scott wrote:

>> every 15 minutes. If they go outside a preset range, an alarm goes 
>> off. How much would *you* suggest such a system costs?
> 
> Depends on far more than just the raw technical performance.
> 
> If I'm going to use it check the temperature in my greenhouse, I would 
> imagine a 50 quid jobby from Maplins would do with some cheap hacked 
> together Win3.1 program.  However, if I'm putting it in a manned 
> spacecraft that is orbiting the moon, I would expect way higher 
> performance, and an equally higher price.

Well, we'd like to check that the blood samples we're storing actually 

about this fact, urgently.

I'm guessing a temparature sensor that actually *works* at temparatures 
that low is going to cost a tad more than your average room thermometer, 
but beyond that I don't see why it would need to cost more. It seems the 
only reason for the higher price is that this is a critical device, so 
the suppliers know they can charge the Earth and we will pay it. We have to.

> BTW, the stuff we make here, we always have to put on the 1st page of 
> the specification that it is not to be used in anything critical, like 
> plane instruments, hospital equipment, traffic signals etc, simply 
> because we don't design or test to high enough standards.  If we did, 
> the cost would be astronomical, for stuff like PC monitors you don't 
> need that level of reliability so you get them very cheap.

The mass spectrometers we have here all say "for research and 
development only; not for diagnostic procedures" on them. I can't 
imagine why - it's a mass spectrometer! Either it measures masses 
reliably, or it doesn't. If it does, you can use it for anything you 
like. If it doesn't, it's a worthless piece of equipment. So... why the 
sticker?!

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

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