Year 2000 (Y2K) Embedded Systems & Infrastructure Problem Message Board

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Year 2000 (Y2K) Embedded Systems & Infrastructure Problem

Public Reply Prvt Reply Mark as Last Read File

Previous 10 Next 10 Previous Next

To: C.K. Houston who wrote (13)	1/25/1998 10:43:00 AM
From: K. M. Strickler	Read Replies (1) of 618

C.K. I have been following with interst the Y2K problem and have found in this discussion an area that I had not really considered, that of the imbedded microsoftware in plant manufacture et al. My question would be "Why would the year be necessary"? I can understand day of week and month, and hour an second, but why would it make a difference to an oil pipeline if it was 12/31/99 or 1/1/00? In a 'stamping plant; the date '99' or '00' is just a method for 'marking' a product. In the case of a product that is stamped for usability (medicine), this is for information only for the user, the product doesn't know from date, but in 30 days will be no good. It was my impression that the problem really occurs when the year field is used in a calculation, ie 1999 - 1960 = 99-60=39, when the calculation goes to 2000, it looks like 00-60=-40! Many calculation streams cannot handle a negative number. (Could if error handling had been in place, but the handling might just be able to halt the program until intervention.) Would you post an example of the type of imbedded failure you are looking at please. K.M.

Report TOU Violation

Share This Post

Public Reply Prvt Reply Mark as Last Read File

Previous 10 Next 10 Previous Next