Location of K.I.T.T.'s CPU?

[FuzzieDice]

Something just started bugging me, oddly enough. I wondered about the location of KITT's CPU. In Soul Survivor, for instance, KITT's CPU was contained in his Vox Box. In KITT vs. KARR, that was the location (supposedly) of KARR's CPU.

Now, in KR 2000 movie, the CPU is under the car (as in KIFT)? And I think in a couple KR episodes wasn't KITT's CPU referenced as UNDER the nose of the car and not in the Vox?

Confusing...

[HondaSiR]

KITT's CPU is probably located under his nose/engine, its where Michael had to go in order to change his circuit board when KITT had a "killer" personality.

[FuzzieDice]

I thought so. But it's odd because in Soul Survivor, the vox was in some boxes or something and Michael "sensed" KITT's "presence" and his vox then was glowing a bit. As if THAT was his "CPU" or his brain, his essense.

That's why I am kinda confused as to his CPU's actual location.

[Army_F_Body]

I think in Junk Yard Dog when they are rebuilding KITT you see a bunch of fiber optics lines running into the engine compartment. So I think that is the round about location of KITTs cpu.

Also if KITT and KARR are the same (physically anyway) would make sense that the only way to "kill" him would be a head on collision thus destroying or severely damaging the the CPU.

[Lost Knight]

In "Lost Knight" (no pun intended ), K.I.T.T.'s CPU was located under his nose, however in "Killer K.I.T.T.," his CPU was located underneath his dashboard in his interior. "Killer K.I.T.T." was the last time we directly saw the location of KITT's CPU, I believe. Keep in mind that between these two episodes, KITT had been destroyed twice, once in "Junk Yard Dog" (which was the most damaging destruction completely destroying KITT aside from his shell) and "Knight Of the Juggernaut." It would be fair to say that even after "Junk Yard Dog" that KITT's CPU location had been reconfigured to a new location because the FLAG engineers basically rebuilt KITT from scratch.

[Army_F_Body]

In "Lost Knight" (no pun intended ), K.I.T.T.'s CPU was located under his nose, however in "Killer K.I.T.T.," his CPU was located underneath his dashboard in his interior. "Killer K.I.T.T." was the last time we directly saw the location of KITT's CPU, I believe. Keep in mind that between these two episodes, KITT had been destroyed twice, once in "Junk Yard Dog" (which was the most damaging destruction completely destroying KITT aside from his shell) and "Knight Of the Juggernaut." It would be fair to say that even after "Junk Yard Dog" that KITT's CPU location had been reconfigured to a new location because the FLAG engineers basically rebuilt KITT from scratch.

That makes a lot of sense. Also in Deadly Knightshade doesn't the fake Bonnie tweak something under KITTs dash at the beginning making his sensor not work properly.

You would think placing the CPU under the nose wouldn't be the smartest thing, so I can see it's location being moved in the name of progress. So I guess the season 1/2 KITT had it in the nose, and season 3/4 had it somewhere in the dashboard.

[pdennis93]

more like season 1-3.5 had it under the hood and season 3.5 and 4 had it under the dash, because in lost knight it is under the car, which was only 4 episodes before JYD.

[Army_F_Body]

more like season 1-3.5 had it under the hood and season 3.5 and 4 had it under the dash, because in lost knight it is under the car, which was only 4 episodes before JYD.

That's right, don't know why I was thinking JYD was season 2.

Man, when all seasons are available on DVD there won't be any excuses for getting episodes and seasons mixed up

At least I got my season 1 down pat.

[FuzzieDice]

I just thought of something. In Chariot of Gold, Bonnie overrode KITT's computer via a dial under the dash and pulled boards out under the dash. But then, that could just be control units hooked up to his CPU.

KITT's configurations is quite confusing. And I agree with you guys because of the fact KITT was constantly undergoing upgrades. Nearly each episode seemed like he had another upgrade installed. And Bonnie would move things around (Trust Doesn't Rust I think he had his power booster moved to make room for a laser to shoot KARR with).

I was hoping someone by now would have come up with a more technical book on KITT's configurations and upgrades.

[Lost Knight]

That was an interesting idea of K.I.T.T. & K.A.R.R.'s CPU making them vulnerable head-on if their scanners were to be damaged in any way. And yes, the location of KITT's CPU has changed, therefore it can be confusing. I think the FLAG engineers made new modifications to KITT after "Junk Yard Dog" as an attempt to build him better than before (remember KITT was eager to brag to Michael about his new diodes, etc.). In "Soul Survivor," KITT's CPU could have been in the voice box, then later reconfigured in season 3, and again after his destruction(s). Perhaps with all the upgrades to his features and new features being installed constantly, a larger capacity CPU was required and eventually had to be changed to accomodate it?

[FuzzieDice]

Well, being that I've built a couple computers, I can say that a CPU doesn't have a "capacity" because it is not a storage unit. CPU is "Central Processing Unit" which is a chip that processes instructions sent to it from a program. However, CPU has also been what people call the computer box that not only the CPU itself is in, but the hard drive, disk drive, motherboard, etc. It might be in that way that the term "CPU" was used in the show - the computer itself, INCLUDING the CPU AND other components necessary for the computer to process information and run programs (including memory and storage device(s)).

If the later, than LostKnight is right, larger storage would mean taking up more room unless technology advanced enough. Like today, we have 40G drives smaller than 10MB ones 20 years ago.

However, I DO notice in real life that CPUs, while they have grown smaller in actual chip size, the power they have (2 GHz on my machine) generates LOTS of heat, requiring LARGER heat sinks and a fan to dissipate the heat so that the CPU itself doesn't burn up. Other hardware on the motherboard can detect the CPU's temperature, the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System - a program in a CMOS chip) can set off an audible alarm that the CPU is overheating and even shut the computer's power completely off, thereby hopefully sparing the CPU.

So in actual size, while technology can make larger "capacity" smaller, the computing POWER (which is handled by the CPU chip itself, mostly) requires larger support hardware (headsink/fan) to keep it running. If this was the case in KITT's situation, then yes, repositioning the CPU into a roomier place in the car would be necessary.

Though I agree that the front nose/under engine is not a great place. In a real car, the underside under the engine can get extremely hot, and therefore either burn up the CPU/Computer or else require it to have even MORE cooling hardware. The underside is where the Exhaust manifold and Exhaust system begins in most cars. Also noise from the Engine and it's systems can cause interference and cause a computer to malfunction. The best place is a shielded area either in the trunk or hatchback space or in the dash where the radio would be, I would think.

[Lost Knight]

Well, in a way that is pretty much what I mean, only I when it comes to computers you could say I'm still learning lol . Thanks for the expertise, FuzzieDice, I come up with the possibilities and you make the technical sense out of them. After taking your information into account, it kind of bugs me now that K.I.T.T.'s CPU was ever even placed under his nose.

I just don't see a logical reason to have it there. All those Turbo Boost landings, turns, speeds, bumpy roads..geez something's gotta damage it sooner or later. What was Bonnie thinking?! I have a feeling all of this is because the producers needed to have a way for Michael to be able to change KITT's CPU in "Lost Knight" because in that episode, with no memory, KITT would never have let Michael inside.

Later in "Killer K.I.T.T.," it would have been IMPOSSIBLE for Michael to try to get underneath KITT to install the new CPU, so they just placed it in his interior and made up that nonsense of the accessible auto-roof.
It's a good thing it was reconfigured before the incorporation of Super Pursuit Mode, because then there would really be space needed in that area to make it believeable. I would imagine KITT had a harddrive as well which is what I had in mind when I spoke about capacity, only it came out wrong.

In the 80s, harddrives were not nearly the size as they can be now, say the iPod for example, that's why I was thinking the bigger, the more storage capacity (unlike nowadays which can be the opposite). I agree the trunk would probably be a good place for KITT's CPU (I have my CD changer in my trunk), only if that were the case, Michael better think twice whenever he throws a bomb in there.

[imranbecks]

In "Lost Knight" (no pun intended ), K.I.T.T.'s CPU was located under his nose, however in "Killer K.I.T.T.," his CPU was located underneath his dashboard in his interior. "Killer K.I.T.T." was the last time we directly saw the location of KITT's CPU, I believe. Keep in mind that between these two episodes, KITT had been destroyed twice, once in "Junk Yard Dog" (which was the most damaging destruction completely destroying KITT aside from his shell) and "Knight Of the Juggernaut." It would be fair to say that even after "Junk Yard Dog" that KITT's CPU location had been reconfigured to a new location because the FLAG engineers basically rebuilt KITT from scratch.

You are so right!!!! I never thought of that....

[Crovax Ws-6]

under the passenger side dash board.... that where it was on my car when i pulled it out..... but then again this is real life, not knight rider. and if it was i wouldnt dream of pullin the computer out.