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Re:AVR & Automation

Re:AVR & Automation

2008-06-17 by David Appleton

Don't AVRs have a WatchDogTimer?

This is used to ensure that a processor hasn't gone off into a bad place.  If your software doesn't "service" the Watchdog Timer, the processor will go into a reset condition.





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Re: [AVR-Chat] Re:AVR & Automation

2008-06-17 by Dennis Clark

> Don't AVRs have a WatchDogTimer?
>
> This is used to ensure that a processor hasn't gone off into a bad
> place.  If your software doesn't "service" the Watchdog Timer, the
> processor will go into a reset condition.
>
  Yes, they do.  I prefer external hardware watchdogs myself.

DLC
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-- 
Dennis Clark
TTT Enterprises

Re: [AVR-Chat] Re:AVR & Automation

2008-06-17 by Zack Widup

Me too.  I usually turn the internal WDT off.

Zack
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On Tue, 17 Jun 2008, Dennis Clark wrote:

>
>> Don't AVRs have a WatchDogTimer?
>>
>> This is used to ensure that a processor hasn't gone off into a bad
>> place.  If your software doesn't "service" the Watchdog Timer, the
>> processor will go into a reset condition.
>>
>  Yes, they do.  I prefer external hardware watchdogs myself.
>
> DLC
>>

Re: [AVR-Chat] Re:AVR & Automation

2008-06-17 by Philippe Habib

A lot of the stuff that I work on, the internal WDT is not allowed  
for regulatory reasons.  I must use an external part.
Show quoted textHide quoted text
On Jun 17, 2008, at 9:57 AM, Zack Widup wrote:

>
> Me too.  I usually turn the internal WDT off.
>
> Zack
>
> On Tue, 17 Jun 2008, Dennis Clark wrote:
>
>>
>>> Don't AVRs have a WatchDogTimer?
>>>
>>> This is used to ensure that a processor hasn't gone off into a bad
>>> place.  If your software doesn't "service" the Watchdog  
>>> Timer, the
>>> processor will go into a reset condition.
>>>
>>  Yes, they do.  I prefer external hardware watchdogs myself.
>>
>> DLC
>>>
>
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Re: [AVR-Chat] Re:AVR & Automation

2008-06-17 by Enki

What is the advantage of using an external WDT instead of the 
internal one?

	Mark Jordan
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On 17 Jun 2008 at 11:57, Zack Widup wrote:

> 
> Me too.  I usually turn the internal WDT off.
> 
> Zack
>

Re: [AVR-Chat] Re:AVR & Automation

2008-06-17 by Philippe Habib

In my case, it is required.  The fear is that if the micro dies in  
such a way that the watchdog doesn't work either you'd be in trouble,  
so you have an external watchdog which does the reset.  You also have  
some other way of detecting a dead micro and then arrange to fail in  
a "good" way.
Show quoted textHide quoted text
On Jun 17, 2008, at 2:33 PM, Enki wrote:

>
> 	What is the advantage of using an external WDT instead of the
> internal one?
>
> 	Mark Jordan
>
>
> On 17 Jun 2008 at 11:57, Zack Widup wrote:
>
>>
>> Me too.  I usually turn the internal WDT off.
>>
>> Zack
>>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
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>

Re: [AVR-Chat] Re:AVR & Automation

2008-06-18 by David Kelly

On Jun 17, 2008, at 5:45 PM, Philippe Habib wrote:

> In my case, it is required.  The fear is that if the micro dies in
> such a way that the watchdog doesn't work either you'd be in trouble,
> so you have an external watchdog which does the reset.  You also have
> some other way of detecting a dead micro and then arrange to fail in
> a "good" way.


So its based on fear rather than fact?

Fear that the watchdog is implemented as a software function that will  
fail the same way when/if the CPU fails? But if that was the case  
wouldn't the CPU be smoked and beyond recovery via reset?

--
David Kelly N4HHE, dkelly@HiWAAY.net
========================================================================
Whom computers would destroy, they must first drive mad.

Re: [AVR-Chat] Re:AVR & Automation

2008-06-18 by Roy E. Burrage

The external WDT can easily be used to set off an external alarm if the 
controller gets too pooped to participate.  It can also be used to turn 
on another controller whose job it would be to set off an alarm and shut 
down the system in a reasonable manner to a safe state.




David Kelly wrote:
> On Jun 17, 2008, at 5:45 PM, Philippe Habib wrote:
>
>   
>> In my case, it is required.  The fear is that if the micro dies in
>> such a way that the watchdog doesn't work either you'd be in trouble,
>> so you have an external watchdog which does the reset.  You also have
>> some other way of detecting a dead micro and then arrange to fail in
>> a "good" way.
>>     
>
>
> So its based on fear rather than fact?
>
> Fear that the watchdog is implemented as a software function that will  
> fail the same way when/if the CPU fails? But if that was the case  
> wouldn't the CPU be smoked and beyond recovery via reset?
>
> --
> David Kelly N4HHE, dkelly@HiWAAY.net
> ========================================================================
> Whom computers would destroy, they must first drive mad.
>   
>


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