Communication Bridge

Complex mode

Complex mode is an upgradable feature of Communication bridge app (one time in app purchase, not a subscription), which will extend the device connection limit from 2 to up to 8 connections. Retransmission is edited in a form of a matrix, and each device is able to retransmit to any other and to itself (echo). With this upgrade, autostart supports up to 8 devices.

8 active connections (screenshot from tablet)

Activating complex mode

Once this feature is purchased from the app settings, it can be activated from the settings menu. Click on App mode, select Complex mode, and select device count. App layout will adjust for all required devices. In complex mode, retransmissions are edited in the form of a matrix. If you want to return back to 2 devices only, switch back to Simple AB bridge and the app layout will simplify back to default appearance.

Retransmission matrix

Since complex bridge mode allows up to 8 connections, retransmission can be edited in the form of a matrix. Each element of the matrix represent retransmission relation between specific device in a particular row and column and can have a boolean value of true or false, allowing or disabling respective retransmission. Let`s see following example.

Retransmission matrix example for 3 devices

This matrix represents retransmission configuration for 3 devices - one in each row. Columns represents transmit (TX) side, rows represents receiver (RX) side. Enabling (highlighting) a cell in the first row , second column [1,2] (enabling = arrow pointing from left to top) means the data from device A (first row) will be retransmitted to device B (second row). The retransmissions from the image above can be summarized as follows:

Data from device A (Bluetooth socket) will be retransmitted to device B (TCP server) and C (TCP client)
Data from device B (TCP server) will be retransmitted to device A (Bluetooth socket)
Data from device C (TCP client) will be retransmitted to device A (Bluetooth socket)

If you enable a cell on the main diagonal (main diagonal is from top left to bottom right) for a specific device, this enables an echo function - all received data will be send back to the sender. You can combine an echo with retransmission functionality.

App layout in complex mode

When complex mode is active, the device labels on the main screen shows an additional information about retransmission, which is based on a retransmission matrix mentioned above. Since letters are used to mark devices, for each device there is a set of letters representing devices to which data will be retransmitted. For example "A -> BC" means, that device A will retransmit to devices B and C. When a device has no retransmissions configured, the label will say "no RTX".

This information is not displayed in simple AB bridge mode, since the retransmission logic of 2 devices is obvious from selected retransmission option.

Device labels ads information about retransmission

Autostart

Autostart script works the same way in Simple AB bridge and Complex mode. In Complex mode it can start automatically all 8 devices. For the retransmission options, actual retransmission matrix is applied.

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