Skip to comments.
Mars Rover Recovering From Memory Problems
New Scientist ^
| 1-28-2004
| David L Chandler
Posted on 01/28/2004 8:35:05 AM PST by blam
click here to read article
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-40, 41-60, 61-76 next last
1
posted on
01/28/2004 8:35:09 AM PST
by
blam
To: blam
Testing on Monday and Tuesday suggests that it is not the flash memory itself that is at fault, but the software's file-handling system. Unbeknownst to the engineers, there seems to be a limit on the number of files that can be simultaneously stored in the flash memory, even though the overall memory capacity is not full. Good grief! This isn't Rocket Surgery y'know!
2
posted on
01/28/2004 8:42:04 AM PST
by
Tallguy
(Does anybody really think that Saddam's captor really said "Pres. Bush sends his regards"?)
To: blam
On the JPL site this am, they said that Spirit transmitted 2 pictures overnight. They were optimistic for the recovery.
3
posted on
01/28/2004 8:44:49 AM PST
by
Lokibob
(All typos and spelling errors are mine and copyrighted!!!!)
To: blam
So as I understand it we sent a probe to a planet millions of miles away and never bothered to have some computer geeks do a dry run of the hardware and software before we sent it?
Is there any reasonable explanation for not having run some continuous testing before we shot this sucker into space?
4
posted on
01/28/2004 8:47:43 AM PST
by
Bikers4Bush
(Constitution party here I come. Write in Tancredo in 04'!)
To: Lokibob
Need to use the move command instead of copy.
5
posted on
01/28/2004 8:49:37 AM PST
by
js1138
To: Bikers4Bush
Is there any reasonable explanation for not having run some continuous testing before we shot this sucker into space?Yeah, and you have to wait 1-1/2 years for the darned things to arrive at Mars after launching, too! Just what were the so-called systems experts doing during that time? Twiddling their thumbs?
BTW, most operating systems have a limit when it comes to the number of files. So why should the Rover's OS be any different?
6
posted on
01/28/2004 8:51:07 AM PST
by
Tallguy
(Does anybody really think that Saddam's captor really said "Pres. Bush sends his regards"?)
To: Bikers4Bush
Is there any reasonable explanation for not having run some continuous testing before we shot this sucker into space?
No, the explaination is not reasonable, but troubling. The rovers were designed to last 90 days, (and travel 8 months). The longest test was 9 days! NASA is still infested by "faster, cheaper". I can't even imagine who would be dumb enough to let these guys send them to Mars!
7
posted on
01/28/2004 8:51:55 AM PST
by
brownsfan
(I didn't leave the democratic party, the democratic party left me.)
To: blam
Rovezhiemer's?
8
posted on
01/28/2004 8:53:56 AM PST
by
N. Theknow
(Be a glowworm, a glowworm's never glum, cuz how can you be grumpy when the sun shines out your bum.)
To: blam
I couldn't imagine the latency involved with uploading the software fix.
How long do you think that it takes a packet to reach the Mars Rover from Earth?
9
posted on
01/28/2004 8:54:19 AM PST
by
lormand
(Dead People Vote DemocRAT)
To: blam
As a hardware designer, I could've told NASA that nine out of ten of these problems are software:)
To: blam
"Where am I? Who am I?"
11
posted on
01/28/2004 8:57:17 AM PST
by
BigWaveBetty
(Won't you please, won't you please, please won't you be my neighbor?)
To: blam
12
posted on
01/28/2004 8:58:18 AM PST
by
Slicksadick
(Miserable failure = http://www.michaelmoore.com/ put it in your tagline too)
To: blam; js1138
SHEESH! First of all, this is GREAT NEWS, and then, its is BAD NEWS.
Great news is that the Spirit is Lifted!
Bad news is that some IDIOT forgot to check this out BEFORE LAUNCH, or heck, even in transit!
Dear numbnutz, its mv, not cp!
13
posted on
01/28/2004 8:59:02 AM PST
by
Paradox
(Cogito ergo Doom.)
To: Bikers4Bush
Its not a matter of dry run of the hardware or software, its the fact that despite the best efforts of thousands of individuals, all for the most part highly intelligent, unforseen situations arrise.....
This is very common in software, to find problems in underlying systems that are not documented or known or even acknowleged by the manufacturer, or other underlying system.
Or even if documented aren't really considered because no one bothered to consider the contingency.
Fortunately it appears salvagable which is good... the other rovers heater though, now that's going to drain the batteries long before it should.. I hope they get that resolved quickly.
To: Tallguy
"But if, as it appears, the problem is a previously unrecognized limit on the number of files that can be stored in the craft's flash memory, then Opportunity's data collection and file management can be planned to prevent the problem."
It sounds like more of a problem in the flash memory's file limitation. It could be as simple as the programmer not reading the specs on the memory, or the memory manufacturer may have mis-published the spec, or it may be an undocumented feature(bug) in the memory that the manufacturer was unaware of.
So far they have handled this very well IMO. Mariner 1 was blown up at launch by the range safety officer when it flew off course at launch because of a misplayed comma in the guidance coding.
15
posted on
01/28/2004 9:04:04 AM PST
by
DeepDish
(This space for rent.)
To: blam
Almost sounds like they are using the MSDOS FAT filesystem, which has a limit of 512 files in the root directory.
Memory cards like those found in digital cameras use FAT. (Which is probably why Microsoft recently decided to assert it's patent on FAT - it seemed odd because DOS is obsolete, but the FAT filesystem is used in lots of places.)
To: blam
I seem to recall a limitation in DOS that there was a maximum number of files that could be stored in the root directory. Therefore you had to make subdirectories to circumvent this limitation. Deja vu?
17
posted on
01/28/2004 9:05:09 AM PST
by
NCjim
To: DeepDish
misplayed=misplaced oops!
Sorry about the spelling but when the misplaced comma misplayed the program the mission was lost.
18
posted on
01/28/2004 9:08:34 AM PST
by
DeepDish
(This space for rent.)
To: Post Toasties
As a hardware designer, I could've told NASA that nine out of ten of these problems are software:)As a software designer (lightweight) I am amused by the prospect that software can be repaired and rebuilt from millions of miles away.
This looks to me like a classic off-by-one error in allocating memory for the file allocation table. We shall see. Either that or they simply assumed that file memory would fill up before there were too many files for the index.
19
posted on
01/28/2004 9:08:52 AM PST
by
js1138
To: HamiltonJay
Its not a matter of dry run of the hardware or software, its the fact that despite the best efforts of thousands of individuals, all for the most part highly intelligent, unforseen situations arrise.....
I respectfully disagree. I don't think the proper effort was given to "dry runs". I think that testing was pushed aside, 9 days isn't enough. On a larger scale, I'm concerned that NASA no longer has the dedication and drive to work "miracles" as it once did. Here's hoping they get both rovers repaired. I support NASA's mission, I'm just not sure about the current NASA administration.
20
posted on
01/28/2004 9:08:57 AM PST
by
brownsfan
(I didn't leave the democratic party, the democratic party left me.)
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-40, 41-60, 61-76 next last
Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson