For a boundary-preserving partially hyperbolic diffeomorphism with interval central leaves, we completely characterize the $C^k$
-robust transitivity $(k\geq 2)$
by boundary interconnection. As an application, if the boundary Sinai–Ruelle–Bowen (SRB) measures admit negative central Lyapunov exponents, then boundary interconnection also completely characterizes the phenomenon of robustly intermingled basins for boundary SRB measures.