TechMemo:Sensors:Delphi
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Star Fleet Engineering
Bureau of Starship and Starcraft Technology
Star Fleet Engineering
Technical Memorandum
Stardate: 90314 (14 March 1997)
RE: Delphi Sensor Phalanx
Originally developed for use on the Fenris and Feynman-class ships, it is supposed to perform as sensor mainstay on the vessels on which it is fitted. Located in dedicated decks on top of the saucer section and with an auxiliary feed from the bottom of the engineering section (forward on the Feynman, forward and aft on the Fenris class) it is designed to cover both long distance subspace scans as well as medium and short range all frequency data collection.
Pre-evaluation and system control is maintained from the Delphi computer core located in the centre of the lower array deck, it also allows for pattern match and software cloak detection using prediction algorithms and real time input comparision independently from the ship's main computer cores. This proved to be invaluable when the cloaked Borg forces attacked Starbase Gamma and has also been tested on the early prototype cloaking detector used on the USS Nova, NCC-1776, before her destruction. Newer cloaking devices of the Romulans and Klingons have proven as difficult as ever to track since they have been modified to account for the advances in Federation sensors.
It is important to point out that, unlike its cousin the Oracle system, the Delphi system's subspace efficiency is greatly dependant on the shape of the warp bubble around the ship, especially at higher warp speeds. Thus, both the Fenris and Feynman classes have been equipped with sophisticated hardware to accomodate this question, Fenris with a third fixed shaper nacelle, while the smaller Feynman operates with a servo mechanism to move both engine nacelles. It was an error in the field geometry adjustment system that was blamed for the loss of the Fenris.
Among the known problems of the Delphi system is the heat problem that is caused by the large amount of energy consumed during pinpoint scanning, high resolution short range surveillance and rapid frequency shifting. A new cooling system based on hydroxelene fluid that was supposed to take 150% more heat was under evaluation aboard the USS Fenris at the time of her destruction. Following the destruction of Fenris all research into refinements of the Delphi array were cancelled and the sensor system was ordered to be replaced by the Oracle system in all further Feynman-class destroyers. The experimental Fenris-class cruiser design was cancelled.
Note: Adapted from text originally written by Andrew Chadwick
