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TAK Bridge

One operator in the Workspace can turn on TAK Bridge in the ATAK plugin to start mirroring CoT data between the Somewear Grid network and another local area network (LAN). Using this feature, partners can share situational awareness at the edge and lean on Node’s SmartBackhaul for a resilient satcom link back to command.

Enable TAK Bridge

  1. Open the Somewear ATAK plugin settings.
  2. Toggle TAK Bridge on.

TAK Bridge toggled on in the Somewear ATAK plugin settings, with the Bridge Direction row shown below it

Manage data flow

Once TAK Bridge is on, a Bridge Direction setting appears. By default, a 2-way flow between other local networks and Somewear is enabled, but you can change this setting to allow 1-way data sync depending on operational needs.

Bridge Direction selection screen showing the options Share between Somewear & LAN, Share Somewear to LAN, and Share LAN to Somewear

SettingEffect
Share between Somewear & LAN (default)Somewear and LAN are visible to each other (bi-directional).
Share Somewear to LANLAN is not visible to Somewear.
Share LAN to SomewearSomewear is not visible to LAN.

Verify the bridge

Confirm tracking and messaging are properly flowing through the bridge device by validating using devices isolated to their respective networks (e.g. Node only, Bridge device with Node + IP radio, IP radio only). With the default setting, check that:

  1. Somewear → LAN: a LAN-only teammate sees the PLI of a Node-only team member. Somewear Workspace messages are shared as ATAK general chat messages; broadcast markers are shared across the bridge.
  2. LAN → Somewear: a Somewear-only teammate sees the PLI and messages from a LAN-only teammate. ATAK general chat messages appear as Workspace messages; broadcast markers are shared across the bridge.

If you chose a different setting for your data flow, adjust verification procedures appropriately.