6SNT.CPT

CAT Port Guardian for Windows radio stations.

6SNT.CPT is a local micro app for checking COM ports before opening radio software. It answers a practical preflight question: which port is visible, which one appears to be in use, which process may be using it, and which rig can be inferred without taking control of the serial port.

Spanish version

Why it exists

• Avoid opening JTDX, WSJT-X, TQSL, N1MM or another radio tool against the wrong COM port.
• Detect visible conflicts before a session.
• Show the rig inferred from local configuration or serial metadata.
• Copy a diagnostic report for support or station troubleshooting.
• Keep the whole check conservative and non-invasive.

What it is

• A local Windows quick diagnostic app.
• A read-only COM/CAT visibility monitor.
• A preflight tool for serial radio workflows.
• A PySide6 desktop app with the 6SNT cockpit visual style.

What it is not

• It is not a full CAT controller.
• It does not replace OmniRig, Hamlib, JTDX, WSJT-X or vendor software.
• It does not open serial ports to test real lock state.
• It does not send CAT commands.
• It does not trigger PTT, TUNE, TX, CW, transmitted audio or digital macros.
• It does not promise that Free visible means guaranteed exclusive access; it only means no visible owner was found without opening the port.

How it works

The scanner runs in read-only mode:

1. Enumerates COM ports reported by Windows through pyserial.
2. Reads known radio-related processes through psutil without storing full command lines.
3. Looks for visible COMx references in radio processes.
4. Reads known local configuration files when present, including OmniRig, JTDX and WSJT-X.
5. Cross-checks port, visible owner, baud hints and inferred rig.
6. Reports a conservative state: OK, REVIEW or NO COM.

Rig autodetection

The app does not hardcode a specific transceiver. The rig is inferred in this order:

• Local OmniRig configuration (RigType, Port, BaudRate), when present.
• Local JTDX/WSJT-X configuration (CATSerialPort, CATSerialRate, Rig), when present.
• USB/serial metadata reported by Windows.
• Known processes such as JTDX, WSJT-X, N1MM, TQSL, rigctld or flrig.

This is local file and metadata inspection. The app does not automate external components and does not take control of the port.

Local setup

Requirements:

• Windows 10/11.
• Python 3.12+.
• Project-local virtual environment.

python -m venv .venv
.\.venv\Scripts\python.exe -m pip install --upgrade pip
.\.venv\Scripts\python.exe -m pip install -r requirements-dev.txt
.\.venv\Scripts\python.exe -m pip install -e .

Run the app:

.\scripts\run_app.ps1

Run with sample data:

.\scripts\run_app.ps1 --sample

Console scan:

.\.venv\Scripts\python.exe -m cat_port_guardian --scan-json

Windows build

.\scripts\build_exe.ps1

Generated artifacts:

dist\6SNT.CPT.exe
dist\6SNT.CPT.exe.sha256
dist\6SNT.CPT-0.1.0-win-x64.zip
dist\6SNT.CPT-0.1.0-win-x64.zip.sha256

The app icon is generated locally and embedded in the executable:

assets\app\6snt-cpt.ico
assets\app\6snt-cpt-256.png

Verification

.\.venv\Scripts\python.exe -m pytest
.\.venv\Scripts\python.exe -m cat_port_guardian --scan-json

Current checks:

• 13 unit tests passing.
• Real read-only scan validated on Windows.
• PyInstaller onefile build verified.
• App icon embedded in the executable.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Likely cause	Action
NO COM	Windows does not report serial ports	Check Device Manager, USB/serial driver and physical connection.
REVIEW	A known process appears associated with a COM port	Review or close JTDX/WSJT-X/N1MM/TQSL before opening another CAT app.
Wrong rig detected	Local configuration points to another rig	Review OmniRig/JTDX/WSJT-X settings.
Free visible but another app fails	6SNT.CPT does not open the port to prove lock state	Confirm with the actual rig-control app or close suspicious processes.
The .exe takes time to open	Onefile build extracts dependencies on startup	Wait a few seconds or use -OneDir for debugging.

Safety and privacy

• No real logs, SQLite databases, ADIF files, private exports or real station screenshots are included.
• dist/, build/, .venv/ and artifacts/ stay out of Git.
• Executables are published as release assets, not as versioned source files.
• This project is private and proprietary. Do not redistribute without permission.

Documentation

• Architecture
• Safety
• Release
• Status