| July 2002 | I have been very busy getting a PDP-11/70 at home and getting it to operate. If you do not know
what a PDP-11 is, check my other website. No updates on the StarShip website, but much works has been done behind the scene. The software that display the stars on the main screen is completely rewritten. Accuracy is much improved by changing all arithmatic from 16-bit integer to 16.16 fixed point arithmatic. Since the format of all coordinates were integer and are changed to 16.16 notation, this means that many other modules need to be updated as well. For starters, the Navigation Computer stuff and the Position Update software. I will start testing this the coming week or so. Then the first main screen shot of the stars will be visible here! 2 major improvements: the view is not all stars in one screen and the stars are now plotted in the color corresponding their spectral class. When this all works I am going to add some extra hardware: the console that allows you to set the view direction. Since not everything is on the screen anymore you must specify the view direction, that is Right Ascension and Declination, the bearing. Also screen magnification is possible, say I implemented some sensor array scan options ;>) |
| April 2002 | It has been quiet in March. Worked on some other things. This month I added a new chapter called "Position Update" under the Navigation section. Here you can read a bit about 'behind the scenes' of the simulation software. Started to write about the Main Screen under the Sciences section. |
| February 2002 | Added the "Photon torpedo" to the "Tactical" section (offensive weapons). |
| January 2002 | Updated the "Navigation" section. Updated the "Tactical" section (defensive weapons). Added the "Phaser bank" to the "Tactical" section (offensive weapons). |