TCI Server Overview¶
The TCI Server applet runs a WebSocket server that speaks the Expert Electronics TCI protocol, letting third-party logging, digital-mode, and SDR applications — such as Log4OM and SunSDR tools — read and control the radio over a local network connection. Open the applet to start the server, set the port, and adjust audio gain for each RX and TX channel.
Before you start¶
- AetherSDR must be connected to the radio. The TCI applet requires an active radio connection.
- This feature is only present in builds compiled with WebSocket support (
HAVE_WEBSOCKETS). If the TCI tray button is absent, your build does not include TCI.
How it works¶
The TCI applet is hidden by default. Toggle it open with the TCI tray button on the right sidebar.
When you click Enable, AetherSDR binds a WebSocket server on the configured port (default 50001). Any TCI-compatible client that connects to ws://<your-host>:<port> can then query and command the radio using the TCI protocol. The applet displays the current server state and connected client count in the status area next to the Enable button.
RX audio for channels 1–4 follows the same DAX channel assignments as the DAX applet. The slice letter shown beside each RX and TX row — for example, Slice A — reflects whichever slice is currently assigned to that DAX channel. If no slice is assigned, the indicator shows —.
Gain levels set in the applet apply to the TCI audio stream and are independent of the radio's RF gain controls.
What each control does¶
| Control | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| RX1–RX4 gain+meter | Combined level meter and gain slider for each TCI RX channel. Drag to set the output gain for that channel's audio stream. | 0.5 |
| TX gain+meter | Drags set the TCI TX gain and emit tciTxGainChanged. | TciServer::setTxGain persists TciTxGain internally; UI mirrors the stored value. TCI TX audio is always allowed regardless of platform or hosted-DAX availability (evaluateDaxTxPolicy now unconditionally allows DaxTxRequestReason::TciTxAudio, v0.9.5.1, #2276). |
| RX/TX slice-assignment labels | Read-only indicators showing which slice drives each row (Slice A, Slice B, etc., or — if unassigned). |
— |
| Port | WebSocket port the server listens on. Changing the value while the server is running restarts it on the new port. Values outside the valid range snap back to 50001. |
50001 |
| Enable | Starts or stops the TCI server. If the port is already in use, the button snaps back to off and the status shows (port in use) in red. |
Off |
| Server status | Displays (stopped), :<port> (<N> clients), or (port in use). Turns red on a bind failure. |
(stopped) |
| ## Tips |
- To start the TCI server automatically every time AetherSDR launches, enable
Settings > Autostart TCI with AetherSDR. This sets theAutoStartTCIpreference. - The client count shown in the server status updates live as clients connect and disconnect. See See how many TCI clients are connected for details.
Troubleshooting¶
- Status shows
(port in use)and Enable snaps off — Another process is already bound to that port. Change the port in the Port field to a free port in the range 1024–65535 and click Enable again. See Change the TCI port. - TCI tray button is missing — This build of AetherSDR was compiled without WebSocket support. TCI is unavailable.
- Slice labels show
—for all channels — No slices have a DAX channel assigned. Assign a DAX channel to a slice through the radio setup to populate the RX and TX labels.