Embedded systems and the year 2000. (year 2000 transition problem in computers)

By now almost everybody in the working world is aware of the year 2000 issue - the possibility that computerized systems may malfunction after midnight on December 31, 1999, because they may not be able to recognize and/or correctly utilize the date 2000.

The problem, which shows up essentially as a date virus, occurs because some of these systems use a two-digit (rather than a four-digit) date format that entirely overlooks the century digits in a date, such as the 20 in the year 2000. As we roll into the new century, there are various ways these systems may interpret the year designation 00. Some software may recognize it as 1900, for example, and some as 2000. How many systems will respond in which …