Re: Non-GPL modules

[Richard B. Johnson]

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.