Hi Charles,

Charles wrote:
Makes you wonder next time you get on an aircraft ("fly by wire"),
have a surgical procedure ("Doctor, the patient's blood pressure
is 9843 over 2"), etc. :-/

Maybe the Luddites were onto something, afterall! :

Yes, exactly. Coders are very bright (theoretically speaking) folks,

frown You are more "generous" than I! :

but they cannot see the future. Unanticipated, although normal, events
and other random glitches/failures can conspire to send
controllers/chips into endless loops or into a routine that is entirely

But, you needn't "see the future" to code against these things!
All you have to do is step back (figuratively) and look at
your design and ask yourself: "What have I taken for granted,
here?" Then, go back and "UN"-take it for granted.

Of course, there are some things that you *have* to "assume".
But, far less than you actually usually *do* assume (at least
if you want a robust design!).

E.g., if you loan someone money, do you *assume* you will be
paid back AND HAVE NO CONTINGENCY PLANS FOR THE POSSIBILITY
OF *not* BEING PAID BACK? (if so, I'd like to speak to you
about a loan... : )

inappropriate. We have engineered ourselves into an untenable
position. Anyway, for now, just shut everything down and turn the
devices back on using a recommended sequence (good luck with that).