To simplify the specification and configuration of the linking software, a site was developed in the Java language and implemented under the Apache web server on Linux.
The site has two major configuration web pages: one to establish the bridges, and a second to add peers to the bridge. The website requires a login, which is how the linking software finds its configuration data. A sample of the bridge page is shown below.
A bridge is identified by its name, but has a unique talkgroup ID. As a general rule, all peers on a master bridge are automatically connected together regardless of the talkgroup ID. If inbound traffic has the ID of a different bridge, then that traffic is routed automatically to that bridge as well, enabling ‘on demand’ linking between groups.
Once a bridge has been added, a tab appears at the top of the page to enable peers to be added. A master bridge can have any number, a peer bridge only one. Below is a sample of the peer configuration page:
The peer callsign must be unique as it is used to identify the peer when the configuration is downloaded, other data is kept for a linking map which is also on the site. The hardware type is used to determine which format is used when downloading the peer data, currently the MaplePi and Allstar repeater controllers are supported, as well as standalone code for USB interfaces using the CMedia chips.