Re: Can a computer virus kill the CPU?

Sebastian Gottschalk wrote:
OK, and why should spacecraft designers care for computers that are only
used on earth's ground?

Again, the word is reliability. Designs must be functionally well
proven AND use parts that are 'fully qualified'. Speed of computer
chip is not as important as design been well proven AND money already
spent to have a part 'fully qualified'.

Any complicated computations are better performed on earth.

Again, electronics for different environments - space, military, or
retail - have different parameters. Furthermore, most all electronics
is redundant. Function of an IC for military or aerospace is more
often a same function found previously in retail products. IC
certified for harsh environments may take many years to eventually be
'fully qualified'. By that time, hardware is considered obsolete in a
retail marketplace.

Meanwhile, a legacy from retail designs (ie hardware that is not
harmed by software) is later incorporated in those 'harsh environment'
designs. 'High tech' contains mostly legacy designs with a few
innovations. If a completely new design is defective (if software can
harm the hardware), then the concept called legacy corrects that
problem and verifies it does not happen again. Then hardware is ready
for other environments. Again, the word is reliability.

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