- | ## Equipment: Lamprey

(Original idea and text by Scott Ellsworth)

TL: 12+
LL: unrestricted
Cost: 2500 cr.
To use: Difficult Average Electronics + Int Task.

a generic data sucker, designed to interface with all sorts of equipment from simple cables, optics, and holo data channels. It has a fast, dedicated computer programmed with darn near every protocal the designers could find. Using this, a tech can start to get useful information on virtually any device, given time.
Lampreys evolved from network/protocol analyzers, which were hooked up to some kind of sensor, like a wire probe, antenna, inductance loop, or dish, and would then try to analyze the signal traffic coming over it. The original models appearing at TL 7-8 were specific to a single protocol and interface, such as 5 volt signals on standard copper wire, and would often only accept appropriate connectors for the types of signals they read.
As technology advanced, and the number of different signals multiplied, they merged with the vastly more expensive oscilloscopes to become a general signal analysis tool. By TL10, they could generally be depended on to catch any reasonable signal. Reasonable would vary wildly with world of introduction, but this usually meant that they could spot any signal not specifically design to hide from them generated by equipment of the manufacture TL, and could pick up even hidden or encrypted traffic of the previous tech levels.
The great scope of these tools meant that a simple probe or collection of connectors was often not enough. The typical tool at TL 10 had a package of dozens of connectors, which were oftentimes insufficient. By TL 12, the typical tools had adaptive connectors that used superconducting line to carry the signal, and memory plastic plugs that could fit virtually any type of connector. TL 15 tools could reform themselves based on a built in catalog of appropriate connectors, and could use the style of connection to determine what kinds of signals should be expected.
Ordinary use of this tool on a mechanism usually does not interfere with the operation of the device - routine electronics task to avoid interference. Certain systems are designed not to be penetrated by tools such as this, and have detectors, such as filing conduits with pressurized gasses, and similar detectors designed to notice the operation of a device like this. Using a standard tool will result in detection unless a formidable intrusion roll is made. Intelligence organizations are assumed to have their own versions with special probes, inductance units, and antennas that allow them to pick up signal without interfering with the target device. These units reduce the task difficulty to avoid detection to difficult, and are very tech dependent.
In many cases, these units are dwarfed by the built in units attached to most sensor arrays, but such a unit can perform some of the data analysis done by the dedicated hardware, if the sensor ops skill of the user is up to the task. Using a lamprey, rather than the proper back end processors adds two levels of difficulty. On the other hand, it is often easier to attach a lamprey in an out of the way corridor than to get access to the tacinfo center of a battleship.
Since the unit is meant to be used with the aid of a hand computer, it is usually of similar size, and deluxe models have a built in dedicated computer with specifications and manuals.
In many cases, it is useful to have a signal generator as well as a signal analyzer. They lamprey also has a companion unit, the Rainbow Box. Rainbow boxes can produce virtually any signal, and can emulate virtually any device that they have the appropriate parameters for. A typical intrusion task is to hook up a lamprey to the target alarm system, determine what a given sensor is sending back, and then program a rainbow box to produce the appropriate signal.
These are up to an order of magnitude larger and more expensive, and require substantial investment of time to make usable for tasks beyond the usual simple analysis and generation tasks.
Finally, the two units can be hooked up to a robotic analyzer, part of a TL 12 machine shop, and can be used to analyze a broken device. The lamprey can watch the operation of the various pieces of the device, while the rainbow box can emulate the various small components in turn, allowing a fairly fast match on what component is failing.
For previously unknown technology, it will not be as effective, as it does not what the correct parameters for the device are. Skilled technicians can use the lamprey to watch what the new devices do as the rainbow box emulate parts of the internal workings, but this task can be quite time consuming, and can often produce interesting results. For example, a simple TL 8 flashlight could be analyzed with the proper optical sensor attached to the device. If said sensor was a standard set of mirrorshades, it would note that the vast majority of the light was coming in the IR, and that the peak of the spectrum is not suited for standard human vision. The RainbowBox might well blow out the filament of the flashlight by running excessive current through it if voltage specifications are not available.

Back to main Traveller Page