Comments on: Eclipse Software 1.01 Release 2 Patch 3b released, and solves the FADECs problem ! http://www.plasticpilot.net/blog/2008/06/27/eclipse-software-101-release-2-patch-3b-released-and-solves-the-fadecs-problem/ General Aviation and Aviation In General Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:02:37 +0100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: PlasticPilot.net Visiting the Pilatus Factory http://www.plasticpilot.net/blog/2008/06/27/eclipse-software-101-release-2-patch-3b-released-and-solves-the-fadecs-problem/comment-page-1/#comment-9474 PlasticPilot.net Visiting the Pilatus Factory Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:01:29 +0000 http://www.plasticpilot.net/blog/?p=688#comment-9474 [...] couple of months ago, Lorenzo left a comment on a post about the problems affecting the Eclipse FADECs software. As a safety engineer by Pilatus, he knows first hand what all of that is about. Pilatus… the [...] [...] couple of months ago, Lorenzo left a comment on a post about the problems affecting the Eclipse FADECs software. As a safety engineer by Pilatus, he knows first hand what all of that is about. Pilatus… the [...]

]]> By: PlasticPilot http://www.plasticpilot.net/blog/2008/06/27/eclipse-software-101-release-2-patch-3b-released-and-solves-the-fadecs-problem/comment-page-1/#comment-4576 PlasticPilot Sat, 28 Jun 2008 20:15:28 +0000 http://www.plasticpilot.net/blog/?p=688#comment-4576 @Lorenzo: Comment from a Pilatus guy... wow ! Being a software engineer myself, I agree with the black-box aspect of software. Safety methods and practices for software development exist and require huge amount of resources, to make sure that design is reviewed, software is tested agains its requirements - and not by the developper himself, and so on. But as it is a non-physical thing, inspecting it is not that easy. I don't want to bore the readers with the details and impacts of such methodologies, they could be the topic of a separate blog... @Jess: Oracle would be bad, but I can imagine worse... @Lorenzo: Comment from a Pilatus guy… wow ! Being a software engineer myself, I agree with the black-box aspect of software. Safety methods and practices for software development exist and require huge amount of resources, to make sure that design is reviewed, software is tested agains its requirements – and not by the developper himself, and so on. But as it is a non-physical thing, inspecting it is not that easy. I don’t want to bore the readers with the details and impacts of such methodologies, they could be the topic of a separate blog…

@Jess: Oracle would be bad, but I can imagine worse…

]]> By: Jess Sightler http://www.plasticpilot.net/blog/2008/06/27/eclipse-software-101-release-2-patch-3b-released-and-solves-the-fadecs-problem/comment-page-1/#comment-4548 Jess Sightler Sat, 28 Jun 2008 02:43:35 +0000 http://www.plasticpilot.net/blog/?p=688#comment-4548 I'm glad you were joking about the version. For a moment, I thought their software was written by Oracle! Then I realized that the Oracle FADEC would be 1.3.1.8.2.1.7. :-) I’m glad you were joking about the version. For a moment, I thought their software was written by Oracle!

Then I realized that the Oracle FADEC would be 1.3.1.8.2.1.7. :-)

]]> By: Lorenzo http://www.plasticpilot.net/blog/2008/06/27/eclipse-software-101-release-2-patch-3b-released-and-solves-the-fadecs-problem/comment-page-1/#comment-4539 Lorenzo Fri, 27 Jun 2008 20:28:29 +0000 http://www.plasticpilot.net/blog/?p=688#comment-4539 Hi, my compliments for the blog, very well done. As Safety Engineer working at Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. I felt I could add something to your discussion. I think that the big problem with software is that not only pilots don't understand how it works but also engineers have big troubles with it. Software IS a black box for everybody but the software engineer that designed it. It is extremely difficult to perform proper Safety Assessments on software and Common Causes are even more difficult to identify. I feel that the safety activities that are extremely well developed for standard, electro-mechanical systems are still to be further improved for software. Until then, incidents like the one reported for the Eclipse (and what about heathrow 777?), considered impossible from a theoretical point of view, will continue to happen and to make people worry about unpredictability of "digital world". Hi,

my compliments for the blog, very well done. As Safety Engineer working at Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. I felt I could add something to your discussion. I think that the big problem with software is that not only pilots don’t understand how it works but also engineers have big troubles with it. Software IS a black box for everybody but the software engineer that designed it. It is extremely difficult to perform proper Safety Assessments on software and Common Causes are even more difficult to identify. I feel that the safety activities that are extremely well developed for standard, electro-mechanical systems are still to be further improved for software. Until then, incidents like the one reported for the Eclipse (and what about heathrow 777?), considered impossible from a theoretical point of view, will continue to happen and to make people worry about unpredictability of “digital world”.

]]>