On 9/07/2011 4:15 PM, Warp wrote:
>
>    That's one of the most idiotic arguments I have ever heard. We are talking
> about the 60's here. If there was as much technology in the lunar module as
> there is in a modern cellphone, that's actually quite an impressive feat for
> the 60's engineers. What surprises me is not that technology has progressed;
> what does surprise me is how advanced the technology was in the 60's, if the
> claim is true. (In fact, I'm pretty sure that the claim isn't actually true.
> They are making an exaggerated claim that, rather ironically, actually makes
> the 60's technology look *better* than it probably was.)
>

According to a quick reading, the LM computer had 36,864 * 15 bit words 
of ROM (actually hard wired) and 2,048 * 15 bit words of writeable 
memory (equivalent to RAM).

Say about 74Kb of ROM and 4Kb of RAM.  MUCH less than any modern 'smart' 
phone.

It had multiple purposes including running the auto-pilot and being used 
for navigation calculations.  It had concurrent tasks and time sliced 
amongst the highest priority ones.  Memory locations were re-used since 
there was so little available.

On the descent stage there were multiple data overloads causing the 
computer to be reset - while controlling the rocket, radar and all of 
the information displayed to the astronauts (apart from their own 
eyeballs).  It was restarted several times in the few critical minutes 
while they were in the midst of decelerating to land.

It had been designed and tested to do this if needed.

As amazing as the computer was for its time, I think the most incredible 
bit of engineering in the LM was the all important descent rocket 
engine.  It could be throttled and had to fire and shutdown for the 
de-orbit burn then fire again for minutes during the descent to slow 
down and land.  14 tonnes of spacecraft (less the ~8 tonnes of fuel 
consumed) brought to rest safely on the surface.

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