One of the last floppy disk industries is finally modernizing

1 week ago

The Muni Metro Automatic Train Control System (ATCS) is group to get an upgrade to its operations that will put it astir 5 generations up of its existent system, which now runs connected 5.25-inch floppy disks, nan San Fransisco Chronicle reports.

The publication elaborate that nan San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) committee precocious approved a $212 cardinal statement successful mid-October to move nan updates guardant – arsenic portion of its wide $700 cardinal finance successful upgrading nan SFMTA. The statement entails that Hitachi Rail will modulation nan ATCS from its existent 5.25-inch floppy disk strategy to 1 that uses Wi-Fi and compartment signals to way nonstop train locations. The woody is still taxable to last support by nan SFMTA Board of Supervisors.

The existent ATCS floppy disk strategy has been successful usage since 1998 and utilizes a operation of automatic mode functioning erstwhile nan trains are moving successful nan subway and manual operations erstwhile they are moving supra ground, a SFMTA spokesperson told Ars Technica.

The SFMTA has had plans to modulation to a Muni Metro power strategy without floppy disks since 2018, pinch an purpose of having nan task completed successful 2028. However, shutdowns during nan pandemic delayed those plans.

Further prompting a request for updates, nan package connected nan floppy disks is besides now officially retired of date, arsenic it was expected to past for 20 to 25 years, Muni officials told nan San Fransisco Chronicle.

As portion of nan agreement, Hitachi Rail has offered 20 years of support successful summation to installing nan caller communications-based train power system. Still aiming for a 2027 to 2028 timeline for this limb of nan scheme to beryllium completed, nan SFMTA is looking astatine a 2033 to 2034 completion day for nan full $700 cardinal project.

While it whitethorn look for illustration floppy disk whitethorn beryllium agelong obsolete, location are a fistful of industries and organizations that person kept them going strong. In summation to nan Muni Metro, nan aviation manufacture and immoderate Boeing 747-400 planes usage floppy disks to update navigation systems. The dancing figures astatine Chuck E. Cheese’s tally connected floppy disks. Some aesculapian machines specified arsenic CT scans and ultrasound machines besides usage floppy disks. The proprietor of Floppydisk.com, who sells floppy disks and different bequest exertion types, told The Register successful 2022 he estimated his institution had astir 4 years left.