Starfleet Equipment & Devices
This article attempts to explain some of the standard Starfleet-issue pieces of equipment that are used daily in the fleet.
This article was provided by Matthew Townsend.
Communicators
How Communicators Work
The personal communicator has a case made from duranium. The heart of the communicator is the STA (Subspace Transceiver Assembly). This incorporates a low-power subspace field emitter and an analogue to digital voice encoder. The STA is also used in other devices such as the PADD and tricorder.
Voice inputs are received by a monofilm pickup microphone. All Starfleet communications are encrypted, the voice signals are modified by the encryption assembly. The encryption algorithms used by Starfleet are changed on a random schedule.
Power is provided by the communicator's sarium krellide power cell, which provides enough power for two weeks normal use. Communicators are recharged through EM induction.
Communication between two personal communicators is limited to approximately 1200 km, starship's communication systems are able to enhance signals, giving a ground to ship range of approximately 75,000 km.
Communicators require a line of sight. Range will improve if the planet's magnetic field is less than 0.9 gauss or mean geological density is less than 5.56 g/cc.
Coupling with larger, more powerful communication devices can increases the combadge-combadge range to 60,000 km. The power cell in the combadge lasts for approximately 3 weeks, and is recharged via an induction process.
Translation Matrix Capabilities
The current Communicator has the basic conversational libraries of 253 galactic civilisations. The combadge also has the linguistic routines for basic translations of new languages.
Security
For security purposes the communicator can identify it's user bioelectrical field and temperature profiles using it's built in dermal sensor array. If another crew member tries to use the communicator without security override authority, the communicator will not activate. During normal situations, security codes are changed every five days. In emergencies the codes change at least once every 24 hours.
Tricorder
Tricorders are issued to all senior officers and away team members. They are also located in various storage areas on Starships. The Tricorder is the primary sensor instrument of Starfleet. It also has database and communications abilities.
Starfleet's current issue Tricorder is the TR-590-X. The TR-590-X measures 15.81cm in length, 7.62cm in width and 2.84cm in depth (When flip-out segment is open). It has a mass of 298.3 grams. The 3.5 by 2.4cm screen operates using the LCARS operating system. The Tricorder's sarium-krellide battery has a life of 36 hours constant use. After this it must be recharged at a facility on the Starbase/Starship.
The Tricorder has 315 sensor assemblies. 189 of these are forward facing directional sensors. The other 126 are omni-directional and take measurements of the surrounding space. The detachable hand sensor seen on previous units has now been incorporated into the main body of the Tricorder.
The data storage assembly consists of 8 isolinear wafers, with a total storage capacity of 9.12 kiloquads.
Communications
The Tricorder has an in built Subspace Transciever Assembly (STA), for the transfer of data to other devices. The Tricorder also houses a default RF (Radio Frequency) transmitter, in case the STA is inactive or damaged. The transmission range of the STA is 40,000 kilometres.
How It's Used: Control Interface
PWR:
This is basically the Tricorder's on/off switch. Pressing will either activate the Tricorder, or send it into low-power standby mode.
F1/F2:
This button allows all of the other button on the Tricorder to have two different functions. Pressing F1/F2 toggles between these two functions.
THE I & E BUTTONS:
These toggle the Tricorder to display Internal or External sensor data. Internal data is from the Tricorder itself, and External shows data via a subspace link to a remote sensor device (this could be a spacecraft or a specialised sensor device).
DISPLAY SCREEN:
A 3.5 by 2.4cm LCARS touch-operated display screen. This is the area where sensor data is displayed and analysed.
LIBRARY A/B:
The Tricorder has two swapable isolinear chips. These are used in a similar way to the floppy disks of the 20th century. Each chip stores 4.5 kiloquads of data, and is removable whilst the Tricorder is operational. The LIBRARY A/B button toggles between the two chips.
ALPHA, BETA, DELTA, GAMMA
These buttons toggle between simultaneous operations. Up to 16 simultaneous 'channels' can be handled by the Tricorder, 8 internal and 8 external. These channels can combine data from several sensor devices into one display. These are accessible by combining the ALPHA, BETA, DELTA and GAMMA buttons with the F1/F" and I and E buttons.
DEVICE INPUT
Each of these modes GEO, MET and BIO can handle data from nine remote devices, giving a total of twenty seven different information sources.
COMM TRANSMISSION
This sets up a subspace data link, through the STA to another device. ACCEPT allows the Tricorder to receive data from a remote device. POOL allows the networking of the tricorder with remote devices, allowing processing functions to be shared. INTERSHIP sets up a high-capacity subspace link to a Starship. TRICORDER sets up a similar high-capacity link, but to other Tricorders. All four modes can be active at the same time, but this will significantly slow down the system.
EMRG
This button, used in an emergency, 'dumps' all of the data in the Tricorder's memory to the Starship from which the Tricorder was deployed. This function significantly drains the Tricorder's power cells.
IMAGE RECORD
This section allows the management of still or moving image files. The function is usually used to document away missions. At standard resolution, with a standard frame-rate, the Tricorder can store 4.5 hours of video footage.
LIBRARY B
Library B is the usual storage area for video files. I and E control the image source (Internal, from the Tricorder, or External, from a remote device).
ID
Used to personalise the Tricorder, or sets security measures for private use.
Personal Phasers
Current Issue Models
The Phaser is the primary sidearm of Starfleet Personnel. Three types of personal phasers are currently in issue. These are the TYPE-I, mainly used as a back-up weapon or in critical diplomatic situations, the TYPE-II the usual armament for away teams, and finally the TYPE-III phaser rifle, used for missions where hostile retaliation is expected.
File:Phaser03.gif TYPE I
File:Phaser12.gif TYPE II
File:Phaser14.gif TYPE III
How It Works
The phaser energy is released through the application of the Rapid Nadion Effect (RNE). Rapid nadions are short-lived subatomic particles possessing special properties related to high-speed interactions within atomic nuclei. Among these properties is the ability to liberate and transfer strong nuclear forces within a particular class of super-conducting crystals known as "fushigi-no-umi". (The crystals were so named when it appeared to researchers at Starfleet's Tokyo R&D facility that the materials being developed represented a virtual "sea of wonder" before them.)
How It's Used
Beam width and intensity are set by the user. The available Beam Intensity settings depend on the type of phaser. Type-I phasers only have settings 1 to 8, type-II and III have 1-16, but the type-III has much greater power reserves.
Power Settings
1 Light Stun Knocks out base-type humanoids for up to five minutes. 9 Disruption Effects Damage to heavy alloy and ceramic materials over 100cm thick. 2 Medium Stun Knocks out base-type humanoids for up to 15 minutes. 10 Disruption Effects Heavy alloy and ceramic materials over 100cm thick are vaporised. 3 Heavy Stun Knocks out base-type humanoids for up to 1 Hour. 11 Disruption / Explosive Effects Ultra dense alloy materials vaporise. Light geological displacement. 4 Thermal Effects Causes neural damage and skin burns to base-type humanoids. 12 Disruption / Explosive Effects Ultra dense alloy materials vaporise. Medium geological displacement. 5 Thermal Effects Causes severe burn effects to humanoid tissue. 13 Disruption / Explosive Effects Light vibrations to shielded matter. Medium geological displacement. 6 Disruption Effects Causes matter to disassociate and deeply penetrates organic tissue. 14 Disruption / Explosive Effects Medium vibrations to shielded matter. Heavy geological displacement. 7 Disruption Effects Kills humanoids as disruption effects become widespread. 15 Disruption / Explosive Effects Major vibrations to shielded matter. Heavy geological displacement. 8 Disruption Effects Cascading disruption forces vaporise humanoid organisms. Maximum setting for type I phasers. 16 Disruption / Explosive Effects Shielded matter fractures. Heavy geological displacement. Maximum setting for type II phasers.
PADDs
PADD is an acronym for Personal Access Display Device. The PADD is the primary portable computing system used by Starfleet. PADDs can be constructed via replicators, to produce a device to suit that particular user. The PADD contain an STA for communication with other devices. PADDs have variable memory capacities, typically from 15 to 100 kiloquads.
PADDs using bio-neural processors are being tested at this time by Starfleet R&D. PADDs operate using the LCARS operating system. They are highly durable, and can be dropped from heights of 35 m, with a negligible chance of damage. PADDs can be used to control other devices, and are highly integrated into the Starship's computer systems.
A properly configured PADD, with the correct security codes, could theoretically be used to fly a Starship.
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