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This is the hardware input/output side of the EDSIS suite, which handles the interaction between purpose built panels of physical switches and buttons and ED itself. EDSODA reads the data from the journal files and then categorises and splits the data into various tables within the EDSODS (ED Ships Onboard Data Store) relational database for easier querying through EDSOM (ED Ships Onboard Mainframe) and potentially EDSIC (ED Ships Integrated Control). EDSOM is a software interface to the stored data, providing useful ways to search and view the data, while EDSIC is a hardware interface providing input controls and readouts, the physical controls (toggle/push-button/rotary switches, potentiometers, joysticks, LEDs and OLED displays etc.) used to augment the keyboard, mouse, HOTAS or single/dual joystick set-up.
The aim of EDSIS is to enhance the access of information and immersiveness of ED, in some cases even introducing elements that are not actually part of the game itself, but can work independently from it.
The data acquisition, data storage and query/display of data is separated to provide a customisable approach to utilising the tools. You can run all 3 on the one system, or alternatively run the data acquisition on the system running ED, then host the data storage on a second system and query/display the data on a third system if one so wishes. Currently I run the game and data acquisition on a Windows PC, storing/querying/displaying the data on a Linux machine, and at times run EDSOM via a separate terminal connected to the Linux machine via an RS232C null modem cable such as an old IBM PS/2 286 or VT100 terminal. In fact there would be no harm in using multiple devices running EDSOM, all connected and querying/displaying different data, a Raspberry Pi with a monitor and keyboard for looking at star systems/planetary data, a tablet for market data to find the best places to buy/sell cargo.