2.23 Computer System

In brief: One of Voyager’s most important components is its massive library computer system which is used in virtually every element of ship and mission operations. Nearly every control panel on the ship is, in effect, a computer terminal and can respond to voice commands as well as keypad input. The Voyager computer — like all its systems — are designed for the ease and convenience of the crew. Unlike its clumsy 20th century ancestors, the ship’s computer is easy to use.

How to use it: Much computer use is verbal, that is, you just talk to it, and it talks back. For example: “Computer, analyze sensor readings on the planet’s atmosphere. Could it support humanoid life?” The computer might respond: “Negative, insufficient oxygen content.” You can also ask the computer to “show me the sensor logs from the starship Endeavour,” which would cause the computer to display the desired visual information on a control panel screen.

Isolinear optical chips: The information storage medium of Voyager’s computer system is the isolinear chip. This small rectangle of isochromatic linear memory crystal incorporates a large amount of information storage and a considerable amount of computer processing power. These chips are throughout the ship’s optical processing network, often found mounted in “chip panel” racks. Isolinear chips are also used for portable information transport, much as we use books or videocassettes today.

Neural gel-packs: In addition to the banks of isolinear chips, Starfleet has incorporated a new leap in computer technology into Voyager in the form of synthetic neuron-based circuitry, sometimes called neural gel-packs. Each gel-pack contains a variety of probe brain neurons suspended in a nutrient gel medium. Based on the organization of neurons and synapses in the humanoid brain, these gel networks make informed decisions at a faster rate than the chips alone, in that they do not have to calculate all possible actions (as in a fast chess program), but will rather go with a best “guess.”

Operating System: The main library computers on Voyager employ optical (rather than electronic) processing. There is one large computer core near the center of the Primary (saucer) Hull, and one in the Engineering Hull, each incorporating a series of miniature subspace field generators, allowing them to operate at faster-than-light speeds. Information is carried by a complex network of optical data conduits. The proper name of the main computer is the Library Computer Access and Retrieval System, sometimes called “LCARS.” The entire ship is linked to the computer cores and to various subprocessors by means of the Optical Data Network, which can be described as the nervous system of Voyager.