Yaesu FTDX10 CAT Control and Digital Mode Setup on macOS
Description
This resource details a solution for establishing CAT control and digital mode operation for the Yaesu FTDX10 transceiver on Apple macOS systems. The methodology focuses on bypassing Silicon Labs VCP/USB to Serial drivers, which caused system instability on a MacBook Pro. The author utilized a Sabrent USB 2.0 to Serial (9-Pin) adapter, featuring an FTDI chipset, which provides native driver support within macOS. This setup enables direct control of the FTDX10 via a USB connection without proprietary driver installations. The article specifies the use of a female-to-female DB9 adapter to connect the Sabrent unit to the FTDX10. Configuration details include setting the RS232 port to 38400 baud on the radio and within WSJT-X software. Audio routing for digital modes is achieved by connecting a standard USB lead from the FTDX10 to a second USB port on the MacBook, leveraging the transceiver's integrated sound card, which is natively supported by macOS 11.6.2 (Big Sur). The configuration was validated using FT8 on the 30-meter band.