Janet's Star Trek Voyager Site

SHIP U.S.S. VOYAGER:
COMMUNICATIONS

screenshots by Janet

 

PERSONAL COMMUNICATOR : Page 1

PRIMARY ROLE

The main role of the personal communicator is to maintain voice contact among crewmembers aboard ship (as described in INTRASHIP COMMUNICATIONS) and during away missions, and to provide a lock-on contact for transporter operations and if necessary to locate an individual on board ship who is unable or unwilling to reply. Voice contact with other devices, such as the ship's main computers, is also within the communicator's capabilities.

See page 2 for how to operate the combadge. Includes an optional pop-up window containing an animated demo with sound.

 

DESIGN EVOLUTION OF THE PERSONAL COMMUNICATOR


the personal communicator (familiarly known as "combadge") is worn on the left breast of the Starfleet uniform		 Early Starfleet-issue personal communicators were handheld devices, from the first ones that formed part of the equipment for the first deep space mission of exploration commanded by Captain Jonathan Archer in April 2151 [Enterprise]. Handheld personal communicators were still in use in the late 23rd century [Star Trek: The Original Series]. By circa 2364 the personal communicator had become much smaller and, as indicated by its commonly used colloquialism "combadge", the device was installed inside the Starfleet emblem worn on the left breast of the uniform worn by Starfleet personnel (first seen in the first episode of [Star Trek: The Next Generation] namely in [TNG: Encounter At Farpoint]).

Each development of the combadge represents the latest improvement in small subspace radio devices. The casing of the 2360s combadge was micromilled duranium over-layered with gold and silver alloys in a diffusion-bonding process. In 2371 the latest version of the Starfleet emblem was adopted and the personal communicator continues to be fashioned into it.

(The redesigned Starfleet emblem/combadge, as worn by USS Voyager's crew and by Starfleet personnel elsewhere such as Deep Space 9, was first seen in [DS9: The Search] though it was originally designed for the Enterprise-D crew in the film [Star Trek: Generations].)
the Doctor, masquerading as Torres, hides a combadge up his sleeve and here surreptitiously answers it imitating Torres' voice, [#170 Renaissance Man]


A combadge sits on the Doctor's desk (beside it is a PADD). The combadge is worn the other way up than as shown.
[#170 Renaissance Man]

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Close-up of the combadge worn on the left breast of Neelix's garment.
[#50 Future's End, Part One]


After discovering the alien who calls himself Steth at a computer console about to try and access restricted datafiles, Seven goes to click her combadge to report him.
[#88 Vis à Vis]


While exploring the damaged laboratory where an alien species has been experimenting with Omega molecules. "Captain Janeway of the starship Voyager. We're here to help you." She taps her combadge. "Away team to Voyager. Two to beam directly to sickbay."
[#89 The Omega Directive]

 soundcombadge

The casing of the new combadge (i.e. as worn by USS Voyager personnel in [Star Trek: Voyager]) is micromilled duranium with new proportions of plasma-bonded gold and silver alloys.

The subspace transceiver assembly (abbreviated to "STA" in technical manual sources) used in the combadge, PADD, and tricorder has been upgraded in range, voice-encoding circuitry, and power-usage efficiency. Voice inputs detected by the monofilm pickup are improved in audio quality due to added vibrational conduits moulded into the casing. The voice processor has additional hardwired AI algorithms in place for improved phoneme separation and passes the phoneme impulses through a set of user-definable filters to control word and phrase validation. These AI circuits also work directly with the integral universal translator section, a limited version of the normal large handheld device.

Combadge subspace radio range has been increased to 1200 kilometres in line-of-sight mode, and to 780 kilometres through geologic materials with a mean density of 7.54 grams per cubic centimetre.

Command coupling with more powerful communication devices, such as emergency subspace beacons, allow combadges to make contact with each other over distances approaching 60,000 kilometres. In relay mode, beacons can allow the subspace transceiver assembly (STA) to transmit and receive voice and data over distances of up to 3.72 light-years.

Transporter lock using the combadge is always affected by interfering fields and particles, although the subspace transceiver assembly (STA) circuitry continuously attempts to bounce a clean transponder pulse back to the polling unit. Adaptive waveform algorithms in the subspace transceiver assembly (STA) automatically filter the subspace signal, even in fluctuating field conditions. If the threshold for a safe transport has been tripped, the combadge chirps a negative tone.

Power to the personal communicator's subspace transceiver assembly (STA) is supplied by a densified sarium-krellide cell with a continuous operating time of three weeks. Recharging is accomplished through a standard induction loop. Audible crystal oscillation indicates when the unit is close to depletion.

The combadge contains a Universal Translator (UT) circuit, which is equipped with the basic conversational libraries of 253 galactic civilisations plus the linguistic analysis routines for basic translations. See SHIP USS VOYAGER: Universal Translator.  
Janeway explains to the eight people known as the 37's how come they can hear her in their own language, pointing to her combadge.
[#20 The 37's]

The diagram is from The Starfleet Survival Guide. This is the combadge version used by USS Voyager's crew, being that which was Starfleet standard-issue when USS Voyager left Deep Space 9 on its mission to the Badlands in 2371.

The diagram below shows the internal workings of the combadge worn by USS Voyager personnel, but as the diagram relates to the combadge's predecessor the layout of the internal workings may differ.

 

SUBSPACE TRANSCEIVER ASSEMBLY (STA)


By combining the transceiver circuitry of the combadge with the subspatial tracking sensors and superior power reserve of a tricorder, it is possible to fashion a subspace transmitter that can broadcast a single, 5- to 10-second duration, low-resolution audio or raw data signal to a range of up to 1.1 AU.
Picture source: The Starfleet Survival Guide 		The heart of the internal electronics is the subspace transceiver assembly (STA). This circuit incorporates an analogue-to-digital voice encoder and low-power subspace field emitter. It is also the same circuit used in devices such as the personal access display device (PADD) and tricorder, and shares the efficient data transmission protocols. Voice inputs are received by a monofilm pickup diffusion-bonded to the inner casing and routed to the STA. While the standard STA possesses input channels for other data, these are not active in the communicator. As all Starfleet communications are normally encrypted, the voice signal pulses are converted by a series of encryption algorithms. These algorithms are changed on a random schedule by Starfleet Command for galaxy-wide subspace transmissions, and individual starship codes may be substituted during local away missions. During USS Voyager's sojourn in the Delta Quadrant it is likely that the ship's chief of security (Tuvok) implemented identical or similar security protocols, as logic would dictate such prudence, and once regular contact was established with Starfleet Command in 2376, in [#144 Lifeline], doubtless security protocols for all USS Voyager equipment were updated. Battery power is provided by a sarium krellide crystal rated for three weeks in normal use (an advance on the previous personal communicator's time of two weeks). As stated above, when close to depletion the crystal will produce a faintly audible oscillation and it can be returned to full power by induction recharging.