Messages in this thread |  | | Date | Thu, 18 Oct 2001 11:21:38 -0400 (EDT) | From | "Richard B. Johnson" <> | Subject | Re: Non-GPL modules |
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On Thu, 18 Oct 2001, Peter T. Breuer wrote:
> "Richard B. Johnson wrote:" > > We have a data interface that feeds high-speed data from 4,000 + > > X-Ray detectors directly to memory at RAM/Bus memory speeds. There > > is no way in hell that we are going to let the world know how this > > Oh my gosh. You aren't working on a project for CERN too, are you? > > Peter
No. Amongst many other things, we make the "Exact" baggage scanners market by L3 division of Lockheed-Martin. All airplane baggage will eventually be scanned (at baggage-conveyor speeds) at all airports serving commercial airliners. The scanning detects various devices and chemical compounds. It uses X-Rays of different frequencies (hardness) to actually detect chemical compounds at their elementary atomic levels.
For instance, most X-Ray systems only detect density. The X-Ray density of a jar of peanut butter is similar to the density of the explosive C4. Without chemical discrimination, anybody with a jar of peanut butter in their luggage is suspect. However, by using dual-energy, we can zero in on nitrogen, while allowing the same-density substances containing other atoms.
We do this in an incredibly fast hardware/software environment so that baggage runs through the machines at normal conveyor speeds, not slowing down the loading/boarding process.
This is NOT the scanner used to X-Ray carry-on luggage. That uses a much less robust and cheaper process because there are attendants present that can ask that suspect carry-on luggage be opened for inspection.
Presently, we are using DEC/Alpha machines for the hardware/software interface. Our next generation will use PC/AT/Linux machines for the same function (at twice the performance).
Cheers, Dick Johnson
Penguin : Linux version 2.4.1 on an i686 machine (799.53 BogoMips).
I was going to compile a list of innovations that could be attributed to Microsoft. Once I realized that Ctrl-Alt-Del was handled in the BIOS, I found that there aren't any.
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