From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: Command Loss Timer (Re: Galileo Update - 04/22/93)
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 17

In article <1993Apr23.103038.27467@bnr.ca> agc@bmdhh286.bnr.ca (Alan Carter) writes:
>|> ... a NO-OP command was sent to reset the command loss timer ...
>
>This activity is regularly reported in Ron's interesting posts. Could
>someone explain what the Command Loss Timer is?

If I'm not mistaken, this is the usual sort of precaution against loss of
communications.  That timer is counting down continuously; if it ever hits
zero, that means Galileo hasn't heard from Earth in a suspiciously long
time and it may be Galileo's fault... so it's time to go into a fallback
mode that minimizes chances of spacecraft damage and maximizes chances
of restoring contact.  I don't know exactly what-all Galileo does in such
a situation, but a common example is to switch receivers, on the theory
that maybe the one you're listening with has died.
-- 
All work is one man's work.             | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
                    - Kipling           |  henry@zoo.toronto.edu  utzoo!henry
