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posted by CoolHand on Sunday May 03 2015, @01:37AM   Printer-friendly
from the shutdown-and-restart dept.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/05/01/787_software_bug_can_shut_down_planes_generators/

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a new airworthiness directive (PDF) for Boeing's 787 because a software bug shuts down the plane's electricity generators every 248 days.

“We have been advised by Boeing of an issue identified during laboratory testing,” the directive says. That issue sees “The software counter internal to the generator control units (GCUs) will overflow after 248 days of continuous power, causing that GCU to go into failsafe mode.”

When the GCU is in failsafe mode it isn't making any power. That'll be bad news if all four of the GCUs aboard a 787 were powered up at the same time, because all will then shut down, “resulting in a loss of all AC electrical power regardless of flight phase.”

And presumably also turning the 787 into a brick with no power for its fly-by-wire systems, lighting, climate control or in-flight movies. The fix outlined in the directive is pretty simple: make sure you turn the GCUs off before 248 days elapse. Boeing is working on a fix and the FAA says “Once this software is developed, approved, and available, we might consider additional rulemaking.”

For now, before you board a 787 it's probably worth asking the pilot if he can turn it off and turn it on again.

 
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  • (Score: 2) by nightsky30 on Sunday May 03 2015, @11:00PM

    by nightsky30 (1818) on Sunday May 03 2015, @11:00PM (#178262)

    I'm intrigued! How are these coffee ducks powered? What's the catch? There's no DRM preventing third party ducks is there?

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  • (Score: 4, Funny) by rts008 on Monday May 04 2015, @05:21AM

    by rts008 (3001) on Monday May 04 2015, @05:21AM (#178323)

    Coffee Ducks are powered by by the desire to make pretty whirlpools in the mugs.

    The catch is, well mainly, they're hard to find, much less catch; and they are really small (half the size of a marshmellow peep, but coffee ducks don't melt in hot coffee).

    Yes there is very strong DRM(Duck Realistic Measure) applied to these coffee ducks. Physicisists have determined that in the average 6 ounce coffee mug, there is room for two. Use a bigger mug, then go crazy.

    Third party ducks?
    That's entirely up to you, but I highly disrecommend that route for two(among many) main reasons:

    1) It's next to impossible to train other ducks to swimm in hot coffee, and the always try to fly off on vacation with their flock half the year.
    2) Using a coffee mug big enough for a Mallard makes for a very unweildy travel mug that's rather costly to fill up, and refills will empty your wallet as quick as the hypothetical 'wife' I've heard of.

    Also keep in mind a lot of governments frown on ducknapping migratory water fowl, but YMMV.
    Coffee Ducks are not migratory due to the simple fact that they are incapable of flying with the 'coffee stirrer' shaped wings, so no worries!
    They are not protected, or regulated, because they breed like guppies.

    If you decide to go after your own, bone up on your snipe hunting techniques. Good Luck!