This isn't too surprising. There was a mars probe with a PlayStation CPU on it. They had to set it to specs for outer space. So it looks like a lot of companies are using gaming as QandA for militaries.
The SH-2 processor used on the Sega Saturn apparently is used in engine control units. I used to work on a space-rated system that used radiation-hardened Xilinx processors/FPGAs.
A lot of commodity electronics have variants intended for harsh environments (eg. radiation, extended temperature). Though it's not simply a matter of taking a consumer-grade design and changing a few part numbers and now you have something you can launch into space or put on a fighter jet. You have redundant components with redundant voting, special enclosures and coatings to deal with harsh environments and all kinds of other "fun" stuff.
Once we entered into the digital age that is undoubted true. A processor works on the same computing rules no matter what it is used for. Most of the arms manufacturers cannot make all of the chips types they need so they have to be contracted. It it not so much as gaming computing is Q/A, but that the manufacturing and Q/A processes perfected for commercial releases can be further tuned up to make chips for aerospace/military applications. Typically such use will select for the most flawless chips, having a such contracts that often don't depend on the economic cycle then enables the fabs a buffer for their bottom line. So the part where they become intertwined is not necessarily a knowledge relationship, but a money/capacity relationship (like most things).
Same with the Wii CPU. The radiation hardened version of the PowerPC 750 is relatively popular for spacecraft, which is the same architecture as the Broadway CPU.
This isn't too surprising. There was a mars probe with a PlayStation CPU on it. They had to set it to specs for outer space. So it looks like a lot of companies are using gaming as QandA for militaries.
The SH-2 processor used on the Sega Saturn apparently is used in engine control units. I used to work on a space-rated system that used radiation-hardened Xilinx processors/FPGAs.
A lot of commodity electronics have variants intended for harsh environments (eg. radiation, extended temperature). Though it's not simply a matter of taking a consumer-grade design and changing a few part numbers and now you have something you can launch into space or put on a fighter jet. You have redundant components with redundant voting, special enclosures and coatings to deal with harsh environments and all kinds of other "fun" stuff.
Yeah, it's not a direct PS1 part, but it's the basis.
Once we entered into the digital age that is undoubted true. A processor works on the same computing rules no matter what it is used for. Most of the arms manufacturers cannot make all of the chips types they need so they have to be contracted. It it not so much as gaming computing is Q/A, but that the manufacturing and Q/A processes perfected for commercial releases can be further tuned up to make chips for aerospace/military applications. Typically such use will select for the most flawless chips, having a such contracts that often don't depend on the economic cycle then enables the fabs a buffer for their bottom line. So the part where they become intertwined is not necessarily a knowledge relationship, but a money/capacity relationship (like most things).
I'm fairly certain it explains why PLaystation sales look odd compared to game sales.
Same with the Wii CPU. The radiation hardened version of the PowerPC 750 is relatively popular for spacecraft, which is the same architecture as the Broadway CPU.