Tricorder, TOS

[knightgrace]

Recently I have become aware of new research in into Trinary based computers. Trinary systems traditionally use; 0, 1, 2 values instead of; 0, 1 Binary values. The newer version uses something a bit different; -, 0, +, that is negative, zero, and positive...
Both can be accommodated. This, I will say, is the functionality TRANSTATOR. Either/or.
For storage, 0, 1, and 2. For logic operators; -, 0, and +. This is the essence of change.

A Tricorder is defined as being a combination of a computer, a sensor system, and a recording device.

But the processor has always been the problem (keyword search: Ovonics)(a 1980s era attempt at Trinary logic/memory).


But now? Because someone realized that an "indefinite" was required in more modern computers. A way of producing a means of simulating Quantum systems, without actually doing so. The zero, is not, in all circumstances actually a zero, but an indefinite. Permitting am accommodation, for Quantum solutions.

The United States Air Force F-15 Eagle A and B models made use of a equivalent to an IBM PC 16 bit computer. My problem has been getting enough computational power squeezed into the volume of a TOS Tricorder. So what has to be accommodated? Two CPUs...at least one Digital Signal Processor...memory greater than 64k bytes(binary). See the problem? Could be done by about 1995 at the latest.

But the designers of the United States Air Force F-22, ran into a problem, it is called "data fusion". This is in combination the use of multiple different types of sensors accommodating their nature to the needs at hand to derive a coherent sensor image to allow for the nature of the object under detection. Furthermore, one has to allow, in real-time the data displayed to the pilot. Eight hundred million instructions per second, was the required minimum number to do this. Without Artificial Intelligence operations...

A Tricorder, in other words had to have the ability, with indefinite data, to tell you that object such and such is an unidentified lifeforms number 18,151...because of the following indicators.


Multivalued logic, holds this promise, trinary because it is finite in value; -, 0, and +, for logic: and 0, 1, and 2 for the required amount of immediate memory, 3^16, not 2^16, without extension.

With extension 3^22.

 

[Firebird]

This reads less like the start of a discussion and more a rambling blog post.

 

[knightgrace]

Actually is the start of a paper.

 

[TIN_MAN]

So, in plain non-Vulcan English, you're saying you think the tricorder is a trinary computer?

 

[knightgrace]

A type of trinary computer. Something has to boost the power over pre Duotronic computers...

Clock speed? No.

Memory bandwidth (achieved using processing in memory design. No.

Artificial Intelligence? No. Because of Nomad. Never mind Tan Ru.

My reason for using the McDonald-Douglas F-15 computer model is that two CPUs are in use, one for tracking, the other for scanning...that is what is called 'Track while Scanning' the A, and B models could track just one target, while scanning for others. C and D models could track multiple targets, while scanning for others. The primary change between the A/B, and C/D, was faster CPUs, and going to an all digital signal processor.

Small problem: analysis. The requirement for analization of data imply a must greater CPU Clock speed. And perhaps, a greater word length. By going to -, 0, and +, effectively increases overall, the need for, let's say a 128 bit word CPU.

The Franz Joseph version of the Tricorder, had twenty-four channels to work with...implying that the set up is akin to the setup of the BBQ--5 sonar on United States submarines. Twenty-four repeated sensors give with a significantly fast CPU the edge in analyzing data. The timing differential between signals, would give good data on direction/distance and area/volume covered by the signal. Then keep in mind that by walking/running you get a synthetic appiture of what is going on around the Tricorder...

 

[137th Gebirg]

IIRC, "trinary" was the basis for the "multitronic" computer systems that Daystrom created (M-1 thru 5), and the foundational aspect for true artificial intelligence where 1 = yes, 0 = no, 2 = MAYBE.

Its predecessor, "duotronic", is really just a fancy alternate term for "binary".

 

[knightgrace]

I was thinking about that from another direction...

Dr. Allen Turing's Universal Turing Machine would have if real two tape drives...

Meaning that the original author of the episode may have been doing a very intellectual pun...

More, later.

 

[knightgrace]

Doctor Allen Turing, invented the, concept of what he called the 'Turing Machine'. This Machine is conceptual only , its purpose is to demonstrate the beginning of an idea about proving the truth or falsity of a given statement. To do this, he needed some way to build up to the proof of any given statement or theory. So, he showed via a proper beginning, that for any given function there exists a Turing Machine that can do that function, such that it can only do that function, such as adding two plus two equals four. The Machine would use a tape to drive the Machine's functionality. He then showed that there are an infinite number of simple Turing Machines. Most, however don't do anything of actual use.
Now think upon modern Quantum Computers. A 16 Qbit computer is in all possible states at once. That is, 65,536 states. What the problem was before the early 1990s, was error correction difficulties, meaning that in this case, error correction could not be done. A researcher, whose name I have forgotten, showed that a modification to conventional error correction programs, could in theory be made to work on Quantum data. Which like, Doctor Turing's, Turing Machines, most data, data would have to be removed from consideration due to the fact of Turing, and that it would be 'nonsense'. This in the early days amounted to upwards of 75 percent of calculations, conducted.
The next step that Doctor Turing did, in his proof of the determination of the truth or falsity of a given statement, is that he imagined a Turing Machine that would imitate any other Turing Machine, more on 'would' later. This "Universal" Turing Machine would use two tapes, one to instruct the "Universal", and one to do the job required.
In his theory, it doesn't matter how long it takes to perform this job, just that using a finite number of symbols the "Universal" Turing Machine will do it eventually... Hence the importance of 'would'. Remember that this was all theoretical in nature, not really achieved. This is why 'would' is important, very important, especially during World War II code breaking attempts. His group in essence built an actual Turing Machine! They absolutely had to...
Then continuing his work on his thesis, still in the 1930s, he took the next step...
He asked a question of himself, what would happen if he fed a tape into a "Universal" Turing that instructed it to imitate itself...imitate itself...imitating a Turing Machine...
Infinite recursion. Hence it is impossible to prove for any given statement that it is true or false, because some statements require so many operations, that the Universe, will come to an end, no matter how fast the "Universal" Turing Machine is. Even if in and of itself is the Universe. So, Infinite speed, and infinite capacity - using the Universe as a "Universal" Turing Machine cannot solve everything.

Not even Quantum Computers.


The IBM 360 Mainframe computer line has been shown to be a "Universal" Turing Machine. That is it is Turing Complete. The most Modern computer system in the world is Turing complete. Meaning that in theory, given enough time it will solve, in theory any given problem in time, but most likely will fail due to wearing out long before it will solve some problems.

Therfore a Duotronic Computer System is Turing Complete. Therefore an IBM 360 computer system can imitate a Duotronic Computer System.
Therefore a Tricorder is also Turing complete. Because it is a computer.

This means that anything seen in Star Trek, dealing with computer technology is possible in the real world.

 

[knightgrace]

There is something about Multitronics that most of us overlook. Dr. Daystrom "imposed" memory engrams on the computer circuitry. He seems to like imposing. So, the question is what was imposed on the predecessor system Comptronics? Please remember that the M-5 listed Dr. Daystrom's accomplishments. Comptronic-> Duotronic-> Multitronic...one, two, many. (Pun) not mine.
By going (imposing), a higher order system on a lesser system, one may, overcome a problem.
Let's go back to the Digital Equipment Corporation;11/780, this was a mine computer of the late 1970s/ early 1980s. This means that if was a sixteen bit word length. But! It could have a math coprocesser. The math coprocesser, was for floating point calculations. Floating Point, is Binary equivalent to Scientific Notation. Early Floating Point was 60 bit word length. Later Floating Point went up to 64 bit word length. Nineteen of those bits were the Binary exponent. In other words the largest exponent was 2^19th power. The remaining bits were the mantesla.(sp?). So what was the problem? A math coprocesser could work at least ten times faster than the primary CPU., and a hand crafted could work one hundred times as fast as the system clock. But, the system clock controls the execution rate of the main program. Meaning that the system is only as fast as the system clock. I remember reading in the Journal Science published by the American Association of Science on the new fields of Science back in the early 1980s called "computational " followed by the Science name, such as computational chemistry, or computational physics...the point being that the equation was the approximation not the results of massive numbers of calculations. By 'massive' the authors meant millions to billions of calculations. The demonstration was between the 11/780 and a Cray Corporation Cray 1. The program when adjusted for the different machines was run overnight. Night and Day. Part of the problem was was the limitations of a 16 bit machine versus a full up 64 bit supercomputer. In the operating time the program, a simulation of gas falling into a black hole, only a few thousand data points could be correctly plotted by the 11/780. The Cray 1 plotted millions of data points. In the same time frame. Each vector for the 11/780 was in color and symbolized by a small circle ○, with an arrow showing the direction.
The Cray 1's output was altogether different, as in "very". It was a complete image of the infall.
So the conclusion is that a math coprocesser, is unavailable for the purpose of Duotronics. A secondary main CPU is also out of the question. Not because it can't work, but it is not Duotronic in nature.
To be Duotronic in nature is to impose, a different concept of computer nature. It should not be analog, too obvious, and because of the constraints of the 1960s, cultural as well as technological trends, this limits a Duotronic system to descreate operations, meaning a clock is involved. Trinary that is imposed on a Binary system, but not in software, but hardware.
Why hardware?
Because of the listed nature of Duotronic systems. Verbal access, the ability to detect false data. Or data that doesn't make current sense. Like dividing by zero...early machines couldn't detect division by zero, and would have problems. Like going into an infinite loop. Yes, that would actually happen, just learned about that today.

 

[publiusr]

A step closer

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This might be bodged with the bulky ST:II tricorder housings that look best with Kirk's heavy duty communicator and Star Trek V assault phaser.

Those need TWOK jackets, with that movie's phasers being TMP era.

Nice hinge

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