4 ms·

why is it so old?

• umvi 6y ago
  The problem with using cutting edge hardware is that when you put it on another planet and a new issue with the hardware is discovered, you are hosed.
  • injb 6y ago
    Still, it's a little surprising that it's the same one used in the Curiosity Rover, which launched around 9 years ago iirc. Obviously the Curiosity rover didn't use the same one as the one from 9 years before that.
    • em3rgent0rdr 6y ago
      But it has proven itself and is plenty fast. You only need so much compute power to move your wheels and take photos.
• em3rgent0rdr 6y ago
  Article mentions two reasons: it's a proven design that is reliable. And it has been radiation hardened: > Mars’ atmosphere offers far less protection from harmful radiation and charged particles than Earth’s atmosphere. A bad burst of radiation can badly wreck the sensitive electronics of a modern processor — and the more complex the chip, the more can go wrong. Plus, at 138 million miles away, it’s not like NASA can just swap out the processor if things go sideways. > To make the system even more durable, the PowerPC 750 chip in Perseverance is a little different than the one in the old iMacs. It’s technically a RAD750 chip, a special variant that’s hardened against radiation and costs upwards of $200,000