I can see a lot of advantages in multicore processors like these. I wonder though about the fault tolerance for a device that uses two cores and compares the results? I would think 3 cores and voting the odd one out might be slightly more expensive but better. Along those same lines the fault tolerance and ability to function in a degraded state might be really useful as well. Sensor failure or errors related to the sensors need to be accommodated as well in a fault tolerant manner.
I am a bit leary of simply adding in more redundancy. That can also lead to more failures. Correct me if I am wrong but 2 controllers with 99% reliability each when coupled are they not then 98% reliable?
In general I learned it was better to design systems with greater reliability, test it and prove it historically in production. Then only add additional redundancy if it was really required. Some systems required redundancy as a matter of course in terms of availability for maintenance and mission critical applications. Perhaps others can weigh in on this and explain this subject a little better.
I suppose part of this is the diffference between redundant and backup components? When I served on US Navy ships we had three steam driven turbogenerators for redundancy and a diesel generator for backup. But we had only one main engine. I know the costs figure into this as well as they always do.
Two controllers, if they are truly ustilizing multi-pathing, would actually act in parallel and would be more reliable. R = 1-(1-R)^n so to the extent they are completely seperate ( which nothing ever truly is) they would approximate R=.9999!
As energy efficiency becomes more and more a concern for makers of electronics devices, researchers are coming up with new ways to harvest energy from sound vibration, footsteps, and even electromagnetic fields in the air.
The government wants to study your brain, and DARPA wants to use similar information to give robots true autonomy beyond any artificial intelligence developed to date. Sound like science fiction? It's not.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 3
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
To save this item to your list of favorite Design News content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
If you found this interesting or useful, please use the links to the services below to share it with other readers. You will need a free account with each service to share an item via that service.
Tweet This
1 
