Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site ttidcc.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!bellcore!decvax!linus!philabs!ttidca!ttidcc!hollombe
From: hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath)
Newsgroups: net.columbia
Subject: Re: On-board computers
Message-ID: <221@ttidcc.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 13-Mar-86 14:21:46 EST
Article-I.D.: ttidcc.221
Posted: Thu Mar 13 14:21:46 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 15-Mar-86 20:50:22 EST
References: <150@sdics.UUCP>
Reply-To: hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath)
Organization: The Cat Factory
Lines: 24
Summary: 

In article <150@sdics.UUCP> wargo@sdics.UUCP (Dave Wargo) writes:
>One question I had was this. The radio said that NASA could get a
>better idea of what went on in the final seconds of the flight from
>the onboard recorders and the computers.

>Even if the computers had not had there bits scattered (ie broken
>pcb's) what info would be left after power was stopped?

The Shuttle computers have non-volatile main memory.  Cycling power on  and
off  doesn't  affect  it's data contents.  This caused much confusion among
new programmers (e.g: me) at Rockwell's lab in Downey, who were used to  no
power  ==  no  memory.  (  :-)  It also caused much amusement among the old
hands).

The effects of sea-water, on the other  hand,  are  less  predictable,  but
certainly not beneficial.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe)
Citicorp(+)TTI
3100 Ocean Park Blvd.     Geniuses are people so lazy they
Santa Monica, CA  90405   do everything right the first time.
(213) 450-9111, ext. 2483
{philabs,randvax,trwrb,vortex}!ttidca!ttidcc!hollombe