USS Andronicus Command Systems

Main Bridge

Like any Federation vessel, the primary control of a Sovereign class vessel is overseen on deck one—the main bridge. As a larger ship, the Sovereign class has a larger bridge than most, allowing for comfortable movement, ample work space, and a superior variety of control stations ranging from the essential helm, tactical, and operations, to engineering, science, medical, and even stellar cartography.

Computer Core

The Sovereign class USS Andronicus features a dual Central Processing Unit, or CPU, system with two AC-16 Bio-Neural Super-series computer cores (ACTD-ASDB). The primary core is larger and stationed along decks 6-9. The vessel's smaller secondary computer core can be found near the environmental controls on decks 15-17 (Memory Alpha). The core was designed and built under contract by Krayne Systems—a corporation on the Federation world Binar. The cores are similar to most supercomputing devices in use by the twenty-fourth century with the stacked segments that form multiple trillions of connections that work to compute every tiny shipboard operation. According to the Advanced Starship Design Bureau however, unlike prior designs, "Bio-neural-based processors throughout the core are utilized for complex calculations while an isolinear-based system is used for the storage and cataloging of core information." During typical operation, no more than 45-50 percent of a single core's processing power is required. The additional space can be utilized by stellar cartography, tactical, library access, scientific, or other various departments.

Bio-Neural Gel Packs

Essentially organic computer circuits, the bio-neural gel packs contain synthetic cerebral neurons suspended in a nutrient gel solution (SDL) that protects them from shock, extreme temperature, and degradation. These organic circuits process data much faster than standard isolinear chips; they rely on a "'best guess' decision-making process rather than a calculation based on all possible actions" (SDL). Each individual fiber is capable of billions of connections by itself, creating an intensely complex computing network. Without these biological components, such innovations as the fully sentient Emergency Medical Hologram would not be possible.

Unfortunately, bio-neural gel packs suffer from certain drawbacks. Unlike isolinear chips, these new biologically enhanced circuits are susceptible to viral or bacterial infection just like any other biological entity. For instance, aboard the USS Voyager a gel pack was bacterially infected by cheese when the environmental duct in the mess hall got wind of Ambassador Neelix's cooking experiments.

Transporter Systems

Sovereign class vessels such as the USS Andronicus require large capacity transporter capabilities. The Andronicus features sixteen separate transporter systems: six personnel transporters, four cargo transporters, and six emergency transporters (ACTD-ASDB):

Chart information from A Call to Duty and the Advanced Starship Design Bureau

Communications

All Federation vessels are equipped with subspace communication devices. The Subspace radio, or hyperchannel, is a long range transmitter/receiver capable of smooth audio, video, and informational transfer.

References

A Call to Duty - Advanced Starship Design Bureau. http://techspecs.acalltoduty.com/sovereign.html#4.1%A0+COMPUTER+CORE. Accessed February 17, 2009.

Memory Alpha. http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Sovereign_class. Accessed February 17, 2009.

Starship Datalink. http://www.starshipdatalink.net/operations/gelpacks.html. Accessed February 17, 2009.