DUOTRONICS

Dr Richard Daystrom, [TOS: The Ultimate Computer]

Duotronics was a revolutionary computer technology which became the basis for computer systems aboard Federation starships for over 80 years. For his pioneering work in this breakthrough technology, in 2243, Dr Richard Daystrom was awarded two prestigious scientific prizes: the Nobel Prize and the Zee-Magnees Prize.

Constitution-class Federation starship USS Enterprise NCC-1701, commanded by Captain James T. Kirk, [TOS: The Ultimate Computer]

Constitution-class starships were fitted with duotronic circuitry, which starship class included USS Enterprise NCC-1701, commissioned 2245, whose systems were fitted with a Daystrom Duotronic Processor as the main computer and, as noted in [DS9: Trials And Tribble-ations], there was duotronic circuitry in the ship's sensor arrays. During the time of Captain James T. Kirk's celebrated first five-year mission of exploration, only 12 of these ships were in existence, as noted in [TOS: Tomorrow is Yesterday].

[TOS: The Ultimate Computer]

For more about Constitution-class starships and their sometimes anomalous registry numbers, see: THE STARSHIPS CALLED ENTERPRISE AND THEIR RESPECTIVE STARSHIP CLASSES with special reference to [Star Trek: Voyager]

In [#55 Fair Trade], in Main Engineering, Torres asks Vorik to fetch her a duotronic probe. Torres, by the warp core: "Ensign Vorik, get me a duotronic probe, I'm having trouble regulating the plasma flow. Vorik: "May I suggest a gravitic caliper instead? You might find it a more precise instrument." Torres: "Good idea, but bring me both."

In [#106 Bride Of Chaotica!], in 2375, on the holodeck, in the holoprogram 'The Adventures Of Captain Proton', Paris opens the maintenance access panel in Satan's Robot's chest to repair its vocaliser. Paris has made the holoprogram as authentic as possible as his homage to early 20th century black-and-white science-fiction films, and Satan's Robot's circuitry contains old Earth electric circuitry. Paris: "It looks like he burned out a resistor." He hands it to Tuvok. Tuvok: "A what?" Paris: "That's a few centuries before duotronic circuitry."

The Druoda species have developed duotronic circuitry. When a Voyager away team, led by Kim, discover crashed on a planet what turns out to be one of the Druoda's tactical armoured units, the Doctor notes that it is speaking in duotronic algorithms. The Doctor uses his translation matrix and converses with the unit

MULTITRONICS

M-5 computer, located in the Enterprise's engineering section, [TOS: The Ultimate Computer]

In the 2260s, Daystrom attempted to develop a concept he called "multitronics". This new system involved imprinting human neural engrams upon computer circuits, causing them to mimic the synapses of the brain. It was hoped the process would give a computer the edge over normal duotronic circuitry by giving it the ability to think and reason in the way that a human being does. Experimental multitronic computers model designations M-1 up to and including M-4 were, according to Daystrom, "not entirely successful" forerunners to the M-5 multitronic computer. Daystrom implanted his own engrams into the experimental M-5 computer in 2268.

The M-5 unit was the most ambitious computer complex of its time, and was designed with the purpose of correlating and controlling every aspect of starship operation but with the ability to think and reason like a human. Daystrom hoped that the M-5 would prove as great an advance as his earlier breakthrough in duotronics.

(A) the M-5 computer is (B) hooked up to the Enterprise's power systems; (C) to become fully integrated with the Enterprise and be fully operative; (D) Dr Daystrom configures the installation in the presence of Dr McCoy, First Officer Spock and Captain Kirk (all are mentioned in [Voyager])

As depicted in [TOS: The Ultimate Computer], the M-5 was field tested aboard the Starship Enterprise in 2268, in the presence of Daystrom who attended on board the Enterprise. The test involved an exercise which allowed the M-5 to conduct routine contact and survey operations.

the M-5 tie-in installed on the captain's chair (left), and M-5's read-out of its recommendations for a general survey landing party (right), [TOS: The Ultimate Computer]