Ditto is excited to announce the release of our Edge Sync plugin for Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK), now available on TAK.gov. This enables secure, offline data synchronization across any available transport such as Bluetooth Low Energy, Wi-Fi Aware, MANET, SATCOM, and more, ensuring that ATAK users can maintain continuous, reliable communication and a consistent Common Operating Picture (CoP) regardless of connectivity conditions.
Maintaining a CoP is crucial to ensuring the effectiveness and safety of disconnected teams in degraded environments, but unreliable connectivity disrupts this. The Edge Sync plugin solves this issue by allowing teams to maintain real-time situational awareness and coordination during disconnected operations.
ATAK is an extremely valuable tool for providing tactical teams with real-time data and coordination capabilities. However, ATAK relies heavily on a constant connection to a central server for data synchronization and communication, which is problematic in challenging connectivity environments. When connectivity is disrupted, users can lose access to critical information, compromising situational awareness and operational efficiency. Additionally, traditional ATAK setups often require tethering to specific network infrastructures like MANET radios or a TAK server, limiting flexibility and responsiveness. Even “mesh network mode” for ATAK doesn’t support data sync without a local area network.
The Ditto Edge Sync plugin enhances ATAK by providing automatic peer-to-peer sync upon connection with nearby peers. It supports any available transport such as Bluetooth Low Energy, Wi-Fi Aware, MANET, SATCOM, and more. This lets users share Position Location Information (PLI), map graphics, and chat messages directly between ATAK devices using any available network transport. In high-stakes environments where connectivity is often disrupted, the ability to maintain a Common Operating Picture (CoP) and ensure continuous communication is crucial. Ditto’s plugin eliminates the dependency on a central server, ensuring critical information is always accessible and synchronized, enhancing mission success and operational efficiency.
Robust Peer-to-Peer Mesh Networking
Empower your ATAK devices to create peer-to-peer mesh networks using Bluetooth Low Energy, Wi-Fi Aware, MANET, SATCOM, and more. The plugin automatically discovers, connects, and syncs data across nearby devices. Powered by CRDTs, Ditto efficiently manages the data sync between local devices and the cloud.
Long-Distance Multihop Sync
The Ditto plugin employs multihop sync technology, automatically relaying data across multiple devices. This feature extends the communication range by enabling data to be relayed across multiple devices. This allows information to reach distant team members quickly, ensuring that all team members remain informed and coordinated.
Consistent Common Operating Picture Without a Server
Ditto guarantees that nearby team members always see a consistent map and data, even without a server. By maintaining a synchronized Common Operating Picture (CoP) and data across all devices, Ditto enhances coordination and situational awareness in any connectivity scenario. In traditional setups, devices must remain connected to a TAK server or be tethered to a MANET radio to share information. Ditto’s plugin removes these constraints, allowing devices to operate independently while leveraging a TAK server and MANET radio if available.
Platform Agnostic and Fully Encrypted
The Ditto SDK, the core of the Edge Sync plugin, can run on various platforms, including mobile devices, web browsers, servers, and embedded hardware. It is agnostic to the underlying network interfaces of the device it runs on, creating an encrypted communications channel. Ditto’s server version works to aggregate data from the edge for long-term storage, bridge the data into other enterprise systems or APIs, and push data back out to the edge. This design ensures global access and scalability, providing a seamless and mission-ready experience anywhere and under any circumstances.
Use Cases
Ditto can be used in nearly all degraded connectivity environments that tactical teams encounter. For example, in jamming scenarios, where traditional methods of communication are inoperable, Ditto provides reliable and efficient edge Common Operating Picture (COP) without the need for a TAK server, beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS), or edge compute services.
"Ditto, as an edge-sync platform, has demonstrated its potential to revolutionize data flow across diverse environments, offering a suite of feature-rich tools and services to enhance communication capabilities. From its ability to facilitate seamless peer-to-peer and client-server connections to its role as a multipath solution for maintaining situational awareness, Ditto has proven its worth in the field."
-USSOCOM Communications Chief
How to Install the Ditto ATAK Plugin
1. Install the Ditto ATAK Plugin
- Ensure your Android device is running ATAK 4.10 or newer. If not, download the latest version from TAK.gov.
- Download the Ditto ATAK plugin from TAK.gov or request it via tak@ditto.live if you have yet to receive it.
- Transfer the APK to your Android device. You can do this by downloading it directly on the device, using a USB connection, or through the Android Debug Bridge (ADB).
- Install the APK by navigating to the file location on your device (e.g., Downloads folder) and tapping on the APK file. Confirm the installation prompts.
- Launch ATAK and complete the startup wizard if it's your first time running the application.
2. Configure Ditto Identity
- Open ATAK and access the TAK Package Management tool by selecting "Plugins" from the startup wizard or the ATAK Overflow Tool Menu.
- Load the Ditto plugin by selecting "Ditto TAK" and tapping "Load."
- Return to the ATAK map view, access the Overflow Tools Menu, and tap Ditto to open the plugin.
- Configure your Ditto Identity. You can join a Public group or load a private Ditto Identity via a QR code or file. A valid QR code is required for private communications. If needed, contact tak@ditto.live to obtain a QR code.
3. Using the Ditto Dashboard
- After configuring your Ditto Identity, the Ditto Dashboard will display the status and recent updates.
- The Dashboard includes intuitive tools for publishing and reviewing Ditto data.
- The Ditto presence viewer shows actively connected Ditto peers and the available transports for each peer.
4. Sharing Content with Ditto
- Author data using your standard ATAK workflows. Ditto will automatically share your PLI, map markers, routes, shapes, and other map items with your Ditto peers.
- You can share additional file types such as images, data packages, maps, and GRGs on demand. Ditto supports sharing any file type and automatically imports all content supported by ATAK.
- Data will multi-hop through the Ditto mesh, ensuring that even offline peers receive the latest information when they reconnect.
5. Configuring Ditto Settings
- Access Ditto settings to view software version details and your Ditto Identity.
- Configure transport preferences to turn specific network transports on or off. By default, all available transports are enabled.
- Adjust sync preferences, including auto or manual sync options, time ranges, and maximum file sizes.
- Configure TAK Sync preferences for TAK Server and tactical LANs.
- Use advanced settings for more control over data sharing, such as enabling debug logging or accessing experimental features.
6. Placing Ditto in the ATAK Toolbar
- To make the Ditto plugin readily accessible, add it to the ATAK top toolbar.
- Tap the Overflow Tools Menu, select the Edit/Pencil button, and long-press the Ditto plugin icon.
- Drag and drop the Ditto icon onto one of the existing toolbar slots and press the Save icon. The Ditto plugin will now be available in the top toolbar.
Ditto’s Edge Sync ATAK plugin enables continuous, reliable communication and situational awareness even in the most challenging communication conditions. By integrating Ditto, teams can operate with enhanced agility, efficiency, and confidence. Experience the future of tactical communication today on TAK.gov. Contact us at tak@ditto.live or visit us at ditto.live for more information.