[HN Gopher] NASA's Curiosity Mars rover gets a major software up...
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NASA's Curiosity Mars rover gets a major software upgrade
Author : Tommstein
Score : 45 points
Date : 2023-04-14 20:18 UTC (2 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (phys.org)
(TXT) w3m dump (phys.org)
| cal85 wrote:
| I'd be curious to know some technical details on the deployment
| process, such as the byte size, how long it took to send, any
| unique challenges. It must be high stakes. Imagine if they
| accidentally bricked it with a bad update.
| replygirl wrote:
| From 2012: https://www.wired.com/2012/08/nasa-patch/
|
| This has likely changed, especially after this most recent
| update, but:
|
| > "The process took four days"
|
| > "On the first day of the software update, the team deployed a
| temporary version of the new software to the rover's primary
| computer. This version was only held in RAM so that the
| computer would revert back to the previous version when it
| restarted. This gave the team a chance to make sure everything
| was functioning properly. On the second day the team deployed a
| more permanent version of the update to the computer's file
| system. On the third day they deployed the temporary version to
| the backup computer and on the fourth day they deployed the
| permanent version to the backup computer."
|
| > "every interaction takes about 30 minutes: 14 minutes to send
| a signal to the rover in space, 14 minutes to get a response"
|
| > "it only took a few minutes for the software to actually
| install"
|
| ---
|
| On the hardware: https://venturebeat.com/business/sending-a-
| software-update-t...
|
| > "Curiosity Rover is powered by a pair of computers built by
| BAE Systems. These RAD750 computers use a 10-year-old IBM
| PowerPC microprocessor running at 132 megahertz. It has just
| 120 megabytes of random access memory... doesn't have enough
| memory for both the landing and surface missions"
|
| NASA have been using RAD750s since 2005, most recently on JWST.
| BAE has a successor in the RAD510, but it looks like NASA are
| switching from PowerPC to RISC-V with the SiFive X280:
| https://www.talospace.com/2022/09/the-rad750s-successor-look...
| replygirl wrote:
| > "Curiosity doesn't have a dedicated computer [so it can
| autonomously navigate during one continuous drive]. Instead, it
| drives in segments, halting to process imagery of the terrain
| after each segment... The new software will help the venerable
| rover process images faster"
|
| > "Curiosity's aluminum wheels... began showing signs of broken
| treads in 2013... sharp rocks were chipping away at the treads...
| The new software [introduces] two new mobility commands that
| reduce the amount of steering Curiosity needs to do while driving
| in an arc toward a specific waypoint."
|
| So the rover can cover more distance per unit time, with less
| tread wear per unit distance
|
| > "Those are just two of about 180 changes implemented"
|
| > "The software update will also enable them to upload software
| patches more easily than in past. And it will help engineers plan
| the motions of Curiosity's robotic arm more efficiently and point
| its "head" atop the mast more accurately."
| nashashmi wrote:
| I thought curiosity was done. Or was that a different Rover?
| wlesieutre wrote:
| Probably thinking of Opportunity which went dark in 2018 due to
| lack of insufficient power from its solar panels
|
| Curiosity is powered by an RTG so it seems like the wheels are
| its biggest risk of failure
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