Re: Year 2k

Dan Clemmensen (Dan@Clemmensen.ShireNet.com)
Fri, 27 Mar 1998 21:30:24 -0500


Arjen Kamphuis wrote: But it's not just computers, all kinds of electronic
appliances nowadays

> have integrated circuits. Often these are bought from small subcontracting
> companies and by now no-one knows the exact design of many of these
> circuits. Is your VCR Y2K compliant? The hardware of your PC? The time-lock
> of your bank (it stays closed on sundays)?

Very few ICs care about the date. A few embedded systems care. Your wristwatch
cares. Your microwave probably does not, and neither does your fancy
thermostat.Your PC cares.

> I also read somewhere (but have not been able to confirm it) that the
> GPS-navigation satellites will 'run out of dates' by the end of _this_
> year. It seems their calender is based on counting weeks since 1-1-1980 and
> by next september or something they will run out of memory. Can anyone
> confirm this story?
>

The US military is responsible for GPS. They address this problem on a web site
dedicated to GPS: http://www.laafb.af.mil/SMC/CZ/homepage/y2000/index.html