Dial Home Device
From Stargate Wiki
| Dial Home Device | |
|---|---|
| |
| Production information | |
| Manufacturer | |
| Designer | |
| Technical specifications | |
| Function |
Stargate control |
| Control system | |
| Made of | |
| Power source | |
| Usage | |
| Affiliation | |
The Dial Home Device, more commonly called a DHD, is a piece of Ancient technology used in the dialing of the Stargate.
Contents |
Overview
Most DHD's are short pedestal-shaped devices with a rounded inclined surface on the top with two concentric circles of buttons, for each of the symbols on the Stargate, surrounding the center button. The DHD can allow for faster dialing of the gate by not allowing the inner ring of the gate to spin. The DHD also serves as the main power supply for the Stargate as well as containing all the necessary dialing data and the correlative update program. (SG1: "Children of the Gods", "48 Hours", "The Quest, Part 2")
Components
According to Jack O'Neill's blueprints from when he had the knowledge of the Ancients downloaded into his brain, the DHD contains at least:
- A Cold Fusion reactor core
- Resonance frequency module circuits
- Crystal array circuits
- A spinally shaped shaft with a cylindrical dial at the bottom
- "Thermos" shaped capacitors around the core
- Crystal core receptors
The top face has 38 symbols on it for the glyphs on the Stargate centered around a large red button which finalizes the dialing sequence and activates the gate. The DHD also contains a large, red, hexagonally shaped Control crystal underneath the top face along with several smaller red, blue and yellow crystals situated around it. The DHD also has a small control crystal panel at the front. (SG1: "Children of the Gods", "Avenger 2.0", "Prototype")
Function
The DHD is relatively simple to operate, the user simply inputs the address needed along with the appropriate Point of Origin followed by pressing the center button. Providing the DHD has enough power, is undamaged, connected to the Stargate and the address is valid the Stargate will activate. According to Dr. Rodney McKay the Stargates were always meant to be accompanied by a DHD. (SG1: "Children of the Gods", "48 Hours")
Due to the effects of Stellar drift, address data in the DHD's eventually becomes invalid over the centuries. Because of this the DHD's can extrapolate the distances and compensate by dialing other nearby Stargates and transmitting the data via a galaxy wide correlative update. This update occurs every few centuries allowing for continual connections between gates. The program is so advanced that it has compensated for almost 50 million years of drift. (SG1: "Children of the Gods", "Avenger 2.0")
If a DHD is connected to a Stargate during an outgoing wormhole the control crystals will have a small residual imprint of the address left in them, retaining around the last 50 addresses dialed, however there is no indication as the the order in which they were dialed and the validity of each address is unknown. (ATL: "The Lost Boys")
Variations
SGC
- Main article: SGC Dialing computer
Due to Earth not finding a DHD along with the original Stargate, they were forced to jerryrig a dialing device to the Stargate. The dialing computer took 15 years of research and the computing power of three supercomputers to create a stable functioning system. This was done by randomly testing the feedback protocols of the Stargate and how the gate responded to signals from the computer. The dialing computer is operated from the SGC Control room using Earth computers. An accompanying keyboard inscribed with the glyphs on the Stargate is used to choose the appropriate address, but the address may also be chosen from the database.
The original dialing computer ignored 220 of the 400 feedback signals the gate emitted during dialing sequences. The SGC dialing computer had a built in buffer to detect the feedback signals and inform the system of the errors. The computer was flawed as it was unable to respond to every one of the feedback signals such as an interrupted transit signals, temporarily blocked addresses and unstable power sources from the incoming gate. (SG1: "Solitudes", "Red Sky", "48 Hours")
Milky Way
Pegasus
Atlantis
Puddle Jumper
Puddle Jumpers also have a DHD console in them centered on the main console in the cockpit. The DHD wirelessley connects with the Stargates, particularly the Spacegates, to allow for travel. The DHD's are mastered after that on Atlantis. (ATL: "Rising")
Wraith Dart
Wraith Darts may also contain a DHD as they often do reconnaissance and cullings through the Stargate. Based on the fact that some planets DHDs also light up when the darts use their DHD may suggest that they in fact connect the the DHD instead of the Stargate. (ATL: "Rising", "The Lost Boys")
Destiny
In Destinys gate room there is a console that allows for the dialing of the Stargate on board. The DHD is built into this console and also allows for Kino use and some main system control. As there is no dedicated console for the Stargate, other consoles on the ship can dial the Stargate. (SGU: "Air, Part 2")
Remotes
- Main article: Ancient Remote
On board Destiny there are several remotes which appear to be the only way to dial the gates left behind by the Stargate Seed ships ahead of Destiny. These remotes can scroll through valid addresses, most likely by wirelessly connecting to the Stargates which have a subspace connection between each other. (SGU: "Air, Part 3", "Lost", "Aftermath")
Asgard
- Main article: Asgard Dialer
The Asgard also had a very advanced small devices that the Asgard have used to activate the Stargate. The devices are wireless and quite possibly supply the Stargate with the energy needed, even for intergalactic wormholes. Unlike normal Stargate operations the Asgard auto dialer creates no unstable vortex during activation. (SG1: "Small Victories")
Goa'uld
- Main article: Goa'uld Dialer
Ba'al used a small device to dial the Stargate by placing it on the inner track of the Stargate. The device simply needed the address inputted and the device would dial the gate. (Stargate: Continuum)
History
Gallery
 A Pegasus DHD |
 Asgard dialer |
 Goa'uld dialer |
 A concept art of another DHD design |