief "Copied!" popup appears near the button. The copy button is disabled when the value is empty or shows "—".
Setting identification¶
| Control | What it does | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nickname | User-friendly radio nickname (editable). | — |
| Callsign | Station callsign (editable). | — |
| Station Name | Identifies this AetherSDR client to other multiFLEX stations. Stored in AppSettings. | Defaults to the OS hostname if empty. Sent to radio as 'client station |
| Select Installer... | Opens a file dialog for a SmartSDR installer (.msi, .exe) or pre-extracted .ssdr firmware file. Passes the selected path to FirmwareStager which extracts .ssdr payload and emits progress. | Label changed from 'Browse .ssdr...' to 'Select Installer...' in v26.5.3. |
| SmartLink (tab) | Pinned SmartLink TLS certificate management. Lists each pinned certificate (host, SHA-256 fingerprint, pinned date) with per-row Forget and Forget All. New in v26.5.3 (#2951 Phase 2). | Lazy-built when first clicked. Phase 2 of GHSA-wfx7-w6p8-4jr2: cert-pin mismatch now hard-pauses the handshake with a modal dialog. |
| Pinned SmartLink Certificates (section) | Section header for the pinned certs table inside the SmartLink tab. Lists every host this client has pinned on first connect (trust-on-first-use). | Phase 2 of GHSA-wfx7-w6p8-4jr2. Pin schema migrated from plain strings to {fp, pinnedAt} objects. |
| Host / SHA-256 fingerprint / Pinned (table columns) | 3-column read-only table: Host (hostname), SHA-256 fingerprint (monospace), Pinned (YYYY-MM-DD or '(pre-phase 2)'). | Backed by WanCertCache in WanConnection.cpp. |
| Forget selected | Removes the selected host's pinned cert fingerprint so the next connect re-pins silently. | |
| Forget all | Clears every pinned cert (with confirmation). Next connect to each radio silently re-pins. | Shows QMessageBox::question before wiping. |
| Reboot Radio | Reboots the connected radio with a confirmation dialog. AetherSDR disconnects and (on LAN) auto-reconnects once booting finishes. | New in v26.8.4 (#4448). Only enabled when connected and the backend supports a client reboot (e.g. HL2 is RX-only so the button is disabled). On SmartLink/WAN the operator must reconnect manually after the reboot. |
| Agent Automation (MCP): | Enables the in-app automation bridge so an AI coding assistant (via the MCP server) can introspect and drive the running app. Off by default; the operator opts in. | New in v26.8.4 (#3646). Persisted via AutomationBridgeSettings. The AETHER_AUTOMATION launch environment variable force-enables the bridge regardless of this toggle and disables the control in the UI. Transmit-keying stays blocked unless AETHER_AUTOMATION_ALLOW_TX is set. |
| Access Token: | Read-only display of the MCP access token; paste it into the assistant's AETHER_MCP_TOKEN environment variable. Stored in the OS secret store. | New in v26.8.4. Auto-mints a 128-bit hex token when the bridge is enabled without one. Placeholder '(loading…)' until the keychain read lands. |
| Copy (Access Token) | Copies the access token to the clipboard. | New in v26.8.4. |
| Rotate (Access Token) | Generates a new token and applies it immediately, locking out any client still using the old one. | New in v26.8.4. |
| Allow TX via MCP: Enable transmit control | Lets an MCP client key the transmitter (MOX/PTT/TUNE/ATU/CWX). Off by default; first enable raises an operator-responsibility confirmation. | New in v26.8.4. Enforced in the bridge; no client can flip it. Overridden by AETHER_AUTOMATION_ALLOW_TX (force on) and AETHER_AUTOMATION_NO_TX (pinned off). A force-unkey watchdog limits bridge-originated TX. |
| Observe only: Read-only (block all driving) | Makes the bridge observe-only: MCP clients can read state but every mutating verb (set/invoke/connect/tune/capture) is refused. | New in v26.8.4 (#4188). Enforced in the app, so a client cannot bypass it. AETHER_AUTOMATION_READONLY launch variable pins it on for headless/CI runs. |
| VITA-49 RX buffer: | Snap-to-preset slider setting the kernel receive buffer (SO_RCVBUF) for the VITA-49 stream socket; larger absorbs panadapter/waterfall bursts so packets aren't dropped. | New in v26.8.4 (#3810). Presets 256 KB to 4 MB. The system caps the grant at net.core.rmem_max; a live 'granted: |
| granted: (VITA-49 RX buffer) | Shows the buffer size the kernel actually granted (vs the requested preset). | New in v26.8.4. Shows '(applies on connect)' when no connection is active. |
| ### Firmware update |
- Click Check for Update to query for available firmware updates. The result appears in the status label. If an update is available, the label directs you to download the SmartSDR installer from flexradio.com.
- Click Select Installer... to open a file picker. Select one of:
.msi— WiX-based SmartSDR installer for firmware 4.2+..exe— Older self-extracting SmartSDR installer..ssdr— Pre-extracted firmware file.- The firmware stager detects the file format automatically and extracts the
.ssdrpayload. A progress bar and status label show extraction progress. - Once extraction completes, click Upload Firmware to start the upload. A progress bar and status label show upload progress.
| Control | What it does | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Check for Update | Queries for available firmware updates. | When an update is found, the label directs you to download the installer from flexradio.com. |
| Select Installer... | Opens a file picker for .msi, .exe, or .ssdr files. |
Renamed from Browse .ssdr... in v26.5.3. |
| Upload Firmware | Starts firmware upload with progress bar and status. | Enabled only after extraction completes. |
Remote On¶
Click Remote On to enable remote wake / remote-on functionality on the radio.
Reboot Radio¶
Click Reboot Radio to reboot the connected radio. A confirmation dialog appears: - LAN connection: AetherSDR disconnects and automatically reconnects once the radio finishes booting. - SmartLink/WAN connection: AetherSDR disconnects and does not auto-reconnect. You must reconnect manually once the radio finishes booting.
The button is disabled when the radio is disconnected. It re-enables automatically when the radio reconnects.
Network tab¶
The Network tab shows radio network information and advanced network options.
Reading network info¶
- IP Address / Mask / MAC Address — Read-only network addresses. Each includes a clipboard copy button.
Network configuration¶
| Control | What it does | Default | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enforce Private IP Connections: | Toggle to reject non-RFC1918 peers. | Enabled | — |
| Network MTU: | Sets maximum outgoing VITA-49 UDP packet size in bytes. | 1450 | Range 576–9000 bytes. Default 1450 is safe for most VPN/SD-WAN tunnels. Stored in AppSettings. |
| DHCP / Static | Toggle between DHCP and Static IP modes. | — | — |
| IP Address: / Mask: / Gateway: | Static IP configuration fields. | — | Enabled when Static mode is selected. |
| Apply | Pushes the network config to the radio. | — | — |
GPS tab¶
The GPS tab shows GPS presence and live position/satellite information when a GPS receiver is active.
- Latitude, longitude, altitude, time, and satellite count (read-only).
- GPS lock status indicator.
TX tab¶
The TX tab configures transmit timings, interlocks, max power, tune mode, waterfall display, slice/TX follow, and TX Band Settings.
TX Band Settings¶
Click TX Band Settings to open the dedicated per-band power/tune dialog.
Timings¶
Use the spinboxes in the Timings (in ms) section to set TX hang and delay timings.
Interlocks¶
Toggle TX REQ: RCA and TX REQ: Accessory to enable RCA and accessory interlock inputs.
Max Power¶
Set the radio-level TX power cap using the Max Power: spinbox (0–100%).
Tune Mode¶
Select the tune button behavior from the Tune Mode: combo box.
Waterfall¶
Toggle Show TX in Waterfall: to draw the TX signal in the waterfall.
Slice/TX follow¶
| Control | What it does | Default | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| TX Follows Active Slice | TX follows the active slice. | False | Mutually exclusive with Active Slice Follows TX. Disabled automatically during Split operation. |
| Active Slice Follows TX | Switches the active slice when TX moves externally (e.g. WSJT-X or CAT). | False | Mutually exclusive with TX Follows Active Slice. |
Phone/CW tab¶
The Phone/CW tab configures microphone, CW keyer, and RTTY defaults.
Level Meter¶
Toggle Enable/Disable the Level Meter During Receive to show the mic level meter even during receive.
CW Keyer¶
| Control | What it does | Default | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iambic: | Enables or disables the iambic keyer on the radio. | — | In v0.9.1, Mode A and Mode B buttons were added beside the Enabled toggle. Mode A = Curtis A; Mode B = Curtis B. |
| Iambic Mode: A / B | Selects Curtis iambic mode A or B for both the radio and the local software keyer. | A | Mutually exclusive pair added in v0.9.1. |
| Swap: | Swaps dit/dah. | — | — |
| Sideband: | Selects CW pitch sideband. | — | Options: LSB / USB. |