Hi, Guys,
I heard on one report on CNN, when they talked about Hubble's new
80486-based computers, that NASA has a rule that a processor must have a
track record of total reliability lasting a full four years before they will
use it. This will explain much of the reason for the 80486 CPU's in
Hubble's new computers. These are not specially-designed 80486 units made
new and specific for the telescope.
Think about it. The oldest Pentium-class CPU's that did not have that
famous Intel math divide-by-to-the-nineth-place bug were made in 1996, only
three years old at most by the time that the Hubble's new computers were
being assembled.
Another consideration is power, since Hubble is powered by rechargeable
batteries and small solar pannels. The more memory you have, the more power
you need. The faster the processor, the more power you need. It has only
been since the last half of 1998 and 1999 that Intel, and especially AMD,
have developed small form-factor, low-power-requiring, low heat-generating
Pentium-Class processors. Even so, they still draw more battery power than
Laptop-suitable 486 processors.
Between power and heat considerations and NASA's four-year reliability track
record requirement, you now know why Hubble only has 486 computers. Maybe
toward the end of 2001 or some time in 2002, Hubble might get Pentium 233 or
Pentium 300-class processors in its computers, and they might even give him
16 MB of memory and new-technology longer-lasting batteries.
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Brent Reynolds, Atlanta, GA USA
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