18 Pro, WSJTX and Kenwood TS590SG, no CAT Control

Hardware Support
1

Using Zorin 18 Pro. No matter my settings, unable to get WSJTX to communicate with Kenwood TS 590SG transceiver. This is for Ham Radio.
Any ideas?

2

Is it the communications between WSJTX and the serial port? Maybe a serial port driver or some other driver?

How did you install WSJTX? I have not figured out how to install it yet. Any tips?

3

Using Perplexity A.I. using Ubuntu 24.04 in the search criteria as Zorin 18 is a fork of it, it returns with:

" How to get Kenwood TS590SG to communicate with WSJTX on Ubuntu 24.04

To get a Kenwood TS-590SG working with WSJT‑X on Ubuntu 24.04, you need to set up CAT (serial) control and USB audio correctly in both the radio and WSJT‑X.

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1. Ubuntu and USB basics

On Ubuntu 24.04, the TS‑590SG’s single USB cable presents:

  • A USB serial device, usually /dev/ttyUSB0 or /dev/ttyACM0 for CAT.

  • ​

  • A USB audio codec, usually called “USB Audio CODEC” for input and output.

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Steps:

  1. Plug radio into USB and power it on.
  2. Run lsusb and confirm a TI/Burr‑Brown or Kenwood USB audio and a USB serial interface appear.
  • ​
  • Run dmesg | tail or ls /dev/ttyUSB* /dev/ttyACM* to see the device name that appeared when you plugged the radio in.
  1. ​

2. TS‑590SG menu settings

Use one of the common working configurations from TS‑590SG/WSJT‑X guides.

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On the radio:

  • Set CAT baud rate: menu 68 (TS‑590SG) → e.g. 19200 or 115200 (just match WSJT‑X).

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  • Set USB audio as data input: menu 69 → USB (audio input for data).

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  • Set data source: menu 70 → Rear (for digital use, per many FT8 setup notes).

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  • Reduce USB input/output levels: menus 71 and 72 around 1–4 to avoid overdriving (Kenwood FT8 sheet uses default 4).

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  • Use USB mode rather than DATA if you want full 3.4 kHz passband (DATA is limited to 2.5 kHz).

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After changing CAT baud or key settings, power‑cycle the radio so the new settings take effect.

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3. WSJT‑X radio (CAT/PTT) settings

In WSJT‑X:

  1. Open File → Settings → Radio.
  2. Set Rig to “Kenwood TS‑590” (or TS‑590S/SG if listed).
  • ​
  • Serial port: select /dev/ttyUSB0 or /dev/ttyACM0 that you identified earlier.
  • ​
  • Baud rate: match the radio’s CAT baud (e.g. 19200 or 115200).
    ​* ​
  • Data bits/parity/stop bits: Kenwood defaults typically 8 / None / 1. Leave at defaults unless you changed them in the rig.
  • ​
  • PTT method:
  • Preferred: CAT (simpler; no extra wiring).
  • Alternative: VOX if you want to rely on audio VOX in the radio.
    • ​
  • Test: Click Test CAT; the indicator should turn green and the rig should respond (e.g. change frequency). Then click Test PTT, and confirm the rig goes into transmit.
    ​
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If Test CAT fails:

  • Confirm user is in the dialout group (groups command); if not: sudo usermod -aG dialout $USER then log out/in.

  • Verify no other program (e.g. fldigi) is using the same serial device.

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4. WSJT‑X audio settings

In WSJT‑X:

  1. Go to Settings → Audio.
  2. Set Input to something like “USB Audio CODEC” (the TS‑590SG’s USB audio).

​* ​

  • Set Output to the same “USB Audio CODEC” device.
    ​
  1. ​

Then:

  • With the radio on and tuned to an FT8 frequency, you should see the waterfall fill with signals if the input is correct.

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  • Use the radio’s and WSJT‑X’s audio level controls to keep ALC at only 2–3 bars when transmitting, as recommended by Kenwood’s FT8 setup document.

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5. Quick troubleshooting checklist

If the two are still not “talking”:

  • No CAT control:

    • Check correct /dev/ttyUSBx/ttyACMx and permissions.
    • Ensure baud rate in menu 68 matches WSJT‑X.
    • Try toggling “DTR”/“RTS” options in WSJT‑X (set to “None” unless your setup specifically needs them).
    • ​

  • No audio in WSJT‑X:

  • Confirm the Input device is “USB Audio CODEC”, not the PC’s microphone.

    • ​

  • Confirm menu 69/70 use USB for data audio.

  • No RF or overdrive:

  • Use WSJT‑X Tune button and adjust PC output and menu 72 so ALC just flickers 2–3 dots as Kenwood specifies.

    • ​

If you share exactly what fails (CAT test, PTT, or audio), more targeted settings (e.g. exact WSJT‑X “Radio” tab values) can be suggested."

4

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