Off Their Rocker? Detroit Free Press Postulates Cosmic Radio Waves Are Causing ECU Issues

Electronics makers have known for decades about "single event upsets," computer errors from radiation created when cosmic rays strike the atmosphere.

With more than 3,000 complaints to U.S. regulators of random sudden acceleration problems in Toyota models, several researchers say single event upsets deserve a close look.The phenomenon can trigger software crashes that come and go without a trace.

Unlike interference from radio waves, there's no way to physically block particles; such errors typically have to be prevented by a combination of software and hardware design.





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