Thanks for the suggestions! We'll investigate futher. Planning on:
* check the wiring. You know what the electrical team is going to say if we ask if it's solid; of course it is!
Ethernet cables and connectors were already checked. They're in great shape.
* watch the process list for CPU usage and other culprits that may be hijacking packets
* try out another laptop
* dig deeper into the DS saved logs
The odd thing is for much of this, the DS should not have been sending or receiving very much data. The camera was disabled.
As for the voltage changes during packet loss, our lead programmer speculates that when the comm fails, the talons are cutting out and back in, causing a change in current draw. That's a plausible explanation but I don't want to assume it's definitely the case. I expect to have more info later tonight.