4 ms·

This is a true takeaway. Redundancies are even layered - for example, there may be redundant computing modules, running redundant (and possibly independently d

by danjayh 12y ago

This is a true takeaway. Redundancies are even layered - for example, there may be redundant computing modules, running redundant (and possibly independently developed software). These computing modules may be multi-processor, have multiple banks of RAM and flash, etc ... but not used in the typical COTS way. Instead of being devoted to increasing computing power, they are devoted to ... you guessed it, redundancy. In highly critical hardware, you could physically remove one of the CPUs from the board while it was running, and the system would log a fault and keep on ticking without so much as a timing jitter. EDIT: Also, for those of you who don't mind working for a massive corporation instead of a startup, avionics is a fascinating niche of computing. It's what I do, and I love it :) They pay is a bit worse, but hey, I have a pension. It also helps that many aerospace companies are in lower cost of living areas than startups. More importantly, the problems of next-gen avionics are completely unique, unsolved, and engaging.

4ad 12y ago
Could you share your opinion on why do you think pay is lower? I would have expected otherwise, being a highly specialized and such critical niche.
- danjayh 12y ago
  Numerous factors. I work in the midwest, where the cost of living is dramatically lower (in fact, in terms of salary/cost of living, it may actually be better). You also trade in some potential returns for a large reduction in potential risk - I know that the company I work for will be around 10 years from now, probably even 100 years from now. Other benefits are better - paid time off, retirement benefits, etc. Many of the companies in the field are also somewhat prestigious - similar to landing a job at google or apple - so they have their pick of newgrads (which in itself doesn't account for the pay difference). Really, I think it all comes down to location. You can get a ~1500-2000sf house on 10 acres here within 30 minutes of work for $200-$300k. Crazy cheap compared to the west coast.
kika 12y ago
Boeing or LM? I worked for Tupolev - Tu-214D, auxiliary fuel system control module, which actually did D in the name (which means Dalnii, Long Range in Russian). My famous takeaway from these times was --- ARINC Report 431: No Fault Found – A Case Study provides the final report of AMC Task Group 116 formed to discover the causes of “No Fault Found” in avionics equipment during test. This standard identifies sources and provides recommendations for improvement. ---
- danjayh 12y ago
  Neither ... it's a subcontractor. Also your mention of ARINC brings to mind another thing - the business environment is way different than most of tech. Patent lawsuits are basically unheard of. Many of the companies within the field are not only competitors, but typically also partners in one or more ventures. The reason ARINC jogged that memory loose is that Rockwell Collins bought ARINC a while back, and then spun off the standards making division so as not to damage their credibility as the standards-creator for aviation. When I think of, say, mobile ... I just don't see those companies behaving that way.
  - kika 12y ago
    Exactly, I felt the same. I believe it (cooperation, attention to detail, much less hype and lawsuits, etc) is because of the responsibility. If I sue competing startup and they will get distracted and miss their scaling problem and begin to return 502 errors - herd will call me a "fighter", some call me "this jerk, who's smarter in the courtroom than at the keyboard", etc, VCs will like me, anyway, I win. If I sue someone making a competing ARINC interface, they get distracted, miss a race condition and then 502 people die... I also get distracted, and another 404 people die. Well, it's a little bit worse than 502 error. And there's so many training and so many manuals, books, anecdotes around how many people may die if we don't "put enough assert()s in our code" that you just stop thinking about hype and lawsuits and gold miners.

by danjayh 12y ago

4ad 12y ago

Could you share your opinion on why do you think pay is lower? I would have expected otherwise, being a highly specialized and such critical niche.

danjayh 12y ago
Numerous factors. I work in the midwest, where the cost of living is dramatically lower (in fact, in terms of salary/cost of living, it may actually be better). You also trade in some potential returns for a large reduction in potential risk - I know that the company I work for will be around 10 years from now, probably even 100 years from now. Other benefits are better - paid time off, retirement benefits, etc. Many of the companies in the field are also somewhat prestigious - similar to landing a job at google or apple - so they have their pick of newgrads (which in itself doesn't account for the pay difference). Really, I think it all comes down to location. You can get a ~1500-2000sf house on 10 acres here within 30 minutes of work for $200-$300k. Crazy cheap compared to the west coast.

kika 12y ago

Boeing or LM? I worked for Tupolev - Tu-214D, auxiliary fuel system control module, which actually did D in the name (which means Dalnii, Long Range in Russian). My famous takeaway from these times was --- ARINC Report 431: No Fault Found – A Case Study provides the final report of AMC Task Group 116 formed to discover the causes of “No Fault Found” in avionics equipment during test. This standard identifies sources and provides recommendations for improvement. ---

danjayh 12y ago
Neither ... it's a subcontractor. Also your mention of ARINC brings to mind another thing - the business environment is way different than most of tech. Patent lawsuits are basically unheard of. Many of the companies within the field are not only competitors, but typically also partners in one or more ventures. The reason ARINC jogged that memory loose is that Rockwell Collins bought ARINC a while back, and then spun off the standards making division so as not to damage their credibility as the standards-creator for aviation. When I think of, say, mobile ... I just don't see those companies behaving that way.
- kika 12y ago
  Exactly, I felt the same. I believe it (cooperation, attention to detail, much less hype and lawsuits, etc) is because of the responsibility. If I sue competing startup and they will get distracted and miss their scaling problem and begin to return 502 errors - herd will call me a "fighter", some call me "this jerk, who's smarter in the courtroom than at the keyboard", etc, VCs will like me, anyway, I win. If I sue someone making a competing ARINC interface, they get distracted, miss a race condition and then 502 people die... I also get distracted, and another 404 people die. Well, it's a little bit worse than 502 error. And there's so many training and so many manuals, books, anecdotes around how many people may die if we don't "put enough assert()s in our code" that you just stop thinking about hype and lawsuits and gold miners.