On 12/09/2020 05:02, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
> On 11/09/2020 14:06, druck wrote:
>> On 11/09/2020 01:51, Martin Gregorie wrote:
>>> The point that really stood out on rereading it was the comment that it
>>> takes much longer to build the computers that control the spaceships and
>>> missiles than the build the hulls and engines - exactly the opposite of
>>> the current day when its faster and cheaper to build a car that uses
>>> digital electronics to link its throttle pedal to the engine or to
>>> control its gearbox than to fit a mechanical throttle linkage or use a
>>> mechanical automatic gearbox.
>>
>> Its not faster or cheaper at all, the exact opposite!
>>
>> The reason for fly-by-wire throttle and electronic gearbox control is
>> driving dynamics, fuel economy and emissions control.
>>
>> There is a lot of very expensive software in ECUs to get this right,
>> and it turns out even more expensive software to get it not right (if
>> you include fines and lawsuits).
>>
> Once written software costs nothing more than a ROM

Oh the nativity! Modern ECU software is not in ROM, and will be modified
and re-flashed many times the lifetime of a car. Particularly when cheat
modes need to be removed.

> And in fact the reason even the cheapest cars now have electric windows
> is that it is lighter and cheaper to do it that way.

But even more importantly it eliminates the need to safety test a second
mechanism for each car design.

---druck

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