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From: dsi1 on 18 Mar 2010 16:05
On 3/18/2010 8:30 AM, Michael wrote:
> 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!

That only comes with the Limited Edition Super LX model. :-) That's the
internet for you - we get uncredited "news" stories from god knows where
and assume it to be true. The fact that we're even talking about this
means that we'll give completely made up stories from some schlub the
same weight as carefully researched and fact verified news from
professional writers with some sense of journalistic ethics i.e., the truth.

I've never heard that electronics manufacturers were concerned with rays
from space unless, of course, you're talking about the aerospace or
military industry. If this were true, I'm sure Microsoft would be all
over this one as the reason for Windows crashing. Also, I have to come
clean - it was me that called the NHSTA last month and gave them that
"tip." What can I say? I was off my meds and my Faraday hat was on the
blink. :-)


From: jim on 18 Mar 2010 20:02


dsi1 wrote:

> I've never heard that electronics manufacturers were concerned with rays
> from space unless, of course, you're talking about the aerospace or
> military industry. If this were true, I'm sure Microsoft would be all
> over this one as the reason for Windows crashing.

I believe the theory of cosmic rays causing computer errors did come
from Microsoft. The error rate is something like one bit gets modified
in every 30,000 hours of operation. So it hardly explains every Windows
OS crash.

http://www.eetasia.com/ART_8800465344_499486_NT_468826c4.HTM

"This kind of forum is one way we can engage OEMs in what we
should do going forward," said Son VoBa, a principal program
manager in Microsoft's Windows Server group who led the panel
discussion. "ECC may be only one way to address the problem,"
he added. The single-bit errors are typically traced to the
effects of neutron radiation, so-called cosmic rays, bombarding
individual capacitors in a DRAM and changing their charge state.
DRAM makers say that effect has actually been diminishing over
time and the errors could have come from a variety of sources
including chipsets.
From: dsi1 on 18 Mar 2010 20:24
On 3/18/2010 2:02 PM, jim wrote:
>
>
> dsi1 wrote:
>
>> I've never heard that electronics manufacturers were concerned with rays
>> from space unless, of course, you're talking about the aerospace or
>> military industry. If this were true, I'm sure Microsoft would be all
>> over this one as the reason for Windows crashing.
>
> I believe the theory of cosmic rays causing computer errors did come
> from Microsoft. The error rate is something like one bit gets modified
> in every 30,000 hours of operation. So it hardly explains every Windows
> OS crash.
>
> http://www.eetasia.com/ART_8800465344_499486_NT_468826c4.HTM
>
> "This kind of forum is one way we can engage OEMs in what we
> should do going forward," said Son VoBa, a principal program
> manager in Microsoft's Windows Server group who led the panel
> discussion. "ECC may be only one way to address the problem,"
> he added. The single-bit errors are typically traced to the
> effects of neutron radiation, so-called cosmic rays, bombarding
> individual capacitors in a DRAM and changing their charge state.
> DRAM makers say that effect has actually been diminishing over
> time and the errors could have come from a variety of sources
> including chipsets.

Cool! Thanks!
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