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This system consists of a large panel of microphasers, each individually mounted. Each of these phasers is designed to fire at a different frequency, and to alter that frequency several times per second. Although this is inefficient as a damage mechanism, it allows the ship on which it is mounted to test possible shield frequencies of their opponents very quickly. Once found, all weapons can be set to that frequency for shield penetration.
This system is not without drawbacks, however. In addition to requiring a large amount of power, the system is far from fool-proof or effecient. Due to the near-infinate number of possible shield settings, it would take 2.5 hours to scan every possible frequency. Although it is quite likely that the frequency will be found before that time, there is no guarantee that it will be quick.
Also, although very few shields are set up to easily change frequency, if the frequency is changed the results are invalidated and the scan must be restarted. In addition, it is not necessarily possible to tell that the frequency has shifted, making the task of determining frequency even more complicated.
Because of these drawbacks, little funds have gone into researching this technology, and it is unlikly it will become practical enough to be a standard feature on any class of ships for some years to come.
~Jeremy Lennert, Simon Dark of the 7th Fleet