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Message no. 1
From: 'Evil' ERic Mehlhaff <mehlhaff@***.BERKELEY.EDU>
Subject: SmartWeapons: How they work
Date: Fri, 23 Oct 92 16:14:47 PDT
>>>>>>>[ I find it hard to believe how unclear you chummers are
about
how the smart-weapon systems work. So let me explain it to you.
>First, the smart-weapon system has 3 major components, all of which
you need to have for it to work to full effect. You can get by without one of
them, but that's giving up a part of your edge, which can be a fatal mistake.
These three components are the BallisticsComputer built into the smartgun
itself (commonly referred to a 'smartgun adaptor', or by building it into the
weapon as a 'smartgun variant'), the Heads-Up-Display and control, and
finally a neuromuscular feedback control system. The connection between these
major components is only a minor component.

>The ballistics computer in the smartgun itself handles all of the
targeting calculations, range adjustment, leading of targets, and so on. IT
sends data about where the weapon is currently aiming to the heads-up display
through whatever links the systems.
>The heads-up-display can come in a variety of forms, but is commonly
just projecting targeting information, ammo supply, and other useful things
onto the users point of view. This can be onto a cyber eye, straignt onto
their optic centers through a datajack, or onto a smart-goggle. The
heads-up-display also includes some control for the smart system as well. It
feeds back to the ballistic computer instructions about which object in the
field of view the gun should be aiming at. This part of the smart system is
lost if you only have smart goggles.
>Finally, there is the neur-muscular feedback system. It takes over fine
control of the user's muscles, to cancel out muscular 'tremble' that is
inherent in organic muscle, as well as to provide fine tuning of the aiming
through a tight feedback loop between the smartgun's sensors and the the user's
muscles. This fine control is also lost when a person is just using a smartgun
linked to smartgoggles.
>And finally, there is the link that ties all this system together. This
can be as simple as a data-cable going from the weapon to a datajack, to a
induction pad in the palm, using an induction glove to a datacable to a
datajack, or any one of a variety of similar methods.
>It's really not all that hard once you understand it. Of course, having
been around long enough to watch the development of the tech helps. ]<<<<<
>--LicheMaster < Timeless / in my crypt > ^]w^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H<
33:04:16 / 12-3-4 >



For those gamers amongst you, here's stats:
>To get any bonus at all, you need a smartgun-variant of a weapon, or
one with a smartgun adapotr. Not also, that if an adaptor is moved from one
weapon to another, considerable work will be needed to calibrrate it for the
new weapon.
>Next, you need some kind of display device. Smart goggles will do,
but they don't provide the feeback-control. Just display, hence only -1 target
mod. Similar case if you have cybereyes + datajack (or just datajack).
>For control/feedback mechanisms you can use the 'smartgun link'
cyberware, which is really much more than just a link. IT's the induction pad,
data-connection 'nerves', the fine muscular control feeds, and data connection
to the optic nerves an/or cybereyes. Another possibility is to wire the
smartgun to a character's system through a datajack, and provide the control
of the muscles with just about any rating skillwire. This requires either some
minor reprogramming of the smartgun, or a small interface chip in a jack.
Without the feedback system, you don't get that extra -1 (-2 total) for the
complete SmartGun setup.


Hope this clears things up, or at least provies a logical framework for your
games!

Keep that lead flyin!
Message no. 2
From: steven mancini <mancinis@******.CC.PURDUE.EDU>
Subject: Re: SmartWeapons: How they work
Date: Sat, 24 Oct 92 22:00:33 EST
Eric Mehlhaff writes:
] >>>>>>>[ I find it hard to believe how unclear you chummers are
about
] how the smart-weapon systems work. So let me explain it to you.

>>>-Long Discussion Deleted-

>Now that yer done explaining, maybe you can provide us with one
>more piece of information..... CITATIONS???

>Where the hell did you get all this information? Did you discover
>it somewhere in the books where the rest of us simply overlooked
>(which is not beyond the realm of possibility) or is this the
>theoretical frame work that you hammered out one night at a local
>pizza joint over beers. (No flame intended- some of my best ideas
>hit me at Taco Hell after a barrage of tostadas and unlimited
>refills of Mountain Dew: weeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!)

>I am not posting this to the group to try to get into a flame
>war. The answer Eric provided was well written, well designed
>and presented. My only gripe is one that I have universally...
>Verfication and Citations are left out just too damn much.
>If it is something you and your players have derived, say so;
>if you found it out by babbling with tom dowd, say so, and if
>it is in the books, tell the rest of us where... please.

>>>>>>>-Minotaur

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