6 ms·
For airplanes flying at high altitudes with modern computers, random bit flips from comsmic radiation is actually a very real threat that has to be considered.
by tirpen 7y ago
For airplanes flying at high altitudes with modern computers, random bit flips from comsmic radiation is actually a very real threat that has to be considered. IIRC there's about a factor of about 300x more radiation at 30000 ft and 900x at 60000 ft.
Core memory is a lot less sensitive to this than most memory types, so it makes some sense to store the most flight critical data in such a memory.
- adrianN 7y agoThe sensible way to deal with bit flips is a gratuitous amount of ECC.
- akiselev 7y agoECC doesn't help when you have an EMP caused by an atmospheric nuclear detonation. Those are the kinds of things the design has to consider.
- devonkim 7y agoMakes me why we don’t count NASA under DoD similar to DARPA to help with their funding.
- mikeash 7y agoNASA exists to be the civilian side of the US’s aerospace ventures. The military side is the Air Force.
- wolfgke 7y ago> NASA exists to be the civilian side of the US’s aerospace ventures. The military side is the Air Force. Not the Space Force? > https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/briannasacks/trump-space-force https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/briannasacks/trump-spac... ;-)
- Kadin 7y agoThe point of NASA was to create an agency for non-military aerospace development, while ARPA was supposed to handle military applications. I think Eisenhower thought that this would insulate NASA from postwar budget cuts and make its funding more secure rather than less. In retrospect, Eisenhower was a hell of an optimist.
- 0xffff2 7y agoIn addition to NASA's explicitly non-military nature, we do actually maintain some relationship with our USAF counterparts. When it makes sense to do so, we're happy to work on mutually beneficial projects.
- floatboth 7y agoBut wouldn't that fuck up the processors as well as memory anyway?
- NortySpock 7y agoIn flight reboot
- m463 7y agoDepends if the vacuum tubes are shielded. ;)
- JudgeWapner 7y agoor a lead liner? I know lead and aircraft don't mix, but a thin lead shield over just the computing boards shouldn't add too much weight, should it?