Most stable CPU

[ToiletDuck]

Ok guys I'm designing something that needs to be small and stable. CPU mhz isn't the biggest of issues. What I am doing is trying to design a touchscreen system for general aviation aircraft that can talk to the instruments and relay all information to the system. So what I decide to use must be very stable. I was sitting in a Bonanza aircraft the other day that's system used a 133mhz pentium and WINDOWS!!!!!! It used windows as an os. That is unacceptable for aircraft. Now I know the whole thing about what is required to get things certified. I'm almost an instrument rated pilot. However right now I am in the research stage. So what I'm looking for are the following.

1) Very stable processor that generates low heat. I've heard about the VIA processors being very low heat. Let me know what you think. Keep in mind the system doesn't have to be mhz right.

2) Smallest motherboard to support the chip.

3) I'll probably be looking at using a regular harddrive. I'd like to also make it a flight data recorder. Basically records all information relayed to it from the aircraft.

4) Small LCD touchscreen so it's easier for the pilots to use.

I've basically already got the touchscreen and such picked. What I'm thinking about more now is the processor, harddrives, motherboard, and how to power the unit off aircraft batteries. The lower the pull the better.

As far as harddrive's go I'll take any Ideas. I was thinking about using a micro drive for weight reasons. I don't know about their heat output though. Anyone have one? Once connected the drives would be connected in an enclosure that is filled with wax. This is what they do for black box's. Allows it to take upwards of 400g's. Of course this all has a long ways to go however if I could design it and present just a half @ss version of it by the end of the year my professor might give me an A.

[Sterculus]

Well the VIA processors all come with mini-ITX boards which are 17CM square, so that might help with any size constraints. Also, some of them only have passive cooling. I don't know what you would do for a touch-screen, try asking around in the Image and Display devices forum and maybe alternative modding.
Good luck!

[Tyranos]

Well, last time I checked, a bonanza doesn't NEED a computer system like that anyway. Believe me, my whole family has been entwined with aviation for generations. Well, if the 133mhz pent and windows was working, why change it? They use even older stuff in the space shuttles. I think stability is dependant on other variables. Maybe try a dlt3c 1700 underclocked to like 1.1v? You might be able to cool it passively at that point. A good matx motherboard should do as well.

Points of interest:

- Weight, balance.
- Where are you going to mount this? There isn't any room under the instrument panel.
- You have to get this approved by the FAA. The instruments will have to be electrical/digital, and you'll have to tap into many signal lines. No faa approval, no mechanic will touch it.
- Twins usually put out 24v, single engine bonanzas are usually 12v from the alt.

I'll post some other stuff if it comes to me. Good luck :)

[Helgaiden]

Get a laptop hardrive and use a converter to make it usable on the non-laptop mobo. That'll help with your size limits. (thats if you go via.)

i got this idea from someone out there who turned his nintendo into a computer. He was using the via stuff and the type of HD and HD converter i just stated. Small enough for ya?

[da-gokesta]

why would you go about building this? is it a new panel? i know that in our king air we only have one tube and its a combination for the gps and the radar. other than that everything is dials. so i dont really see how this would work.

and in the same manner, if you have instruments new enough to interface then why ould you be needing an additional computer in the plane? all it would do is add weight thus reducing load and/or fuel=range

[ToiletDuck]

As far as a place to mount it goes there are several. And no aircraft NEEDS it but they do help. And of course to get it approved but the FAA means that it will ahve to meet their requirements and until that happens when I'm done designing it I'll just slap experimental on teh side of the aircraft and designate to the FAA that the aircraft is being used to test an instrument as secondary. Right now 24v and 12v power aren't an issue. Weight and balance could easily be calculated. As far as the kingair reference goes the whoel reason of working on something like this is.

A) why build your own computer when you can buy it.(I build)
B) Learn more about instruments and what they do.
C) if the instrument is deamed worthy of ever actually making it into an airplane then it could take the place of the GPS headset and use the GPS reciever to communicate with it. Then with a nice moving map. RPM. Manifold pressure. Altimeter. DG. and VSI all plugged into it. Should make an interesting instrument to help step over to complete digital setup. It's fun to try and do things. Why do people build their own planes? Right now if you walk out to our hanger you will find aircraft that run on just about every type of fuel. And when I say that I mean one plan can run on everything from diesel, biodiesel, gas, av-gas, ethanol, and hydranol(ethanol with about 17% water in it, can go up to 33% but at 17% we see less polution and more horsepower). We also do air polution sampling with equipment that we built ourselves for the state of Texas using a twin otter. We also do things like custom modify aircraft for the manufacturers(we have a pitts that is just crazy) and test turbo prop engines on our test stand. And this year we are starting a masters program with England, France, Italy, and Brazil where we exchange students and work on stuff like this. Colleges make solar cars to race across Australia when there are perfectly good chevy's on the road already that are faster and stronger. Sometimes it's just a learning experience, fun, and exciting to "think outside the box" and see what you can come up with.

[bulk88]

For thearetical stability I would get the lowest speed of a INTEL processor core (not p4 but williamete, not athlon xp but throughbred b, for example) with the newest week code. Or the next higher speed after the slowest but with a old week code. If your really KRAZY about stability call IBM and ask them what processors (say "solutions") they can offer.

[ToiletDuck]

lol i like the IBM part. yea for something to work in an aircraft it basically needs zero downtime. However it gets restarted every few hours and only runs a few selected applications. No user interfierance really (spelling)

[Lt. Max]

maybe you can get your hands on a p4M, i hear those make very little heat, but a via would probably be best as far as size/low heat

max

[gamefoo21]

get a p4m my 2ghz puts out like 32w's of heat :eek: thats less than my tualition at 1.4 with a 1.444 vcore at 35w.

[funnyperson1]

What about the cpus intel produces for pdas I believe they are called strongarms?

[bulk88]

Originally posted by funnyperson1
What about the cpus intel produces for pdas I believe they are called strongarms?
1st are you good in C++ programing, if you are, pay 2k-5k for a WinCE delveloper kit

If not, use linux (more complicated but less programing).

[bulk88]

Originally posted by gamefoo21
get a p4m my 2ghz puts out like 32w's of heat :eek: thats less than my tualition at 1.4 with a 1.444 vcore at 35w.
Wow, but I belive the P4 mobiles use a different socket than the desktop p4s. Something like the P3 mobiles.

[dustybyrd]

Wow, but I belive the P4 mobiles use a different socket than the desktop p4s. Something like the P3 mobiles.


p4 mobiles are based on the same socket as the desktops...however, the newer mobile centrinos are not...

[Caffinehog]

Honestly, a good coppermine celeron is probably right up your alley. Underclock from 100fsb to 66fsb (if your board supports it) for lower heat output.

Most importantly for stability? Linux. While I prefer windows, I regularly see linux machines that haven't been rebooted in over a year.

[KuNFuSHuN]

hmmm

[bulk88]

Originally posted by dustybyrd



p4 mobiles are based on the same socket as the desktops...however, the newer mobile centrinos are not...

What do you mean by "newer" Pentium Ms don't use the p4 desktop socket?

[dustybyrd]

What do you mean by "newer" Pentium Ms don't use the p4 desktop socket?


the newest intel mobile chips are called "centrinos" and they use a different socket than p4's...thus they can't be used in a standard p4 socket 470 board...

the other p4 mobile chips can run in a socket 470 board...the only difference between those chips and the desktop chips is the lack of a heatspreader...which you don't need