The Frigate Diagnostic Node is one of the new research items that arrived with ARC Raiders Frozen Trail, and it is also one of the most misunderstood. Plenty of Raiders have pulled one off the ARC Frigate, dropped it in their stash, and then asked the community what it is actually for. The short answer: it is the single biggest Research Point source in the game right now, and you can farm it solo without finishing the Frigate sabotage. This guide covers what the item is, how to spend it at the Research Station, and a repeatable route for collecting it from the Frigate's breach containers.
What Is the Frigate Diagnostic Node?
The Frigate Diagnostic Node is a Frigate research item added in Update 2.0 (Frozen Trail) on October 8, 2026. It only drops from the ARC Frigate map condition, the giant airborne ship that flies in roughly 30 seconds to a minute after a raid starts. It belongs to the same loot pool as the Frigate Inductor and the ARC Data Module, and all three appear in the round breach-and-search containers scattered across the hull.
How It Differs From the Frigate Inductor
Raiders often confuse the two Frigate items because they drop from the same containers. They serve very different jobs:
| Item | Use |
|---|---|
| Frigate Inductor | Required material for the Research Station Level 4 upgrade (with 3 Thermal Shakers and 3 ARC Data Modules) |
| Frigate Diagnostic Node | Studied for Research Points, the currency spent on blueprints, Designs, and Amplified Weapon perks |
| ARC Data Module | Both an upgrade material and a smaller Research Point source (around 200 points) |
In other words, the Inductor builds the bench, and the Diagnostic Node pays for everything you research on it.
Where It Sits in the Frozen Trail Progression Loop
Frozen Trail added the Outpost, the Research Station, and Amplified Weapons as a connected endgame system. Research Points are the fuel for all of it. The Diagnostic Node is the fastest way to earn them, which is why it has become a target item for anyone chasing Amplified perks.
What To Do With the Frigate Diagnostic Node?
The Diagnostic Node has one purpose: turning it into Research Points at the Research Station inside your Outpost.
Converting It to Research Points in Steps
Reach Level 18 and complete the three-stage Sheltered Retreat Project to gain access to the Outpost.
Install the Research Station (Planks, a Battered Paperback, and a Mini Pump are needed for the initial build).
Open the Research Station and click the icon showing your current Research Point total, labeled "Acquire Research Points."
Find the Frigate Diagnostic Node in the list of studyable items.
Confirm the study. The Node is consumed and roughly 1,000 Research Points are added to your balance.
The Node has to be in your stash, not sitting in a raid inventory, so you must extract with it first.
Why 1,000 Research Points Matters
Research Points are a separate currency from Reward Points, and you cannot find them as a pickup. Every item you study yields a set amount, and most ordinary loot gives only a trickle. By comparison:
Frigate Diagnostic Node: around 1,000 points
ARC Data Module: around 200 points
General Topside loot: small amounts
A single Node equals five Data Modules or dozens of lesser items. Embark has not published an official yield table, so treat these numbers as community-reported, but they have been consistent across player screenshots.
What To Spend the Points On
With roughly 128 research entries across four station levels, your points will run out long before the options do. Prioritize in this order:
Amplified Weapon perk research (Level 4): 15 projects at 5,000 Research Points each, such as Beam Resonance Tech for the Equalizer or Thermite-Tipped Rounds. Each also needs a specific ARC component and an in-raid objective.
Combat blueprints: Guns and gear you actually run, like the Bettina, Hullcracker, or Anvil.
Furniture Designs: Cosmetic Outpost items. Leave these for last.
Five Diagnostic Nodes fund one full Amplified perk project, which puts the farm into perspective.
What Not To Do
Do not sell it to a trader. Its research value far outweighs any coin return.
Do not recycle it. The Node is a research item, not a crafting material.
Do not leave it in your bag during extraction. Move it to your Safe Pocket the moment you pick it up so a death on the walk out does not cost you 1,000 points.
Knowing how to spend it is the easy half. Getting one by yourself is where the planning comes in.
Where & How To Get the Frigate Diagnostic Node?
The Diagnostic Node can roll in any round breach-and-search container on the ARC Frigate. You do not need to lower the Cargo. That single fact is what makes a solo farm possible: board fast, open as many breachables as you can reach, and leave.
Frigate Diagnostic Node Locations
Every breachable on the ship shares the same loot pool, so more containers means more rolls. Here is where they sit:
Wing vents: The first containers you reach after boarding, inside the winding tunnel at the back of the ship.
Outer wing tips: One or two containers on the extended wings that climb toward the top surface.
Top deck walkways: Two to four containers near the backfire vents, guarded by a Hydra. The count changes each spawn, so check every spot.
Fire rooms: Two to four containers per side, locked behind a fire vent until the three coils in that section are destroyed.
Center vent shafts: A handful of containers around the three drop holes in the middle section.
Hull breach ports: Round hatches on the exterior ledge.
Cargo: The final loot platform, with 24 search spots, only available after every Power Core is destroyed. Players have confirmed Nodes drop here too.
A solo Raider can reach everything on that list except the Cargo.
Picking a Map
The Frigate rotates through Dam Battlegrounds, Buried City, Spaceport, The Blue Gate, Riven Tides, and Pendola Pass on roughly an hourly timer. Look for the "ARC Frigate" tag on the destination screen. Dam Battlegrounds spreads the Reclaimer drones far from most spawns, so you frequently lose the race to board. Buried City and Pendola Pass put the drones within easy reach and are the better choices for this farm.
Recommended Solo Loadout
Skip the naked run. Free Loadouts are disabled under the Frigate condition anyway, and a Raider with no gear can only reach a fraction of the containers. Two kits work well:
Full kit (more containers, safer run):
Bettina at Level 4 or Amplified with four to eight stacks of Heavy Ammo
Hullcracker with two to three stacks of Launcher Ammo
Grappling Hook (preferred over the Snap Hook here)
Photoelectric Cloak
Two to three Barricades
One to two stacks of Stims plus Shield Rechargers
Budget kit:
Anvil 4 or a Ferro shotgun
Barricades (non-negotiable)
A couple of Defibrillators
Grappling Hook
Lure Grenades as an optional add
Barricades are the item that separates a clean run from a wipe, because the Hydra guarding the top deck cannot hit you through one.
Step 1: Board Before Anyone Else
Sprint toward the middle of the map at spawn. When the Frigate arrives, read its flight path and run for the back of the ship where the Reclaimers descend. Climb onto one, hit Disrupt, and ride up. The Frigate turret will fire at you on the ground, so keep moving. Pop the Photoelectric Cloak if no other Raiders are nearby so the turret has nothing to lock onto. Heal and shield up during the ride.
Step 2: Clear the Wing Vents
Jump off when the Reclaimer reaches the back of the ship and pick a side. Most players drift right, so going left usually means fewer competitors. Run into the tunnel directly in front of you, drop through its winding turns, and open the first breachable at the bottom. Grab everything.
Step 3: Climb the Outer Wing to the Top Deck
Rather than turning inward toward the first Power Core fight, follow the extended wing outward. A series of vaults and clambers carries you up to the top surface, skipping the lower battle entirely. You pass one or two more containers on the wing along the way.
This is not selfish play. Raiders up top can shoot Hydras that are pinning down teammates below, so you help the group while you farm.
Step 4: Kill the Hydra and Open the Walkway Containers
On the top surface, locate the Hydra sitting near the fire vents. Drop one or two Barricades in front of it, then dump Hullcracker rounds into it from cover. Fireflies, Hornets, and Wasps will swarm you during this fight, so shoot them off before turning back to the Hydra. Once it goes down, the two to four walkway containers behind it become safe to breach.
Step 5: Shut Down the Fire Vent
This is the section most Raiders never touch. The vent spits fire and wind, and bad positioning gets you shoved into flames and pinned against a wall. With a Cloak and Barricades, you are fine.
Wait for the flames to die down.
Breach the first of three coil covers on the side.
Hide from ARC, return, and breach the second.
Repeat for the third until all three coils are exposed.
Destroy the coils quickly with the Hullcracker while avoiding Rocketeers and Vaporizers.
When the coils drop, the fire vent stops for good, and two to four more containers open up. If the opposite side is quiet, cross over with the Cloak and repeat.
Step 6: Check the Lobby, Then Decide
Head toward the center and look down at the main core fight. Count how many Raiders are alive and what they carry. Full kits with Launcher Ammo mean the group may push to the Cargo, in which case you can join and get another 24 loot spots. Free kits and bodies mean it is time to leave.
Step 7: Loot the Fallen
Many Raiders board with free kits, breach a single container, and die to Rocketeers on the walk back. One player found a Frigate Diagnostic Node on a body in the middle of a Buried City street for exactly that reason. Check every corpse near the base of the ship and along the extraction path.
Step 8: Escape and Extract
The Grappling Hook is your exit tool:
Move the Diagnostic Node into your Safe Pocket immediately.
Drop through one of the three center holes into the ventilated area below.
Crouch at the back and wait for Rocketeers and Vaporizers to de-aggro.
Grapple down to the bottom of the ship. Two grapples and a roll usually does it.
If a Hydra is still alive at the base, Cloak up and walk to the bottom center.
Take the channel to the elevator section, drop down, and head to the back of the boat.
Disrupt a Reclaimer and ride down.
Riding a Reclaimer to the ground does not count as extraction. Spot the nearest exit during the descent while your shield is up, since it differs on every map. Use the Cloak once you land, because the Frigate turrets will keep firing until you break line of sight.
Expected Results
Each loop gives you four to ten breach containers. One Raider ran this route 10 to 15 times in about 90 minutes and came out with two Frigate Inductors and one Frigate Diagnostic Node without lowering the Cargo once. Expect a mixed bag of lobbies, so repeat the vibe check every run.
More FAQs About Frigate Diagnostic Node
Do I need to finish the Frigate to get a Frigate Diagnostic Node?
No. It can appear in any round breach container along the wings, top deck, fire rooms, and hull. The Cargo is just one more place it can drop.
How many Research Points does it give?
Community screenshots consistently show 1,000 points. Embark has not published an official table, so treat it as player-reported.
Can I craft anything with it?
No. Unlike the Frigate Inductor, the Diagnostic Node is not a recipe ingredient. Its only use is being studied for Research Points.
Which map is best for farming it?
Buried City and Pendola Pass give the quickest access to the Reclaimers. Dam Battlegrounds is the weakest option.
What happens if I die with it?
It drops with your loot and another Raider can pick it up. Put it in your Safe Pocket as soon as it hits your inventory.
Is the Frigate Diagnostic Node the same as the ARC Data Module?
No. The ARC Data Module gives around 200 Research Points and is also used in the Research Station Level 4 upgrade. The Diagnostic Node gives far more points and has no crafting use.
