Multi Flex

Multi-Flex

Multi-Flex allows AetherSDR to operate alongside SmartSDR, Maestro, or another AetherSDR instance — each as an independent client on the same radio.

How It Works

When multiple clients connect to the same FlexRadio, each gets its own:

• Client handle (assigned by the radio)
• Slice(s) and panadapter
• Independent tuning, mode, and filter settings

AetherSDR filters all status messages and VITA-49 packets by client_handle so you only see your own slices and panadapter data.

Automatic Behavior

• On connect: AetherSDR checks if existing slices belong to another client. If so, it creates its own slice and panadapter.
• Status filtering: Only processes slice/pan/waterfall updates that match our client_handle
• VITA-49 filtering: FFT and waterfall packets from other clients' panadapters are silently dropped

Known Behavior

• Early slice status messages may arrive without client_handle. AetherSDR creates temporary SliceModels for all slices, then removes the ones that don't match when client_handle appears.
• The radio broadcasts ALL status updates to ALL clients via sub xxx all. AetherSDR filters them client-side.

Multi-client startup hardening (v0.9.4)

When SmartSDR / Maestro / another AetherSDR is already connected and you launch AetherSDR alongside it, status messages can interleave in races that would previously mis-attribute panadapters and slices to the wrong client. v0.9.4 hardens three specific paths:

• Panadapter creation — pan ownership is determined from the radio's status response, not from the order packets arrive in
• Slice ownership — the temporary "create-then-prune" approach is bounded so we don't accidentally lock a slice we don't own
• PC audio stream acquisition — RX audio stream IDs are validated against the client handle before binding the local audio sink

If you regularly run alongside DAX or SmartSDR, the v0.9.4 release is the floor — earlier versions could occasionally hang on connect in these races.

multiFLEX Dashboard

Settings → multiFLEX opens a live dashboard showing all connected stations:

• Client table — station name, program, TX antenna, TX frequency for each connected client
• LOCAL PTT — checkmark indicates which station has PTT authority
• Enable/Disable — toggle multiFLEX mode on the radio
• Enable Local PTT — request PTT for your station when another client holds it

The dashboard updates in real time via sub client all status subscriptions.

A green multiFLEX badge also appears in the title bar when other clients are connected, with a hover tooltip listing station names.

Requirements

• Radio must have mf_enable=1 (Multi-Flex enabled)
• Enable in SmartSDR: Settings → Radio Setup → Radio → multiFLEX → Enabled
• Or via AetherSDR: Settings → Radio Setup → Radio → multiFLEX → Enabled