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| {{ships}}
| | #REDIRECT [[TechMemo:Sensors:SESR]] |
| <pre>
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| System of Enhanced Sensor Resolution (SESR)
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| Description
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| ------------
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| The System of Enhanced Sensor Resolution has been designed
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| to complement the faster-than-light (long range) sensors of
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| a ship of a given type compared to the original long range
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| sensors installed in the ship. As each starship class has a
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| different sensor specifications and types, there's roughly
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| a type of SESR for each ship class, which can be fine tuned
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| to a specific vessel.
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| The principles behind the SESR design are simple. By
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| providing a greater diameter of measurement, ships get a
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| greater paralax when resolving distant objects, which
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| greatly boosts the long range usability of the sensors.
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| The operation of the system is very unobstrusive. A SESR
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| module is towed by the ship, at a given distance (some
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| kilometers), by a highly resistant polymeric cable. This
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| gives the diameter of resolution. The SESR module is linked
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| with the ship computers through optical fibers attached to
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| the cable that transmit the data directly to the computer
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| core, which uses specialized programs to integrate the data
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| from both the ship and the SESR module sensors, creating a
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| much better image of distant objects.
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| The resolution that a sensor system is able to provide is
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| proportional to the amount of information the sensor collects.
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| In traditional electromagnetic sensors (radars,
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| telescopes, ...) the resolution is proportional to the
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| diameter of the parabolic dish, main lense diameter, ... The
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| coupling of the SESR and the ship sensors creates a virtual
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| sensor system with a greater sensibility which provides
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| enhanced resolution. This enhanced resolution also enhances
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| the effectiveness of the long range sensors, allowing to
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| discriminate between two close objects farther than the
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| nominal usable distances.
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| The short range sensors, like radars and telescopes, are
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| also enhanced, providing a much greater resolution in a
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| broader range of frequencies.
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| The SESR can only work at impulse speeds, for the short range
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| sensors are basically useless at speeds greater than light. On
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| the other hand, a ship long range sensors are carefully
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| calibrated to work despite the gravitatory distortions created
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| by the Warp engine through the ship nacelles. However, as the
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| SESR is attached to a ship, the Warp field renders the module
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| useless.
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| By the design of the system, the sensory enhancement is
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| directional, working better in the perpendicular direction of
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| the line created by the ship and the module and being minimal
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| in directions parallel to this line. The modules have attitude
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| control thrusters that allow to position the module in any
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| position relative to the ship, thus allowing to aim the system
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| where it's interesting. Once in position, the inertia will keep
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| the module solidary to the ship course.
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| However, the normal configuration is to tow the module in the
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| tail of the ship. The reason for this is simple. A ship scanning
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| its surroundings creates a volume of space that it controls.
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| Thus, another ship trying to stealthly scan that enemy ship will
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| naturally try to stay in maximum silence, using passive sensors
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| only, out of reach of the enemy ship sensors, but as near to
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| those limits as possible. This situation calls for a good lateral
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| sensors system, that operate at maximum efficiency while we are
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| moving perpendicular to that a ship.
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| Another common situation is an orbit around a planet. Ships
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| usually adopt a standard, circular, ecuatorial orbit around the
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| planet, in which the ship prow-stern line is perpendicular to the
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| planet surface, so the impulse engines are ready to easily and
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| rapidly abandon that orbit in case of need.
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| The SESR has been designed to work optimally in these situations,
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| while being useful for any other needs a ship in impulse speeds
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| may have, that's the reason for using the cable and optical
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| fibers, as using a tractor beam and radio could compromise the
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| ship position.
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| As the SESR is stored and deployed in a ship shuttlebay, all the
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| deployment, recovery and operation hardware is stored there as
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| well, the usual ship shuttle compliment is necessarily reduced.
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| This is a considerable shortcoming that prevents its installation
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| to all ships.
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| Physical specs for the SESR modules are given below. The shape
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| of the modules is similar to a huge torpedo case.
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| Type Mass (kg) Size (relative to a small shuttlepod)
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| I 3,200 110%
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| II 3,800 175%
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| III 4,500 210%
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| IV 6,200 280%
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| SESR module type is given by the broad general types of sensors,
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| listed below. The table also lists approximate enhancement in
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| resolution and in distance (LR) of useful discrimination of
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| close object as compared to the serial ship sensors.
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| Type Sensor Distance Resolution
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| (LR) (SR)
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| I Basic 13% 19% 23%
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| II DELPHI 17% 21% 26%
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| III ORACLE 18% 23% 29%
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| IV AUGUR 16% 18% 23%
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| Note: AUGUR sensors are too integrated to their ship
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| characteristics to get better enhancements.
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| SESR design (c) 2000, 2001 David Suarez de Lis | |
| Kudos to SFE for their suggestions, comments and help.
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| For use in Alt.Starfleet.RPG only.</pre>
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