aethersdr / aethersdr/AetherSDR

Show Antenna Genius port names in the RX/TX antenna selectors

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enhancement external devices GUI maintainer-review
Dominant language
C++
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221
Forks
117
Avg merge
2d 7h
Merged PRs (30d)
299

Description

Request preparation
  • I used an AI assistant to help structure this request
  • I checked for existing issues covering the same feature
What would you like?

What

When an Antenna Genius is connected, its custom port names (set by the user
in Antenna Genius's own configuration) should be shown wherever AetherSDR
displays or lets you pick the RX/TX antenna — most visibly the antenna
selector on the VFO flag, but also the RX applet's antenna control. Today
these show only the raw radio-side port label (ANT1, ANT2, XVTA, etc.)
rather than the friendly name the user gave that port in Antenna Genius.

Why

Antenna Genius already lets operators name each port (e.g. "40M Vertical",
"80/40 Inv-V", "RX-only Beverage"). Without those names surfacing in
AetherSDR, the operator has to remember which numbered port maps to which
physical antenna every time they switch on the flag — the exact bookkeeping
Antenna Genius naming was meant to eliminate.

How Other Clients Do It

  • SmartSDR (Windows): pulls antenna names from a connected Antenna
    Genius and shows them in place of the raw port label in its antenna
    dropdowns, since both are FlexRadio-ecosystem products.
  • GQRX / SDR++: no equivalent concept — they don't integrate with
    Antenna Genius or expose named antenna switching in this way.

Suggested Behavior

  • In VfoWidget's RX/TX antenna dropdown (on the flag), when an Antenna
    Genius is connected and has a custom name set for the port currently
    mapped to a given radio antenna input, show that name instead of (or
    alongside, e.g. "ANT1 – 40M Vertical") the raw port label.
  • Apply the same substitution anywhere else antenna selection appears,
    e.g. RxApplet's antenna control.
  • If no Antenna Genius is connected, or a port has no custom name set,
    fall back to the existing raw label — no behavior change for users
    without an Antenna Genius.
  • Names should update live if the operator renames a port in Antenna
    Genius while AetherSDR is connected.

Protocol Hints

AetherSDR already has some Antenna Genius integration (port visibility
handled in #3900), so the connection/discovery path presumably already
exists. Unknown — needs research: the specific Antenna Genius command/status
that reports each port's custom name string, and how AetherSDR should map
Antenna Genius port → radio antenna input for the lookup.

Acceptance Criteria

  • With an Antenna Genius connected and named ports configured, the RX
    antenna selector on the VFO flag shows the custom name for any port
    that has one.
  • The TX antenna selector (where applicable) behaves the same way.
  • Renaming a port in Antenna Genius while connected updates the name
    shown in AetherSDR without requiring a reconnect.
  • With no Antenna Genius connected, or a port with no custom name, the
    existing raw port label is shown unchanged.
  • Behavior is documented in docs/multi-pan-pitfalls.md or wherever
    antenna-selection logic is otherwise documented, if applicable.

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start by tracing the existing Antenna Genius integration referenced by #3900, then inspect VfoWidget and RxApplet antenna controls. Identify the command or status that reports custom port names and how ports map to radio inputs; done means RX/TX selectors update live, fall back to raw labels, and any applicable behavior is documented in docs/multi-pan-pitfalls.md.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
cpp
Domain
desktop, networking
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
50/100

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