Emerson Exchange 365

DeltaV - Epochalypse

Spent the morning with epoch time, converting to string, string to epoch, some in modules and of the formatting in VBA. Epochalypse is coming in 2038, is there a plan, I suppose I should be retired by then, maybe someone else's problem. But curious if the DTE is going to be fixed sooner than later?

Benji_Kidmose

• 17 Aug 2024 6:29 PM
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2 Replies

• ElectroTech

  

  • 29 Aug 2024 11:43 PM

  Ha, 2038, most have their head in the sand on DeltaV Live coming at them like a freight train, well, lets call it Thomas, I think I can I think I can.

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• Andre Dicaire

  

  • 30 Aug 2024 4:26 PM

  In my opinion, this is a Microsoft Operating system issue. During Y2K, we were concerned about applications that used two digit year designations, with dates going to 1900 instead of 2000. That would affect historians or any time calculations in integrators or wherever logic would use the data value. This Epoch time issue is based on the use of a 32 bit time offset from a reference time, and in 2038 or so, that integer maxes out, and possibly rolls over to 0, or 1971 or there abouts...
  
  Any time based calculations in applications should have a "back in Time" check to avoid issues if the computer's clock is set back or adjusted erroneously. Simply discard the result and do it again with time moving forward. (Conversely, a max Time change check would be warranted to avoid an invalid positive time change). Error checking always adds more code than the basic function being created.
  
  With PI, a forward shift in time did not disrupt operation. But upon restoring normal time, the data was viewed as "Back in Time" and no compression was applied, resulting in post test data storage consuming hundred more data points previously discarded through compression. i.e. the Y2K was not an issue with PI, but the pre test protocols introduced a problem that then had to be addressed.
  
  And this has nothing to do with Live...
  
  What this tells me is that there will be a critical update to Windows at some time, possibly a "required" upgrade of the OS, and maybe even bricking of Windows 97 or NT computers and other older versions that won't get a patch. Emerson will have to adopt to what ever the OS time value becomes, along with how NTP time synchronization in the controllers and other nodes. That tells me at some point, current versions of DeltaV may not handle post 2038 time. But one can expect that as Microsoft resolves this in the OS, any impact to applications will be dealt with a hotfix well in anticipation of Epochalypse.
  
  I'm not worried, mainly because I will definitely be retired. But maybe I should cash out to Gold Bullion before then. What happens to Bitcoin if the world's computing engines all crash? Better stock up on MRI's while I'm at it.

  Andre Dicaire

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