Re: starship-design: HIGHLY OPTIMIZED TOLERANCE

[Ben Franchuk <bfranchuk@jetnet.ab.ca>]

STAR1SHIP@aol.com wrote:
> 
> As my first PC was a Commadore 64, they were masters at minimum code writing.
> They were doing thing with games, multimedia (video toaster) that only
> recently bloated code on present humongous PCs are doing. It would seem that
> you need to focus on your instructional set and not chip technology to
> accomplish what you want, Basic computer architecture has remained the same
> with miniaturization (and the increased speed with it) being the main
> progress. That not done by hardware can usually be done by software.
>
A Coco fan myself, but I have did some work with a vic-20 to run some
VCR players for a comunity channel a lang time ago.
 
>
> True. I use analog computer processors for ship guidance. This inertial
> guidance system takes data from sensor input, processes it in real time and
> delivers the output analog data to the control servos. A robust method that
> eliminates the fragility of present slow miniaturized processor chip
> technology.
>

Providing speed is not a requiment, I like the idea of digital encoding
of analog data to pulse width modulation. 


> Massive failures (rare) in any or many of the parallel processors (100 in
> number) failed to bring the computer down. In a RAID type array each of 3
> instruction sets can be compared and the majority bit by "majority" vote sent
> to the central processor for actual use. This and other techniques would
> allow such a space faring computer to obtain many bit destroying cosmic
> collisions without destroying the integrality of the data and its primary
> function.

The majority bit is good idea, but what if during a write to memory
a glitch sets or clears other random cells in them memory array?
Error correcting does nothing if you get a burst of errors.


> Example: Oxide memory storage disks can have many holes (from cosmic
> collisions) in coating and still work as the bad spots are mapped and the
> data written to and beyond the hole and retrieved in the same manner. Any
> storage device with the redundant data comparison instruction set can route
> and go around a faulty chip address in the parallel set allowing the data
> processing integrity. Wriiteable CD storage devices would be less susceptible
> to magnetic storms encountered and the same repairable redundancy technology
> be used. Since present hard drive technology available for retail have their
> heads flying in air of the oxide (or other surface) they are not useful and
> crash in the vacuum of space. That is a fixable problem with pressurization
> though hard to maintain with robotic probes. (again micro meteor collision)

> 
 This looks like a quick fix needed with scotch tape...
Really, check slashdot out for a writable tape storage system.
You can add air for your hard drive to work, then seal the unit.
A write once product might be just as useful if the computer processing
is mostly control, rather than general computing.

> 
> Ok, but I will just use a joy stick and throttle sensors from my analog
> computer. As the human brain is one of the best and biggest analog computers
> around (especially mine ;=)), I will take 20 other brains from
> starship-design list or clone of mine with me for redundancy. :=)
>
That explains why everybody walks around with that glazed look in their
eyes and the hole in the skull and "Yes Master" is all they can say.
 
 
> Each of the twenty crew members will have three (one operating) PC's net
> worked together but each capable of operating independently to handle all
> ship computer needs.

> Non manned supply ships are not
> limited by the constant 1 g acceleration required for human cargo and so can
> be accelerated to a constant 15 g before supply integrity fails.
> 

3 G's is the limit for many items,but most acceration would be .1g even
with fusion do to the problems of generating more acceration.


> Considering the frailty of space ship earth and the MAD atomic policy such a
> journey would seem most necessary to mankind's survival.
> 

True.

-- 
"We do not inherit our time on this planet from our parents...
 We borrow it from our children."
The Lagging edge of technology:
http://www.jetnet.ab.ca/users/bfranchuk/woodelf/index.html