Single Event Upsets: Cosmic radiation makes Toyota computers go haywire?
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From: Michael on 18 Mar 2010 14:30 On Mar 17, 8:43 pm, john <johngd...(a)hotmail.com> wrote: > Electronics makers have known for decades about "single event upsets," > computer errors from radiation created when cosmic rays strike the > atmosphere. > > With more than 3,000 complaints to U.S. regulators of random sudden > acceleration problems in Toyota models, several researchers say single > event upsets deserve a close look. > > The phenomenon can trigger software crashes that come and go without a > trace. Unlike interference from radio waves, there's no way to > physically block particles; such errors typically have to be prevented > by a combination of software and hardware design." > > And an anonymous tipster told NHTSA last month that "the automotive > industry has yet to truly anticipate SEUs." Additional undocumented feature: Toyota vehicles also act as neutrino detectors! Thanks!
From: Neo on 20 Mar 2010 15:14 On Mar 17, 11:43 pm, john <johngd...(a)hotmail.com> wrote: > Electronics makers have known for decades about "single event upsets," > computer errors from radiation created when cosmic rays strike the > atmosphere. > > With more than 3,000 complaints to U.S. regulators of random sudden > acceleration problems in Toyota models, several researchers say single > event upsets deserve a close look. > > The phenomenon can trigger software crashes that come and go without a > trace. Unlike interference from radio waves, there's no way to > physically block particles; such errors typically have to be prevented > by a combination of software and hardware design." > > And an anonymous tipster told NHTSA last month that "the automotive > industry has yet to truly anticipate SEUs." A general cosmic ray storm would likely affect all the other cars on the highway that use computers at the same time. Radiation particles that can move through RF shielding and insulated/shielded wiring that currently protect car computer would also like irradiate the driver and passengers of a car as well. Unlike a Electronic Magnetic Pulse - persistent radiation would leave a radiation residue not just on the car but on the driver/passenger - that is the exposed irradiated objects would likely be contaminated with radioactive particles that a geiger counter are radiation meter could detect. Another sign that they were exposed would be if the driver showed signs of radiation poisoning.
From: mcbrue on 25 Mar 2010 01:57 Ah so! Most honorable computer chips from Toyota made in Japan are most polite. Every time they see a cosmic ray go by, they bow. And every so often, when they bow, they knock an electron loose which rolls around in the circuits. And the electron is not honorable Japanese electron, so it is not polite and can do most embarassing and rude things. Now are you stupids understanding properly? Amelican cars are rude! So of course they do not fold up with the first little sign of radiation storms!
From: Paul Hovnanian P.E. on 25 Mar 2010 20:29 Whether its cosmic rays, your cell phone, or someone keying a nearby CB radio, the most probable cause of the subsequent 'sudden acceleration' is the software and how well it was written to handle errors. Either due to external events or unanticipated input conditions, all software will occasionally end up in some unanticipated state. The trick is to build in proper exception handling, including hardware watchdog circuitry to identify such errors and either restore the system to proper operation, or drive it into some safe 'limp home' state. -- Paul Hovnanian mailto:Paul(a)Hovnanian.com ------------------------------------------------------------------ 43rd Law of Computing: Anything that can go wr fortune: Segmentation violation -- Code dumped
From: Neo on 26 Mar 2010 23:48
On Mar 25, 1:57 am, mcbrue <mcb...(a)aol.com> wrote: > Ah so! Most honorable computer chips from Toyota made in Japan are > most polite. Every time they see a cosmic ray go by, they bow. And > every so often, when they bow, they knock an electron loose which > rolls around in the circuits. And the electron is not honorable > Japanese electron, so it is not polite and can do most embarassing and > rude things. Now are you stupids understanding properly? Amelican cars > are rude! So of course they do not fold up with the first little sign > of radiation storms! In comic book fashion, when cosmic rays go through a Japanese car - the car transforms into a autobot robot and its driver turns green and gets incredibly strong but very stupid - and say "Me Hulk very Mad - you don't want Hulk Mad!" :-P |