tneff@dasys1.UUCP (Tom Neff) (10/10/88)
We've been talking about the 5 general purpose computers that run the Orbiter, how they're rather antiquated etc., and how other payload specific computers "hop a ride" now and then for non-critical applications. I just thought I'd mention that there is a "sixth computer" that does fly every mission, in the form of a "Compass" laptop from GRiD Systems of Mountain View CA. (Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with GRiD except as a customer -- we use their laptops for our salesmen in the field. This isn't meant to be an ad or a plug, just a bit of trivia.) If you remember the in-flight press conference or have a tape of it, you can see the Compass velcro'd down (surprisingly loosely!) atop the middeck storage rack, behind the crew as they face into the camera. It's got a black magnesium case in a clamshell configuration with a flip-up EL display. What do they run on it? Well one thing is that graphic orbit tracking display program people have been passing around "from NASA." I guess that's the only way people working in the middeck can keep up on their whereabouts. There were also plans to use it for a live electronic BBS-style conference from on orbit... guess what mission. :-( I gave a little help to one of the guys programming the laptop at the time, getting a VT100 emulator to run on it, but I have no idea what's happened since then. (It would still be a nice idea.) Oh yeah, why GRiD you ask? Simple, they were (and may still be) the only laptop maker with a radiation hardened version that passes MILSPEC. The Army is supposedly a big customer too. I guess even though the laptop doesn't have any life and death responsibilities like controlling the flaps and SSMEs, it would still be an expensive pain in the *** to get it zapped after repeated flights and mess up a middeck experiment or something. My GRiD salesman told me the only customization they had to perform was on the power supply, so it could run straight off the Shuttle's appliance bus. There were no fans to begin with, it cools via convection... this might be less effective on orbit, but the MILSPEC parts are hardier. -- Tom Neff UUCP: ...!cmcl2!phri!dasys1!tneff "None of your toys CIS: 76556,2536 MCI: TNEFF will function..." GEnie: TOMNEFF BIX: t.neff (no kidding)
phil@titan.rice.edu (William LeFebvre) (10/11/88)
Oh yeah. I had forgotten about that little guy. It doesn't have any actual control during flight, but I imagine that the crew considers it indispensable. There is room on the flight deck (to your right as you look out the payload bay windows) for a desktop-style computer. I understand that some missions carry them for certain on-board experiments. So there is newer computer technology on board the shuttle, it's just not used for direct control of the vehicle. I imagine that these other on board computers have helped them decide just what hardware will tolerate the unusual environment and what can be trusted in future versions of the GPCs. William LeFebvre Department of Computer Science Rice University <phil@Rice.edu>
cjl@ecsvax.uncecs.edu (Charles Lord) (10/11/88)
In article <6880@dasys1.UUCP>, tneff@dasys1.UUCP (Tom Neff) writes: > > What do they run on it? Well one thing is that graphic orbit tracking > display program people have been passing around "from NASA." I guess > that's the only way people working in the middeck can keep up on their > whereabouts. WHAT Program? Nobody passed anything around here. In fact, two posters have been asking for that kind of program. Where is it, and how about sending it to Rahul for posting in comp.binaries.ibm.pc! Cough it up, Tom! -- * Charles Lord ..!decvax!mcnc!ecsvax!cjl Usenet (old) * * Cary, NC cjl@ecsvax.UUCP Usenet (new) * * #include <std.disclamers> cjl@ecsvax.BITNET Bitnet * * #include <cutsey.quote> cjl@ecsvax.uncecs.edu Internet *