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Re:Sfmta trains run on floppy disks; fears 'catastrophic fai... by kion on Wednesday April 10, 2024 @02:59PM (#39994461)
I looked into this last year, a significant part of the cost is in new hardware, both on the vehicles, but also sensors spread through the system. They all need commercial grade RF systems that allow for 2 way signaling communication and integration into the vehicles control systems.
Re:Sfmta trains run on floppy disks; fears 'catastrophic fai... by bobthepanda on Wednesday April 10, 2024 @05:11PM (#39995761)
also they need to be rated for the operating environment. you can't stick any random part from newegg in there.

Tesla used non-automotive grade touchscreens in some cars and so they died early: https://www.thedrive.com/tech/27989/teslas-screen-saga-shows...

Automotive grade has very high requirements:

> Grade 0: High Temperature Operating Life (HTOL): +175C for 408 hours. High Temperature Storage Life (HTSL): +175C for 1,000 hours. Temperature Cycling: -65C tp +175C for 500 cycles

And generally speaking transit agencies aspire to buy higher-reliability, longer-lasting equipment than your average consumer car.

Re:Sfmta trains run on floppy disks; fears 'catastrophic fai... by krallja on Wednesday April 10, 2024 @06:53PM (#39996531)
I’ve noticed that my car’s touchscreen operates at a very high temperature at all times - almost hot enough to burn skin, which seems like a weird choice for something designed to be touched by skin.
Re:Sfmta trains run on floppy disks; fears 'catastrophic fai... by bobthepanda on Thursday April 11, 2024 @12:31PM (#40004022)
That probably means that whatever is running behind the touchscreen is the thing that’s hot, and the touchscreen is doing a poor job insulating that heat. But is also illustrative of why the automotive standards are the way they are.
Re:Sfmta trains run on floppy disks; fears 'catastrophic fai... by markus_zhang on Thursday April 11, 2024 @12:13PM (#40003805)
Thanks! That's good to hear.