Transponder code
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Atransponder code, also known as anidentity beacon,[1] was a signal burned into thestarship'ssublight engines that transmitted the ship's name, type, owner, and other pertinent data. For most of the galaxy's history, theBureau of Ships and Services issued and tracked transponder codes.
History[]
In use since the beginning of spacefaring societies, transponder codes could be duplicated or removed, though the procedures involved were difficult, expensive, and highly illegal. Ships without transponder codes could not travel in civilized systems without attracting intense scrutiny.
When she visitedNar Shaddaa in3951 BBY, theJedi Exile had theSullustan mechanicTien Tubb changed the transponder code of theEbon Hawk.
Some starships, like theMillennium Falcon, had multiple transponder codes that allowed the ship to have multiple identities.
Dannen Lifehold'sYT-1300 light freighterLifeline had an identity beacon that identified the vessel as theBlack Knight. The beacon were used aboard starships to broadcast their identities.[1]
Weapons such asFreiTek'sCL-3 antistarfighter cluster bomb actively scanned for enemy transponder codes in range to determine when to explode during combat.[2]
