Fw: [TenTec] Programming bugs

[Stuart Rohre]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Stuart Rohre" <rohre at arlut.utexas.edu>
To: "George, W5YR" <w5yr at att.net>; <tentec at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, June 13, 2003 2:45 PM
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Programming bugs


> George, good points, but with 3 Icom 756 Pro IIs (or more) in our lab
> programs for various telemetry projects;
> I HAVE seen inconsistent, undocumented problems with two of them, so I
> remain unconvinced the Icom is any better tested then Orion.
>
> Pushed to some limits, I believe a given user can find a problem with some
> way he uses any radio.   Certainly our near by overload of the Icom by
> digital transmissions was an extreme operating condition not suffered in
the
> usual ham home use.  The other failure was also with  digital formats.
> They push the design of any radio  Now, manufacturers do have to
anticipate
> how hams will use their radios; but hams have an uncanny talent for trying
> just that much more than even the best design department can anticipate.
>
> It is a good observation that how do you test software for every possible
> signal condition and band performance in a time of changing propagation
and
> the rush to market?  That is pretty hard to model and no model beats on
the
> air use, (and abuse).  The amount of testing to cover every condition and
> eventuality may be too costly to implement.   Sales departments are always
> trying to push product, (not just ham radios) out the door; engineering is
> saying, "wait, just one more thing to try"----
> We see it in the research lab with problems in $100,000 instrumentation.
> About the time I modify them to work well, the equipment is replaced with
> another $100,000 box with another set of problems.
>
> My overall view is that society is beginning to accept software bugs in
> order to enjoy the many things you can do with computers (when they work
> right), that you could not do years ago.  That goes against a lot of our
> quality oriented souls; but seems to be a trade off that industry has made
> and the marketplace has supported more than it has condemned.  The
> occasional "blue screen" seems to be casually accepted in the bigger
scheme
> of many applications we could not enjoy before.
>
> Looking back, maybe software bugs are today like the background hum we all
> accepted in the tube receivers.  Just that little nag that you can't seem
to
> get rig of.
>
> That is another reason, I like a radio mostly being a radio with minimal
> appearances of being a computing device. ;-)
>
> 73, Stuart K5KVH
>
>