4.2 Isolinear Storage Systems
Defines the four classes of extruded isolinear rod storage media used in the Cardassian cores and devices, listing their dimensions and applications, and explains the chromopolymer lithography fabrication, positron-etched input paths, polarized-light read/write process, and the data-density differences between Cardassian and Starfleet rods.
Temporary and long-term memory storage in the Cardassian cores and other computer devices are handled by various sizes of extruded isolinear rod medium. These sizes, by outside diameter and length, are as follows:
- Class 1. 0.43 centimeters by 3.21 centimeters for subminiature storage devices.
- Class 2. 1.08 centimeters by 6.26 centimeters for padd-type applications.
- Class 3. 1.27 centimeters by 9.52 centimeters for standard console and access tunnel applications.
- Class 4. 7.43 centimeters by 31.96 centimeters for computer core storage.
Rods are fabricated using multiaxis chromopolymer lithography techniques similar to those used to produce Starfleet isolinear chips. They are optimized to store and process information transmitted over a maximum of 8,357 distinct input paths positron-etched into a 1.2-millimeter photon-amplification coating on the end of the rod. Data are recorded and read from the rod using polarized light pulses at 46,238 nanometers, corresponding to orange light. Minor differences in chromopolymer chemistry separate the Cardassian and Starfleet technologies, as do slightly lower data densities available in the rods, at 5.37 kiloquads per cubic centimeter. By comparison, current high-density isolinear chips hold 6.51 kiloquads per cubic centimeter and operate on light pulses at 68,913 nanometers, more at the blue end of the spectrum.