Why does Motorola need to issue so many updates for firmware and RSS/CPS?
After all the years they have been making radios, you would think that they could get it 100% right with the first or second version !!
Or is it more to do with pc compatibility ie. a new version is required to run on a Pentium, Windows 7 etc etc?
Motorola firmware/RSS/CPS - why so many updates??
Moderator: Queue Moderator
Re: Motorola firmware/RSS/CPS - why so many updates??
Look at it this way, if upper management doesn't use the same people for the software all the time,
then there is different people trying their hand at it. Sometimes you end up with a new person for
every upgrade. You roll the dice and see if you can even get the same person twice in a row to
put out the software on the same radio.
With the internal push to hurry up, get it out the door, your always going to have updates to fix
an oops, or a "I forgot you told me that you wanted this included". Plus there is very little time to
devote to de bugging the software. It is by far cheaper to let your customers find the issues,
rather than have a programmer spend time trying to find his own mistakes. Plus a customer will
do things with the radio that you will never even think about, let alone try it. Let the customer
find a problem, rather than have an expensive engineer or high cost radio tech spend time just
screwing with the software and try to break it.
I have found over the years, that if you want to find any bugs, give it to the 3rd shift dispatcher
and wait. I will bet a steak dinner that the 3rd shift dispatcher will call you up in the morning and
have something to say like "I was doing this and the computer did this. Is that the way is was
made to work?" Hasn't failed me yet. They can break an old style rotary telephone trying to make
a call. They are a great QC resource for a product under test. Just find a dispatch center where
it is slow after midnight and the people are willing to help. Make sure you get the upper amangement
approval of the dispatch center before even starting.
Jim
then there is different people trying their hand at it. Sometimes you end up with a new person for
every upgrade. You roll the dice and see if you can even get the same person twice in a row to
put out the software on the same radio.
With the internal push to hurry up, get it out the door, your always going to have updates to fix
an oops, or a "I forgot you told me that you wanted this included". Plus there is very little time to
devote to de bugging the software. It is by far cheaper to let your customers find the issues,
rather than have a programmer spend time trying to find his own mistakes. Plus a customer will
do things with the radio that you will never even think about, let alone try it. Let the customer
find a problem, rather than have an expensive engineer or high cost radio tech spend time just
screwing with the software and try to break it.
I have found over the years, that if you want to find any bugs, give it to the 3rd shift dispatcher
and wait. I will bet a steak dinner that the 3rd shift dispatcher will call you up in the morning and
have something to say like "I was doing this and the computer did this. Is that the way is was
made to work?" Hasn't failed me yet. They can break an old style rotary telephone trying to make
a call. They are a great QC resource for a product under test. Just find a dispatch center where
it is slow after midnight and the people are willing to help. Make sure you get the upper amangement
approval of the dispatch center before even starting.
Jim
g8tzl2004 wrote:Why does Motorola need to issue so many updates for firmware and RSS/CPS?
After all the years they have been making radios, you would think that they could get it 100% right with the first or second version !!
Or is it more to do with pc compatibility ie. a new version is required to run on a Pentium, Windows 7 etc etc?