Description

The USB PC Watchdog board is a small circuit card that mounts inside the PC and monitors a PC for hardware/software lock-ups to ensure maximum system availability. It provides a solution for file servers, telecom systems, kiosks, video surveillance systems, industrial applications, etc. that occasionally lock up but must be available on a continuous basis.

The USB PC Watchdog ships with utility programs for control & "tickling" of the board. Sample source code and libraries are also provided in Visual "C" and Visual Basic to allow users to write their own applications to configure or "tickle" the board. Use the CD image download below to see the samples provided along with all the programmer's documentation. The USB PC Watchdog works with Win 98-SE/ME/2K/XP/Vista/Win7 (32 & 64bit). It also has LINUX support.

A newer Revision of the board has been released. It now includes a 4-Pin internal header behind the regular USB connector and an additional mounting hole. This allows it to be installed inside a PC and make a connection to the internal header on the motherboard. If the bracket is removed there are two mounting holes available. The board is so small and light that could also be secured with double sided velcro tape. There is a mechanical drawing for the mounting holes available on the CD image download. The new PN: 1140-1 version is supplied with a 22 inch (558mm) cable for the internal connection.


Features

  • Connects to USB port or a hub on a PC running Win 98-SE/ME/2K/XP/Vista and Linux.
  • Receives power from USB bus.
  • Watchdog timer can be set for 5 seconds to 1 hour by DIP switch or 1 second to 18 hours via software control.
  • Has two operating modes. Can be "tickled" by software or passive monitoring of USB bus activity
  • Can be used right from the box with supplied programs.
  • Has an on-board temperature sensor to detect fan failures or other over-temp conditions.
  • Has two temperature trip points for alerting.
  • Programmable option to allow the PC Watchdog to hold the PC in reset after the upper trip occurs.
  • Audible alarm for the temperature trip points.
  • The temperature trip points can be modified by user software.
  • Two externally visible LEDs show status of PC Watchdog.
  • Watchdog has an AUX relay available on an external jack to control devices such as an alarm panel.
  • AUX relay can be set for pulse or latch on after a timeout and PC reset
  • Programmable power-on delay to allow the PC to complete its initialization sequence.
  • Non-Volatile memory to store operating parameters.
  • Eight bytes of non-volatile memory reserved for user data to implement simple software protection.
  • Support for PCs without a motherboard reset header available with: ATX-Reset-Adapter

Pricing

Part# Description Price
1140 USB PC Watchdog with 15" (380 mm) External USB Cable $109.95
1140-1 USB PC Watchdog with 22" (558mm) Internal USB Cable $109.95

Downloads

USB PC Watchdog PDF Manual
- This link is for the latest version of the USB Hardware Manual.

USB PC Watchdog PDF Programmer's Manual
- This link is for the latest version of the USB Programmer's Manual which describes all the functions provided in the DLL.

Distribution CD Image File (ZIP File)
- This link is for the current version of the distribution CD that contains all the manuals and the sample software. This includes the sample "C" and VB code for those users who wish to write their own aps or want to incorporate watchdog support into their exisiting software.

Larger Images

PN: 1140
USB board with standard 15 inch (380mm) external USB A-B cable to connect with PC rear panel USB jack.		 PN: 1140-1
USB board with 22 inch (558mm) internal cable to connect with USB header on PC motherboard.